The objective of the DYNAMIX project is to identify policy mixes to absolute decoupling of economic growth from resource use and its associated environmental impacts. This study by Ecologic Institute's Katharina Umpfenbach serves to clarify the shared key assumptions that are used throughout the project and ensure their consistent application. It goes on to present a framework for assessing the effectiveness, sustainability, and cost-effectiveness of EU policy mixes aimed at achieving absolute decoupling. The study is available for download.

Recent years have shown a boom of urban gardening initiatives in Berlin. Among the core motivations of many gardeners has been the wish to actively experience and contribute to sustainable agriculture. Within the European FP7 research project SOLINSA the Ecologic Institute conducted a case study about urban gardening initiatives in Berlin. The study, authored by Stephanie Wunder, analyses the role that sustainability plays among other motivations in these initiatives, identifies success factors and barriers and eventually draws conclusions about the transferability of experiences to other regions. The study and a poster presentation are available for download.

Cassen, Christophe et al. 2013: Deliverable 1.2 – Report on Global and Macroregional Key Trends and Scenarios. SMASH, Paris.

Despite the legislation in place and the growing awareness of the need for full cost recovery and incentive pricing in the European water sector, Member States have not yet achieved the objective of integrating these key principles into their water policy. Through a comparative analysis of water pricing schemes and governance structures across selected European countries, a recent study in which Ecologic Institute participated provides practical information on the implementation of the key principles under Article 9 of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). The study is available for download.

What is the role of the Common Agricultural Policy in addressing climate change mitigation and adaptation? Has the recent round of CAP reform sufficiently contributed to the effort to address these issues? These questions were the focus of the 25th Climate Talk, jointly organized by Ecologic Institute and the Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), which featured presentations by Clemens Neumann (BMELV), Reinhild Benning (BUND), and Sandra Naumann (Ecologic Institute).

Biomethane is a flexible and easily storable fuel that can be used wherever natural gas is used without the need to change any settings on equipment designed to use natural gas. In regions where a natural gas grid already exists, there is a ready-made system for the distribution of biomethane. In chapter 16 of the Biogas Handbook, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Wolfgang Urban briefly introduces the legal framework and technical standards of biomethane feed-in to the German gas network. The chapter furthermore describes the different subsidy schemes and reliefs to encourage biomethane production or utilization; and the different available options for biomethane feed-in and feed-in facilities.

The electronic newsletter, published in English, includes stories on the latest findings of the BASE project (Bottom-Up Adaptation Strategies towards a Sustainable Europe), along with information on other key developments related to climate change adaptation in Europe. Furthermore, the newsletter includes a number of recurring features. These include the 'Adaptation Dialogues', chronicling the perspectives and experiences of local level stakeholders implementing adaptation activities, as well as the 'Adaptation Snapshots', images from around Europe of adaptation in action.

In the third event of the series Dr. Volker Hauff, former Federal Minister, and Michael Sailer, Chief Executive Officer of Öko‑Institut, discussed the increasing cooperation between the government and environmental research institutes in the 1980s. In their conversation, the two experts first exchanged views about the mistrust that prevailed on both sides at the time. The video is available online.

A system to monitor the implementation of the Swiss adaptation strategy needs to be developed. The system will verify the achievement of the Swiss adaptation strategy’s objectives and ensure optimal adaptation to climate change. The project will support the establishing of the monitoring system and will develop indicators to identify outcomes and impacts of the existing climate adaptation impact model. The indicators will be derived from the adaptation strategy’s objectives and from evaluation questions. Ecologic Institute supports the project lead by INFRAS. The work of Ecologic Institute is mainly based on the experience gained from developing the indicator report for Germany’s adaptation strategy.

Which impacts of climate change can we expect on the Baltic Sea coast? How can coastal protections prepare for these changes? And what does this all mean for tourism? Those are three essential questions which were addressed on 9 September 2013 at the discussion event "Adapting to Climate Change: From Research to Practice" in Wieck auf dem Darss. The agenda included a look at research findings and presented examples of adaptation strategies in practice.

The existing measures in Germany are not sufficient to meet the efficiency targets of the Energy Concept and the requirements of the EU Energy Efficiency Directive. On behalf of the European Climate Foundation, Ecologic Institute has compared essential proposals aimed at increasing energy efficiency and deduced possible political demands. This short study was presented on December 2013 in the workshop "Energy Efficiency Models and EU Energy Efficiency Directive: Consensus for a Stronger Energy Efficiency Policy in Germany" in Berlin. A summary of this short study is available for download.

The project Baltadapt addressed the issue of climate change adaptation as a macro-regional challenge in the Baltic Sea Region. At the final conference the project results were presented. During the conference Ecologic Institute's Susanne Altvater, together with Lotta Andersson (SMHI), officially presented the final products of the project, the Baltic Sea Region Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and its accompanying Action Plan. All presentations and videos of the keynote speeches are available online.