<p>&#13; The Oikos-conference “Limits to growth – growing beyond limits“ took place from 18.-19. Oktober in St.Gallen (Switzerland). Different actors from research, economy and politics discussed the relationship between sustainable development and economic growth. During a workshop on limits to growth for renewable energies, Timo Kaphengst gave a presentation on the economic and political framework of bioenergy production as well as on the social and environmental impacts of the current bioenergy boom. His presentation is available for download.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; A conference on managing water resources in European mountain environments took place in the context of the Marie Curie Training Programme European Water Sustainable Goals (ESWG 2007-2010). Eleftheria Kampa spoke on heavily modified water bodies and hydromorphological pressures in the Water Framework Directive. Her presentation is available for download.</p>&#13;

On 11 October 2007, a transatlantic Ecologic Dinner Dialogue was held in Berlin to celebrate the launch of The Nature Conservancy’s (TNC) first European office and to discuss EU and US policies on biodiversity and climate change. The guest of honor, Rebecca Patton, Chief Conservation Strategies Officer for The Nature Conservancy (TNC), was joined by her colleagues Sascha Müller-Kraenner, the new European Representative as well as Roberto Troya, Director of International Government Relations and Andreas Lehnhoff, Director for the Mesoamerica &amp; Caribbean for the Conservancy. The keynote speaker was Miranda Schreurs, Professor at the Free University in Berlin, who is an expert in transatlantic environmental policy.

The ongoing decline in biodiversity threatens fundamental ecosystem functions. An increased fragmentation of habitats in continental Europe has yielded a gradual loss in animal species and plants which jeopardizes human utilization of natural resources. Willing to complement the EU’s efforts to halt this trend, the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) promotes nature protection cooperation between the EU and its Eastern and Southern neighbours. To support the effort, the European Commission has issued a guide to nature protection for its European neighbours and Russia. The guide is available for download in four different languages.

The world's natural resources face increasing pressure due to rapid population and economic growth. Ensuring sustainable use of natural resources will require on the one hand a reduction in resource use, as well as strong, efficient and internationally valid standards. The current discussion on certification schemes for biofuels serves as a starting-point for the discussion regarding the possibilities and ways to extend a global sustainability standard with a broad coverage of natural resources. This article by Stephanie Schlegel and Timo Kaphengst outlines how a global sustainability standard for natural resources (NRS) can be designed.

The unique structure of the World Conservation Union (IUCN) makes it difficult to grant it a legal status in Germany that matches its importance. The project renders a legal opinion analysing international, national and German rules and practice, and drafts a statutory instrument for endowing IUCN with a privileged status.

<p>&#13; Environmental Security has gained importance in the current political discourse. Last year's discussions in the Security Council give testimony to this development. During a presentation given at the Bonn International Centre for Conversion (BICC), Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf analyses whether and to what extent relevant security strategies of the US, the UN and EU integrate environmental aspects.</p>&#13;

The International Treaty on Plant Genetic Resources for Food and Agriculture (ITPGRFA) is the most recent piece in the current regime complex on plant genetic resources. In their article for the Journal of World Intellectual Property, Christiane Gerstetter, Benjamin Görlach, Kirsten Neumann and Dora Schaffrin investigate the legal relationship between the ITPGRFA, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the TRIPS Agreements of the World Trade Organization (WTO) and the Acts of the International Union for the Protection of New Varieties of Plants (UPOV).

This project supports the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE) with the continuation of its activities in the area of Corporate Social Responsibility. Activities are centred around a stakeholder workshop, which will offer a forum for the discussion of current approaches as well as future steps. The interactive concepts brings together representatives from the business community as well as civil society in Berlin in September 2007. The project consortium not only provides conceptual advice to the Council but is also responsible for innovative facilitation methods at the event as well as all organisational matters.

The European Union (EU) faces the risk not to meet the 2010 target in implementing the Biodiversity Action Plan. Though the legal background for the implementation is set, the implementation itself is quite slow. In this respect, DG Environment is planning an EU wide communication campaign on biodiversity and nature to increase the awareness and involvement of EU-citizens. This scoping study was commissioned as means of preparation.