Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, spoke at the 7th VDI conference "Biogas 2013." He informed about the objectives and guidelines as well as the current status of discussions on the funding framework for renewable energies. He also discussed the possible contribution of bioenergies to future energy supply and future challenges. The presentation slides are available for download.

Action research is the collaborative production of scientifically and socially relevant knowledge through a participatory process. Real-life problems are addressed and new theoretical insights gained. This research brief introduces the concepts of action research, sustainability transitions, and transition management. It presents key issues for conducting action research and how these have been dealt with in the practice of the research teams in the three communities of the InContext project. Furthermore it reflects on the role of the action researcher. The research brief is available for download.

As part of the project InContext, Ecologic Institute has designed four posters concerned with sustainable lifestyle initiatives in the Netherlands, Germany, and Austria. The posters, illustrated with photos and maps, provide in-depth information on the process and results of the initiatives. They were displayed at the final project conference of InContext and are available for download.

This policy brief outlines the main characteristics of this approach and the challenges that these pose for research funders. It discusses whether and how this kind of research can be scaled up and how EU funding mechanisms could support solution-oriented, transformative research. The policy brief is available for download.

From urban gardening and networks of sharing to community-owned wind farms: citizens' initiatives emerge all over Europe in a quest to find new answers to today's pressing challenges. This policy brief explores new forms of cooperation between local governments and these bottom-up initiatives. It argues that getting involved with initiatives helps local governments to be an active player in their community's change dynamics. This cooperation furthermore requires new ways of engaging and participating between the groups.

On 6–7 June 2013, the final conference of InContext, together with the Informed Cities Forum 2013, took place in Berlin. It provided a creative platform for local initiatives, policymakers, and researchers to exchange insights, ideas, and experiences on transition processes. At the core of the conference was the question of how to create space for change and move towards better places, stronger communities, and resilient societies.

Dr. Ralph Bodle and his colleagues presented a report by Ecologic Institute on possible courses of action for German environmental policy with an emphasis on the Arctic in the context of the German government's Arctic Dialogue. The report offered a number of different possibilities of how Germany could work towards improving nature conservation in the Arctic.

This monthly progress update is compiled by eclareon and Ecologic Institute and shows which policies and measures aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are currently discussed, implemented or deleted in the different Member States. The update includes policies and measures in the area of environmental taxation, energy supply and in particular energy supply from renewable sources, energy networks, energy efficiency, transport as well as agriculture and waste. The updates are available for download.

In this book chapter, Sandra Cavalieri and R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute present policy options for the EU and the US for addressing challenges in the changing Arctic, summarizing key findings of the transatlantic Arctic Transform dialogue. The book "Environmental Security in the Arctic Ocean" documents the proceedings of the 2010 NATO Advanced Research Workshop (ARW) in Cambridge, England, that was initiated and co-convened by Ecologic Institute.

How can energy efficiency contribute to a successful "Energiewende" in Germany? Hans-Joachim Ziesing, Associate at Ecologic Institute, discusses this question in his article "Energy saving and energy efficiency in Germany" in the 2013 issue of the "Yearbook Ecology". He describes the "Energiewende" as a decision stemming from societal and political consensus in Germany. Its implementation, however, remains unclear. In a " Energy Efficiency Key Issues Report", the federal government addresses this issue: besides the promotion of Renewable Energy, more energy efficiency is necessary to successfully implement the "Energiewende".