Book

Adaptation

Water

Adapting to Climate Change

An Assessment of Vulnerability and Risks to Human Security in the Western Mediterranean Basin

The Mediterranean Basin is extremely vulnerable to climate change. It is already experiencing the effects of higher-than-average temperatures and the increasing incidence of extreme events such as unprecedented heat waves, severe droughts, and major floods. A new book co-written by Ecologic Fellow Katriona McGlade examines the water-related impacts of climate and global change in the UNESCO Intercontinental Biosphere Reserve of the Mediterranean (IBRM) that straddles Spain and Morocco.Read more

Publication

International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy 2016

The first volume of the International Yearbook of Soil Law and Policy includes an important discussion on the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals that are the basis for the post-2015 development agenda up to the year 2030; the Yearbook focuses in particular on Goal 15, which includes achieving a "land degradation-neutral world." It also provides a comprehensive and highly informative overview of the latest developments at the international level, important cross-disciplinary issues and different approaches in national legislation. Ecologic Institute's Timo Kaphengst contributed to the chapter on "The UN Convention on Biological Diversity and Soils: Status and Future Options". Elizabeth Dooley had been involved as advisory editor.

Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Global Environment

Security Policy

Water

Environmental Change and Human Security in Africa and the Middle East

For many populations that are already socially marginalized, resource dependent, and with limited capital assets, human security will be progressively undermined by environmental change. A new book, co-edited by Katriona McGlade, Fellow and Coordinator of International Development at Ecologic Institute, examines interactions between environmental change and human security in the Middle East and Africa. The collected volume, published by Springer, demonstrates that global environmental change in general, and climate change in particular, are putting both human security and human rights at risk.Read more

Publication

Developing Participatory Adaptation Plans for River Basins

A Handbook

This handbook by Ecologic Institute is intended to provide the reader with the necessary information how to guide the participatory development of a River Basin Adaptation Plan. The handbook begins with more general contextual information about the BeWater project before highlighting the importance of adaptation, the state of the art in river basin planning, society's role in the process and finally the need for resilient social-ecological systems. The handbook is available for download.Read more

Publication

Sustainability

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2016

A Statistical Glance from the Viewpoint of the UN Sustainable Development Goals

This publication has been issued by EUROSTAT and provides a snapshot of the current situation concerning a selected number of SDG-related indicators and accompanies the European Commission Communication on the next steps for a sustainable European future (22 November 2016). Ecologic Institute's authors covered the chapters on SDG2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean water and sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and clean energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life below water), SDG 15 (Life on land) SDG 17 (Partnership for the goals). The publication is available for download.Read more

Publication

Energy

Germany's Energy Transition

A Comparative Perspective

This book, edited by Professor Carol Hager, Ph.D. and Ecologic Institute's Associate Professor Christoph H. Stefes, Ph.D. analyzes Germany's path-breaking Energiewende, the country's transition from an energy system based on fossil and nuclear fuels to a sustainable energy system based on renewables. The authors explain Germany's commitment to a renewable energy transition on multiple levels of governance, from the local to the European, focusing on the sources of institutional change that made the transition possible. They then place the German case in international context through comparative case studies of energy transitions in the USA, China, and Japan. These chapters highlight the multifaceted challenges, and the enormous potential, in different paths to a sustainable energy future. Taken together, they tell the story of one of the most important political, economic, and social undertakings of our time.Read more

Publication

Low-carbon Energy Security from a European Perspective

This book draws on the European Commission funded project MILESECURE-2050. It considers low-carbon energy security and energy geopolitics in Europe with a focus on four thematic clusters: challenging the energy security paradigm; climate change and energy security objectives (the components of a secure and low-carbon energy system); energy security in a geopolitical perspective, as it relates to economics, resource competition, and availability; and the influence of large scale renewable energy projects on energy security and shifting geopolitical alliances. Max Gruenig served as one of the book's editors and further researchers, Andreas Prahl, Katherine Weingartner and Brendan O'Donnell, were chapter authors.Read more

Publication

Biodiversity

Energy

Governance

Sustainability

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2015 Key Messages

Key Messages

Sustainable development is a fundamental and overarching objective of the European Union, enshrined in the Treaty. The EU Sustainable Development Strategy (EU SDS) brings together the many strands of economic, social and environmental policy under one overarching objective — to continually improve the quality of life and well-being for present and future generations.Read more

Publication

Sustainability

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2015

2015 Monitoring Report of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy

The Eurostat monitoring report examines how well the EU and its member states adapt the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. As part of a consortium with the Vienna University of Economics and Business, INFRAS and the Haymarket Media Group, Ecologic Institute played an integral role in compiling the 2015 Eurostat monitoring report. The report is available for download.Read more

Publication