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.

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 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.

During the International VDI Conference-Biomethane 2013, major issues for the biogas and biomethane markets in technical, political and business areas, drawing on leading experiences from all over Europe, Russia and China were discussed. Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented German political targets and utilization priorities for biomethane. Furthermore he spoke on the current legal framework and incentive scheme as well as the challenges and future perspectives and conclusions from amendment of legal framework. The presentation slides are available for download.

This synthesis report reflects on the four cases of alternative consumption and production niches observed in InContext. From the cross-examination of the empirical material, it distills tentative conclusions on what can be learnt from the emergence and governance patterns of these niches. The case study is available for download.

<p>On 6 March 2013, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), the Embassy of Canada, Ecologic Institute and the Alfred Wegener Institute Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research hosted a lecture by David Hik, University of Alberta, Canada and IASC President. The session focused on possible future trajectories of national and international research in the Arctic region, drawing on Prof. Hik’s observations of the recent past and International Polar Year initiatives. Following the lecture, Prof. Hik fielded questions from the 35 participants, who represented German research institutes and ministries, foreign embassies and foundations and think tanks.</p>&#13;

Brink, P. ten et al. 2013: The Economic benefits of the Natura 2000 Network. Synthesis Report. Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), GHK, Ecologic Institut, Metroeconomica, EFTEC, Luxembourg. ISBN: 978-92-79-27588-3. The publication is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, and Spanish.

The study examined the charges levied on patients for the diagnosis and treatment of the ten most common outpatient conditions handled in the emergency department (ED). The results of research undertaken by scientists and faculty at the University of California, San Francisco, Stanford University, the University of Minnesota, and Ecologic Institute have been published in the scientific journal PLoS One. Based on a cross-sectional study of the 2006–2008 Medical Expenditure Panel Survey, the analysis was limited to outpatient visits with non-elderly, adult (years 18–64) patients with a single discharge diagnosis. A sample of 8,303 ED encounters was analyzed, which is representative of a total of 76.6 million ED visits during the studied 3-year period. It was found that charges varied significantly by diagnosis and across EDs for the same diagnosis. The study is available for download.

The Mediterranean, Middle East, and Sahel regions form a climate change "hot spot" that is expected to experience large climatic changes, with negative consequences for human security in the region. A new report by Ecologic Institute provides insights and recommendations on the policies and institutions needed to address water-related risks to human security and also prevent or reduce potential conflicts over water that may be caused or exacerbated by climate change. Effective climate change adaptation approaches are identified, and recommendations are given for policy makers at the EU and national level as well as for donors and actors at the international level. The report is now available for download.

Görlach, Benjamin. 2013. What constitutes an optimal climate policy mix? Defining the concept of optimality, including political and legal framework conditions. CECILIA2050 WP1 Deliverable 1.1. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

The 24th edition of the Climate Talk, held on 25 February 2013, discussed the future of the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU ETS). The event, jointly organised by the Ecologic Institute and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), featured as discussants Dr. Jochen Diekmann (DIW Berlin), Dr. Uwe Neuser (Ministry of the Environment) und Dr. Joachim Hein (Federation of German Industries).

As its first outreach activity, the research project CECILIA2050 staged a stakeholder workshop on future directions for EU climate policies on 20 February 2013. Sixty researchers, EU officials, and NGO and Member State representatives came to Brussels to discuss the path to an optimal 2050 EU climate policy mix. Initial results from country case studies (Germany, Spain, Italy, and the UK) were presented. A panel of five distinguished experts discussed current trends in EU climate policy. The presentations are available for download.