Projects – Ecologic Institute US

Support of the Bilateral Cooperation with Latin American Countries

Emissions trading systems are one of the most effective and cost-effective options to meet agreed climate change targets. Many countries in Latin America, including Brazil, Mexico, and Chile, are currently trying to implement such market-based instruments. In order to promote emissions trading systems as well as a continuously growing network of emission trading schemes in these newly industrialized countries, Ecologic Institute will initiate contact between employees of the German Federal Ministry of Environment and Latin American stakeholders dealing with emissions trading and itsRead more

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Urban-rural energy investments: possibilities for EU and national policy measures

Rural energy infrastructure often lags behind that in urban areas. As studies show, the energy mix in rural communities tends to rely more heavily on coal and oil and is often less energy efficient than in cities and towns. This project prepares an inventory of rural and urban-rural energy projects and based thereon develops recommendations for new and additional policy measures at EU and Member States levels to promote effective and efficient energy investments in rural areas.Read more

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Forest

The New Zealand Emissions Trading Scheme and the Role of the Forestry Sector - Study Tour

From 11 to 16 March 2012 Ecologic Institute and Environmental Defense Fund (EDF) hosted a one-week study tour in New Zealand for European foresters and forest policy experts to inform them about the integration of the forestry sector into its national emissions trading scheme. Traveling the length of New Zealand's north island, the participants met with forest landowners and managers (including from the indigenous Maori tribes), carbon trading experts, forestry policy think tanks, and regional and national policymakers to gain a well-rounded perspective of how the current policies wereRead more

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Training Course "Energy for Development"

This project's key objective is the conceptualisation and implementation of a training course on the theme of "energy for development", that is targeted at development cooperation professionsals, which will encounter energy issues in their work outside of the home country.

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Cities

Sustainability

Sustainable San Mateo – The 2012 Indicator Report

For 16 years Sustainable San Mateo County (SSMC) has published its flagship indicator report for San Mateo County, which is located between San Francisco and Silicon Valley in California. The report shows progress made towards achieving a sustainable balance between economic growth, an equitable society, and a healthy environment. For the 2012 report, Ecologic Institute in San Mateo was the report’s coordinator and editor.Read more

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Transatlantic Sister City and Media Dialogue: Local Initiatives in Climate Protection and Renewable Energies in Germany and the US

Four German-American pairs of sister cities met in Chattanooga, TN (USA) from 29 November to 2 December 2011 in order to compare local efforts on climate protection and explore best practices in renewable energies. The Dialogue that also included German and American journalists was organized by the Ecologic Institute in cooperation with the German Embassy in Washington DC.Read more

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Marine Policy

European Fisheries Fund (EFF) Sustainability Criteria

A new study has found that financial support is being allocated under the European Fisheries Fund (EFF) to activities with little or no evidence that they are environmentally or socially sustainable. The EFF's goal is to provide financial support for the implementation of the Common Fisheries Policy (CFP). Both the EFF and the CFP are responsible for the conservation and sustainable use of marine resources. However, most EU Member States use application forms which lack sufficient environmental and social assessment criteria. The study is available for download.Read more

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Cities

Water

Potential Improvements to Urban Stormwater Management through Transnational Sharing of Experience and Technology

On behalf of the United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA), Ecologic Institute is carrying out comparative study on the use of Green Infrastructure for urban storm water management in Germany and the US in order to illuminate a series of best practices that may help guide US efforts to improve existing infrastructure. The water policy team at Ecologic Institute is joined by experts at the Northern Virginia Regional Commission and the George Washington University in the performance of this contract.

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Marine Policy

Arctic

The Arctic Ocean Beyond National Jurisdiction

A conference on "The Arctic Ocean Beyond National Jurisdiction" at the University of Alaska Fairbanks from 24 to 27 July 2011 explored the opportunities and challenges of expanded human use and options for future governance of the Central Arctic Ocean. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute participated as invited expert contributor in the conference.Read more

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A sustainable (individual-) tourism concept for Antarctica

On behalf of the German Federal Environment Agency Ecologic Institute conducted a study on the impacts of individual tourism in Antarctica. The report "A Sustainable Tourism Concept for Antarctica" sheds light on possible approaches to tourism management and develops a set of recommendations for a sustainable tourism concept in Antarctica.Read more

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Marine Policy

Public Diplomacy

Sustainable Oceans: Reconciling Economic Use and Protection

The Dräger Foundation convenes a transatlantic conference series on "Sustainable Oceans: Reconciling Economic Use and Protection" under the High Patronage of Albert II, Sovereign Prince of Monaco. Building on the Ecologic Institute CALAMAR Dialogue on Cooperation Across the Atlantic for Marine Governance Integration, it aims to initiate a European Ocean Commission, and a joint EU-Read more

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Sustainability

Contribution to the 2011 flagship survey of the German Advisory Council on Global Change

Ecologic Institute contributed to the main survey of the German Advisory Council on Global Change (Wissenschaftlicher Beirat der Bundesregierung Globale Umweltveränderungen, WBGU) for 2011. In its analysis for the WBGU, Ecologic Institute analyzed the American, British, Chinese, German, Japanese and South Korean economic and financial stimulus packages and their environmental implications. The analysis is available for download.

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Review of International Approaches to the Integrated Assessment of Aquatic Ecosystems

The goal of this project was to support the implementation of the European Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD). Ecologic Institute has produced a study reviewing international practice examples of Integrated Ecosystem Assessments (IEAs). It analyzes their applicability to the MSFD along with the Directive’s requirement for initial assessment. The study concludes by proposing a series of key requirements for IEAs. The final report is available for download.Read more

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Development of a Scoring System for Assessment of Sustainable Seafood

The goal of this project is to revise and streamline the scoring criteria for the Monterey Bay Aquarium’s sustainable Seafood Watch Program (SFW). The SFW, albeit not without its critics, has been successful in engaging producers and buyers in improving their practices and raising their awareness towards sourcing their fisheries and aquaculture products from sustainably managed operations. Ecologic Institute Washington DC is helping to develop quantitative scoring mechanisms to streamline the process and make the assessments more transparent.Read more

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Biodiversity

Arctic

Newly identified: 77 Ecologically or Biologically Significant Areas in the Arctic marine environment

New maps identifying 77 Areas of Ecologically or Biologically Significance (EBSAs) in the Arctic marine environment are now available through a recent project led by International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN), Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), Scripps Institution of Oceanography and Ecologic Institute. The report identifies 13 "Super EBSAs" which are of key importance because they meet many or all criteria developed under the Convention onRead more

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Trade

International Trade Policy in the Context of Climate Change Imperatives

In their policy paper “International Trade Policy in the Context of Climate Change Imperatives” for the Committee on International Trade, Christiane Gerstetter, Michael Mehling und Tanja Srebotnjak examine the relationship between trade and climate change as well as the potential of trade and trade policies to contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation.Read more

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Transatlantic Media Dialogue: Economic Transformation in Aging Industrial Regions

As part of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge, the Ecologic Institute organised a Transatlantic Media Dialogue to discuss structural change and economic transformation in Germany and the U.S.A. The exchange took place from 31 October to 4 November 2010 in Gelsenkirchen and focused on the whole Ruhr region. The dialogue brought together about 25 participants – German and US journalists as well as experts on the topics discussed. The program was complemented byRead more

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Analysis of the South African Renewables Initiative (SARi)

The KfW Entwicklungsbank has commissioned this study to determine the feasibility of and preconditions for the South African Renewables Initiative (SARi) during the stage of its conceptualization. Special attention is to be paid to the role that the German government could play as an international funder of SARi and the implications of this support for the German government, German businesses, and the international climate change negotiations.Read more

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Ecologic Legal