This report outlines the conceptual framework of BE-Rural and provides practical guidance to the design and implementation of the five regional Open Innovation Platforms (OIPs) within BE-Rural. This conceptual framework aims to provide guidance regarding the overall ambition of BE-Rural, and the foundations by which the project will operate throughout its duration. The first part of this document describes the context, objectives and regional focus to be taken within the project. The second part outlines key concepts and founding principles that lay at the heart of the project. Following this, the conceptual framework of BE-Rural is presented and discussed.

Since 2012, more than 200 experts from various fields of water management and nature conservation, the federal states and the federal government, the federal waterway administration, the energy industry, hydraulic engineering, fisheries biology, nature conservation, fishing and fishing associations and university science have been involved in the German Participatory Forum on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration. In the second cycle of the Forum, from 2015 to 2018, the productive dialogue was continued and a better understanding or various aspects of fish protection and downstream fish migration was compiled. This report documents the project work of the 2nd cycle and is available for download.

In Europe, limited information is available about the environmental characteristics of the vehicles stocks and of traded used vehicles in terms of vehicle's air pollutant and CO2 emissions. In this context and on behalf of the European Environmental Agency, Ecologic Institute and Fraunhofer ISI explore available national and European data sources of vehicle stocks and trade throughout Europe and compile the available vehicle characteristics. Based on the available characteristics, the project team derives the environmental performance of vehicle stocks and traded used vehicles and assess respective regional differences in the environmental performance of the vehicles stocks and of used vehicle trade flows.

The circular economy aims to maintain the value of products, materials and resources in the economy for as long as possible while minimising the generation of waste and material inputs through eco-design, recycling and reusing of products. The circular economy offers significant potential for climate change mitigation, as it helps reducing greenhouse emissions that occur over the life cycle of a product from production to disposal (or cradle to grave).

In this EFEX webinar Marijke de Roeck, lead project coordinator of the CIVITAS Portis initiative and Katia Kishchenko, local dissemination manager, discussed sustainable mobility in the city of Antwerp (Belgium). Their presentation touched on the importance of improving cooperation between relevant bodies – in the case of Antwerp, the port and municipal authorities – as well as the city's growing experience with shared mobility services. They also discussed major findings of the CIVITAS Portis project regarding transport choices and behavioral change. The webinar was moderated by Matthias Duwe, Head Climate at Ecologic Institute.

The new President of the European Commission, Ursula von der Leyen, has promised a European climate law. What it should look like describe Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Katharina Umpfenbach in the Tagesspiegel. The law should close five gaps.

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.

A rare consensus has emerged in Australia's otherwise highly polarized energy policy: The development of a hydrogen export industry represents an overlap of interests between more progressive and more conservative groups. This report, co-authored by Raffaele Piria, provides a comprehensive overview of the hydrogen debate in Australia.

The report first presents non-institutional factors that influence the relationship between urban and rural areas. In the second part, it provides an overview of institutional framework conditions and instruments for the design of sustainable urban-rural linkages. The third section of the report analyses existing instruments and policies for the sustainable design of urban-rural linkages. It covers instruments at the German, EU and international levels. Examples of good practice from European and non-European countries in the field of "regional food systems" have a complementary, illustrative function.

In 2014, the European Union committed to reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 40% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The Commission also proposes to aim for full greenhouse gas neutrality by 2050. On behalf of the BMU, Öko-Institute and Ecologic Institute are investigating how these goals can be achieved and what options are available to raise ambition of midterm goals and measures.

In this article, Dr. Grit Martinez ist concerned with the role of culture and history in relation to local knowledge and values, as these are displayed in the interpretations and actions of distinct groups regarding climate change. She argues that it makes sense to communicate the climate in a manner appropriate to the given cultural-historical context and imaginary and to the relevant semiotic and material views of the people in it. The article is available for download.

With the National Climate Initiative (NKI), the Federal Environment Ministry has been supporting climate protection projects throughout Germany since June 2008, contributing to the achievement of Germany's climate protection goals. During this time, the NKI's guidelines and calls for proposals have been further developed and new guidelines and calls for proposals initiated, in order to tap strategic climate protection potentials, particularly in the target groups of municipalities, business and private households. All along this process, Independent experts have continuously evaluated the impact of the National Climate Initiative, assessed gaps and identified potentials for further development of the NKI. Overall, the effect of the National Climate Initiative to date has been largely positive, also in terms of its contribution to national climate protection targets. In the fourth edition in a suite of contracts on the evaluation and further development of the NKI, a consortium of Öko-Institut, IFEU, Fraunhofer ISI, Ice-Tex, Prognos, Dr. Tews, Prof. Dr. Klinski and Ecologic Institute is examining and evaluating the NKI's funding programmes and developing proposals for their further development.

Together with the International Carbon Action Partnership (ICAP), Ecologic Institute implemented a training course on the design and implementation of emissions trading in Colombia. From 12 to 21 November 2019, the course brought together 27 participants from all across Latin America and the Caribbean, representing national governments in the region as well as academia, think tanks, business and industry, and intergovernmental organisations.

Magosch, Magdalena, Raffaele Piria, Jakob Eckardt 2019: Überblick über die australische Energiepolitik. Berlin: adelphi/RAP.

As part of a project to structure the energy law, Ecologic Institute contributed to concluding recommendations on the "Improved disclosure of subsidised renewable energy quantities and general electricity disclosure in Germany". The recommendations include general recommendations for the further development of accounting instruments of electricity disclosure, measures to improve the disclosure of supported electricity from renewable sources, additional measures on the format and content of electricity disclosure, and monitoring.