In this paper, researchers from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Ecologic Institute propose that a more decentralized governance structure is one possible solution for dealing with complex problems. The authors argue that highly complex problems, such as achieving sustainable development, are better solved by networks of diverse actors interacting and collaborating both inside and outside of government - what the authors call "governance networks". Such collaboration would make solutions more effective at the implementation stage. The report is available for download.

In the context of an increasingly globalized and urbanized world, regions are becoming more and more important as territorial organizational units. The book "De la ciudad a la región" examines the change from traditional nation-state dominance to more flexible regional structures. The study focuses in particular on the process of regional integration between the Colombian capital Bogotá and the surrounding department of Cundinamarca over the last ten years.

This empirical report presents the four case studies of the InContext project: GELA - GEmeinsam LAndwirtschaften, a community-supported agriculture project and Thursday Veggie Day, an initiative to reduce meat consumption, and Municipal Energy Transition Process and Emission-Zero cooperative, two projects for citizen-led investments in renewable energies. The study is available for download.

Binda Zane, Edoardo; R. Brückmann, D. Bauknecht, F. Jirouš, R. Piria, N. Trennepohl, J. Bracker, R, Frank and J. Herling (2012): Integration of electricity from renewables to the electricity grid and to the electricity market – RES-INTEGRATION. Öko-Institut & eclareon, Freiburg/Berlin.

<p>The Estonian Environmental Board organized a seminar on "Protected Areas as Part of Green Infrastructure" in connection with the annual EuroParc Nordic-Baltic Section Member Meeting. McKenna Davis spoke about the design, implementation and cost elements associated with green infrastructure projects. Attendees included representatives of the European Commission and Baltic and Nordic national parks, environmental ministries, nature conservation agencies and environmental NGOs.</p>

A workshop co-organized by Ecologic Institute in Annapolis, Maryland investigated how the public's view of climate change can influence local government's ability to adapt to climate change. It was a part of the exchange activities of the RADOST project (Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast) with partner regions in the USA. The examples provided at the workshop focused on the coastal zones of the US state of Maryland and the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.

The 21st Climate Talk, which took place on 6 March 2012, addressed issues regarding fracking and was entitled "Shale gas and fracking - an energy revolution in Europe?"&#13; Shale gas - natural gas trapped deep in underground rock formations - has provided hope for an energy revolution in Europe. Because the gas can only be retrieved with the technique of "hydraulic fracturing" (short: "fracking"), which uses great quantities of water and sand as well as chemical components, the potential environmental effects are being discussed intensely and controversially.

In order to meet its renewable energy targets by 2020, the EU is likely to increase its demand for biomass, not only for biofuel crops but also for woody biomass. A significant portion of this biomass will likely come from developing countries, particularly those in West and Central Africa, as well as Latin American countries. This demand can have significant negative impacts in these developing regions, including environmental degradation and threats to food security. In this brief for the European Parliament, researchers at Ecologic Institute (Stefanie Wunder, Timo Kaphengst, Krista Timeus and Kristine Berzins) analyze some of those main impacts, focusing particularly on woody biomass. The study is available for download.

The EU-funded research project "Climate Change, Hydro-conflicts and Human Security" (CLICO) investigates how climate change influences water, human security, and conflicts in the Mediterranean, Middle East, and the Sahel region. Ecologic Institute recently published a working paper written by Elizabeth Tedsen that examines current initiatives of the European Union and United Nations relating to these themes of climate, water, human security, and conflict.