Outstanding Climate Adaptation
The "Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast" (RADOST) project, led by Ecologic Institute, was recently awarded a spot among the "365 Landmarks in the Land of Ideas," along with six other German regions that are instituting climate adaptation measures. The model regions of the research program "KLIMZUG – Managing Climate Change in the Regions for the Future" are among the "Selected Landmarks 2012" that are being recognized by the "Germany – Land of Ideas" initiative of the Federal Government and German business community. The jury has thus acknowledged the innovative approach of RADOST and the other KLIMZUG projects that attempts to involve regional stakeholders in all steps of research design and implementation, starting at the very beginning of the process.
After the re-instatement of the nuclear power phase-out in Germany, the debate about the safe long-term storage of radioactive waste from the nuclear reactors is gaining renewed momentum. In this article, Kate Galbraith focuses on Germany – and cites R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute – but also gives an overview of the situation in other countries. 
In this front page article in the International Herald Tribune (IHT) and in the New York Times (NYT), Judy Dempsey traces "How [Angela] Merkel Decided to End Nuclear Power" (NYT) and discusses "What lies ahead as Germany quits nuclear" (IHT). R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute was interviewed for and is cited in the arcticle.
Aftershocks from Fukushima continue to shake political confidence in nuclear energy around the world - while also providing a boost for renewables in many countries. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute is quoted on the energy transformation and nuclear phase-out in Germany in this arcticle by Peter Fairley in the MIT Technology Review.
Scientists and practitioners have rarely had the opportunity to exchange their ideas on climate adaptation in such an up-to-date and direct way as at the second RADOST annual conference on 18 and 19 May in Travemünde. What are the expected impacts of climate change at the regional and local level at the German Baltic Sea coast? How can local stakeholders adapt to these? What kind of scientific information do they need as a basis for implementing such measures? These questions were discussed by 75 scientists in the fields of climate and natural science research, political science and sociology, together with representatives from politics, administration, economy and civil society in several science-practice dialogues. This offered stakeholders willing to promote climate adaptation in their region another opportunity to get involved in the design of this development process.
How can the EU and the US work together to improve management of coastal and ocean affairs, not only within their own territories, but across the North Atlantic? What are the obstacles to establishing integrated and science-based frameworks formaritime governance in the EU and US, and how can they be overcome? How can management be improved through the involvement of key players from science, industry, civil society and government? These questions and more were debated at the Cooperation Across the Atlantic for Marine Governance Integration (CALAMAR) final conference that took place in Lisbon (Portugal). 
With its rapid economic growth and its rapidly growing need for energy, the People’s Republic of China plays a central role in international climate policy. The emerging economy is now the world’s largest emitter of greenhouse gases. At least at the national level, the Chinese government has declared its intention to fight climate change. China implemented a series of measures on energy efficiency, energy saving and renewable energies and was able to reduce the energy intensity of its economy by 20% over the past five years (according to own data). This is in line with the last five-year plan. The Content and implementation of the new Five-Year Plan were the subject of the Climate Talk on 28 March 2011.