Democracy | Ecologic Institute: Science and Policy for a Sustainable World

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Event

Transatlantic Program

How Will the Climate for Transatlantic Cooperation Change Following the 2020 US Election?

TimeLoc

9 October 2019

Berlin

Germany

The European Union and the United States share many values, principles and interests, and there is a rich tapestry of transatlantic relations at many levels and across a range of policy fields. At present, however, on climate change and climate action, – as well as other important areas of policy – the EU and the US are pulling in different, sometimes opposite directions. Led by keynote comments from author and academic Bruce Stokes, a small group of experts engaged in a round-table discussion to explore the prospects for post-election transatlantic relations and cooperation across a range of related policy fields.Read more

Publication

Article

Democracy

Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde?

Die Grenzen zwischen Demokratie und Autoritarismus sind keineswegs fließend. Es gibt Mittel gegen westliche Selbstzweifel.

Democracies need a compass, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the ipg-journal. To find their way in the haze of polarised debate, the compass must offer four things. First, it must help to understand pluralism – it must help to endure and respect different opinions. Conversely, it must recognise that some positions are outside the democratic spectrum. Thirdly, it must ensure precise language. And fourth, it must identify trends in democracies. The article is available online.Read more

Presentation

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Sustainability

Water

Water in Berlin – Virtual Water

TimeLoc

7 August 2019

Berlin

Germany

Hannes Schritt

Hannes Schritt hold a presentation concerning water in Berlin and Virtual Water at the BUNDjugend German-Egyptian Youth Exchange in Berlin. As part of the presentation he explained the water cycle of Berlin: Treated waste water is reused as drinking water to ensure water availability. In addition, Berlin gets drinking water by river bank filtration from Havel, Spree and Dahme. As a result of both, Berlin's drinking water quality depends on good water quality of the effluent of the waste water treatment plants and the rivers crossing the city. After presenting primarily technical aspects Hannes Schritt talked about political conflicts and inititiatives concerning water in Berlin and the concept of Virtual Water. The presentation slides are available for download.Read more

Presentation

The Role of Social Media in Communicating Climate Change – 61th Cairo Climate Talks

TimeLoc

25 June 2019

Cairo

Egypt

Marius Hasenheit

Environmental journalism has always been a cross-cutting topic. There are journalists in many countries who specialise in environmental topics. However, environmental topics mostly do not have their own department at media outlets. Hence, publishing such media pieces often highly depends on current political processes and above all on current, public discussions. Ecologic Institute's Marius Hasenheit discussed the role of media, especially social media, in communicating environmental issues in Egypt, at the 61st Cairo Climate Talks.Read more

Event

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Sustainability

Water

New ISO Guidance for Managing Water with ISO 14001

TimeLoc

4 June 2019

Berlin

Germany

On 4 June 2019 was a workshop at the Federal Ministery for Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) to discuss a proposal for a new guidance standard (ISO 14002-2) for managing water with ISO 14001. The workshop served as a platform for information and discussion on the planned standard, bringing together interested experts from water management, water stewardship and environmental management, in and outside of the ISO community. The aim of the workshop was to refine the draft of the proposal for a new guidance standard concerning the scope, structure, conceptual approach and outline of ISO 14002-2. The results of the workshop will be used to update the draft of the proposal before it will be submitted to ISO for an international approval process. Read more

Presentation

Ecologic University Course on Think Tanks Policy Consulting (2018/2019)

TimeLoc

Winter Term 2018/2019

27 February 2019

Berlin

Germany

Doris Knoblauch

Arne Riedel, LLM

In the winter term 2018/2019 Doris Knoblauch, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, organized the seminar "Think Tank Policy Consulting" at the Otto Suhr Institute (OSI) of the Free University Berlin. It was the first time that this seminar was held by an Ecologic Institute researcher at the OSI. Similar courses have been taught before at the Bremen University of Applied Sciences.Read more

Event

Why Facts and Think Tanks Matter – 1st Launch of Global Think Tank Ranking in Lisbon

TimeLoc

31 January 2019

Lisbon

Portugal

Speaker

R. Andreas Kraemer

To mark the launch of the 2018 Global Think Tank Ranking report on 31 January 2019, Ecologic Institute convened a Luncheon discussion of think tankers and policy experts to discuss "Why Facts and Think Tanks Matter". The event, the first of its kind in Lisbon (Portugal), was part of a worldwide launch of the report in over 80 cities around the world, with over 230 think tanks hosting or co-hosting.Read more

News

2018 Global Think Tank Ranking

Ecologic Institute is proud to have been ranked seventh worldwide among Top Environment Policy Think Tanks in the University of Pennsylvania's 2018 Global Think Tank Ranking. Since the introduction of the category "Environmental Think Tanks" in the ranking nine years ago, Ecologic Institute has continuously been ranked among the top ten. Another top ten-score was achieved in the category "Best Quality Assurance and Integrity Policies and Procedures".

Project

Arctic

Democracy

Governance

Arctic Think Tank Panel at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2018

November 2018

"Strengthening Cooperation between Arctic and Non-Arctic Countries" was the theme of a meeting of Arctic Think Tanks at the Arctic Circle Assembly 2018 in Reykjavik, Iceland. The focus was on the role and functions of policy institutes – or think tanks – in addressing the specific challenges of the Circumpolar North and how its peoples and countries relate with the rest of the world. The meeting was convened by the Arctic Summer College. Read more

Publication

Article

Democracy

Nicht "illiberal", sondern undemokratisch

Framing-Check: "Illiberale Demokratie"

The term illiberal democracy is used often. This is a problem. The term "illiberal democracy" makes it invisible that democracy is dismantled in so-called "illiberal democracies". Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Head of International and European Governance at Ecologic Institute, and Michael Meyer-Resende, both co-founders of Democracy Reporting International, argue in the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the appropriate terms are undemocratic or authoritarian.Read more