Germany's population is shrinking. While a growing population has long been understood as a threat to the environment, a shrinking population does not automatically improve the environmental situation. But what are the environmental sustainability implications of demographic trends in Germany? In their publication "Demographic Change and Sustainability: A Generational Balance", R. Andreas Kraemer, Daniel Blobel, Anneke von Raggamby and Doris Knoblauch develop approaches for a generational balance in selected areas, namely natural resource use (energy supply, settlement and transport) and nature conservation.

Against the background of an increased number of flood events and the dependency of their impacts on how the surrounding land is used, it has become evident that technical solutions have only a limited effect.  New approaches to flood management, including the restoration of rivers’ natural flood zones, have become indispensable.  In this book section, Thomas Dworak, Head of Ecologic Vienna, analyses current EU policies and how they can be used for the restoration of floodplain areas.  He presents a detailed and systematic assessment of the opportunities and challenges arising from water and non-water related EU policies.

The European Union (EU) made a proposal to upgrade the UN Environment Programme (UNEP) to a UN Environment Organization (UNEO). This book chapter by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Markus Knigge places the proposal in the broader political debate, by summarizing the most relevant initiatives in the context of the ongoing UN reform process. The chapter discusses the main differences between UNEP and a potential UNEO and presents the arguments for and against the upgrade of UNEP to a UNEO.

Economic analysis for policy appraisal is generally interested in answering two questions, "is a given policy objective worth achieving" and if so, "has the policy objective been achieved in the most cost-effective way?" While the first question is addressed in a cost-benefit analysis (CBA), the second question can be answered with the help of a cost-effective analysis (CEA). The authors of this book chapter focus on ex-post CEA and reveal problems, challenges and opportunities of CEA at the European level.

Export Credit Agencies (ECAs) play a substantial role in the financing of infrastructure in developing countries. As the activities of ECAs are backed-up by public resources, national governments have the power to set guidelines for ECA lending policies. Most governments include social and environmental aspects in their ECA guidelines. This book section has a closer look at the role of transparency, information disclosure and participation in the cover decisions of ECAs.

What is the role of civil society actors in the assessment of trade agreements with regard to their sustainability impact? The book chapter authored by Markus Knigge and Nicole Kranz analyses the underlying processes and contexts and makes suggestions for the effective involvement of stakeholders in the assessment process at the EU level.

In his contribution Ingmar von Homeyer examines the level of participatory governance in three issue areas: biotechnology regulation/the revision of the Deliberate Release Directive, European political values/the ‘sanctions’ against Austria/revision of Article 7 TEU, and employment policy/the European Employment Strategy.

Successful and cost-effective implementation of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) will depend on a deep understanding of the WFD’s economic dimensions. Eduard Interwies, Britta Pielen, Benjamin Görlach, and R. Andreas Kraemer have co-authored a chapter about these critical economic considerations and implications in a policy handbook on the WFD. Drawing from the 2004 economic analysis of the WFD, the authors examine the current and future challenges of integrating a full economic perspective into the WFD’s implementation.

What are the specific administrative challenges of the Water Framework Directive. How should its administrative responses be structured – with respect to organisation, personnel, and information technology? What role do the pilot projects play in the implementation of the Water Framework Directive? Peter Kessler, Ecologic Senior Policy Advisor, addresses these issues in the Handbook for the EU-Water Framework Directive.

In this chapter of the Handbook for the EU-Water Framework Directive, Stephan von Keitz and R. Andreas Kraemer present the possibilities for diverse stakeholder involvement – including agriculture, industry, water, transportation policy and others. The options are organised into short- and long-term implementation recommendations.

This chapter in the Handbook for the EU-Water Framework Directive addresses the causes of hydromorphological shortcomings and the consequences of hydraulic engineering interventions on the ecological status of water bodies. The authors, Stephan von Keitz and R. Andreas Kraemer, analyse the possibilities to bring navigational interests, the use of hydropower, and flood control measures in line with the goals of the Water Framework Directive.

Which effects does climate change have on the infrastructures near coastlines? Who pays for social security programs in the future? Which potential energy sources are still to be used? Trying to ignore the problems behind these questions is not a sustainable solution.

Since 1950 about the same amount of land was taken into usage for settlement and transport as in the entire history in Germany before. Although the population is decreasing, increases in demand for improved living conditions and growing rates of single households will continue land development. While ecological disadvantages of urban sprawl were recognised long ago, there could also appear – under conditions of population decrease – devastating economic and social consequences.

Nature conservation contributes significantly to preserving the natural heritage of Germany. However, conservation has been unable to stop biodiversity loss and the negative effects of intensive land use in such a closely populated country. In this chapter, Rainer Müssner shows how in times of demographic and social change, nature conservation has dangers as well as concrete options as to how to preserve the German cultural landscape.

Within industrialised countries, oil is a crucial resource for economic success and social well-being. However, the exploitation of the last reserves of the "black gold" is increasingly leading to wars. At the same time, climate change is making energy efficiency essential. Though people have relied on crude oil since the beginning of the 20th century, this reliance will not be possible in the future.