Agriculture provides substantial ecosystem services which lead to several benefits that humans derive from nature. This report examines the quantitative connection between provisioning agro-ecosystem services in terms of food, feed, fibers, and fuel supply and the ecological demands of these ecosystems. Energy balances of agro-ecosystems as well as different biophysical structures and processes were applied to quantify the relationship between these different services. Moreover, trade-offs between provisioning and other ecosystem services such as regulating and cultural services are discussed.

Considerably larger male than female populations in some countries in Asia as well as in Europe have led to concerns in the European Parliament about the discrimination against young girls that could lead to sex selective practices such as neglect, sex selective abortions, or even infanticide. This study by the Overseas Development Institute, UK (project lead) and Ecologic Institute provides the European Parliament with an overview of the causes, current trends, consequences, and policy challenges of sex selective practices, focusing particularly on China and India. It provides some recommendations for the European Parliament as to how these challenges can be addressed. The study is available for download.

The international Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species throughout their migration routes. All contracting Parties designate National Focal Points (NFP) as liaison officers between relevant government offices and the CMS Secretariats. Ecologic Institute has developed a manual for the NFPs as well as a concept for an NFP e-community platform.

This study by Ecologic Institute develops an organizing framework to summarize scientific findings concerning a wide selection of indicators and assesses their potential applicability for tracking sustainable industries and sustainable industrial development.

In the international negotiations under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), Parties are discussing new market mechanisms that expand the concept of crediting emission reduction efforts with tradable units beyond the existing Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) to include a broader group of mitigation opportunities that could involve entire economic sectors of advanced developing countries.

Ecologic Institute and Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) prepared a paper that gives an overview of selected sustainable development commitments, their shortcomings, and possible remedies, as discussed and agreed by relevant political fora. The paper and the summary of an expert workshop are available for download.

The international architecture for financing environmental protection and institutions has become quite confusing, spread out across an increasing number of bilateral and multilateral actors, funds and financing mechanisms. This study, commissioned by the German Federal Environment Agency, investigates the current system and provides recommendations on how to improve it. The study is available for download.

This infographic was developed as training material in a course on the theme of "energy for development", that is targeted at development cooperation professionals, which will encounter energy issues in their work outside of the home country.