5 years ago, on Earth Day 2008, we founded the Ecologic Institute in Washington, DC. A recognized public charity under U.S. law, Ecologic Institute has since expanded its presence with a second office in San Mateo, California, and actively engages partners and stakeholders in government, academia, and civil society throughout North America. In our brochure we introduce our team and our programs in the US, give some insights into our project work on both sides of the Atlantic, and introduce our partners, donors, and networks. In conclusion, we demonstrate how our project value has increased in the recent years. The Ecologic Brief 5 Years Ecologic Institute US [pdf, 4,8 MB, English] is available for download.

On the occasion of the launch of the 2013 Arctic Summer College, the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS) Europe Program and Ecologic Institute welcomed William M. Eichbaum, vice president of Marine and Arctic Policy of the World Wildlife Fund, R. Andreas Kraemer, Director of Ecologic Institute, and Dr. Kelly K. Falkner, Director of Polar Programs of the National Science Foundation for a conversation on the environmental and social impacts of a rapidly changing Arctic. The discussion can be watched online.

In the light of shrinking public budgets – both at the state and at the federal level – new approaches to leveraging public funding for renewable energies need to be developed. Reed Hundt, CEO of the Coalition for Green Capital, REH Advisors, presented his approach: State Clean Energy Finance Banks.

Ecologic Institute again assumed the role of coordinator for the 2013 Indicators Report for a Sustainable San Mateo County. From September 2012 to April 2013, the team gathered data for more than 40 indicators for the 3Es: Economy, Equity, and Environment, which were further enriched by current policy developments, innovative local initiatives, and tips for more sustainable individual behaviors. The report is available for download.

The precautionary principle is used in arguments both for and against climate engineering: On the one hand, the principle can suggest caution against climate engineering so as to minimize the (unknown) risks of proposed techniques to the environment and health. On the other hand, arguments can be made that climate engineering is a precautionary measure against the (known) risks of climate change. This article, written by Elizabeth Tedsen and Gesa Homann, provides an overview of this debate and what the precautionary principle means in a climate engineering context.

How can adaptation reduce the impacts of climate change and, in some cases, even yield benefits and business opportunities? Decision makers at all levels in Europe currently face a number of significant challenges when devising appropriate and sustainable adaptation strategies. This policy brief is an output of the EU FP7 project "Bottom-up Climate Adaptation Strategies Towards a Sustainable Europe" (BASE) and summarises the following challenges: Uncertainties and insufficient knowledge, as well as the need to improve assessments and the mainstreaming of adaptation in policy.

This infographic was developed within the project "DYNAmic policy MIXes for Absolute Decoupling of Environmental Impact of EU Resource Use from Economic Growth (DYNAMIX)". It communicates 5 key targets regarding resource use and visualizes that there are different pathways to an economy that respects planetary boundaries. Different versions of the infographic were developed for use in online and print media, as well as a version with reduced text for PowerPoint presentations.

This infographic was developed within the project "DYNAmic policy MIXes for Absolute Decoupling of Environmental Impact of EU Resource Use from Economic Growth (DYNAMIX)". It proposes to reframe the decoupling concept and thus presents a key assumption developed in DYNAMIX. Different versions of the infographic were developed for use in online and print media, as well as a version with reduced text for PowerPoint presentations.

This survey of Dominik Müller, Senior Analyst at Ecologic Institute, describes the regulatory and policy framework for the promotion of renewable energies in Germany as amended by the "Energiewende" announced by the German Federal Government in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. The article focuses on changes in the electricity sector chiefly through fundamental amendments of the Renewable Energies Sources Act ("Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz – EEG") since 2011. Moreover, the article also discusses the political and regulatory situation for the use of renewable energies in the heat and transport sectors in Germany.