The report aims at providing an in-depth analysis of the expected benefits of better implementation and enforcement of EU waste legislation, and the means with which this can be achieved. The report is available for download.

Two thousand and eleven has proven to be yet another exciting and intellectually enriching year for our institute. In our sixteenth year of researching and shaping European environmental policy, we not only continued to provide high quality and innovative expertise to the European community, but we also grew consistently – both in our diversified staff and our competencies. Our Project Handbook 2011 is available for download.

This collection of essays brings together more than twenty experts with diverse professional and geographic backgrounds for a discussion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and its prospective role beyond 2012. Using conceptual analyses and a series of evidence-based case studies, the authors identify important challenges and opportunities on the path towards CDM reform. Michael Mehling, President of the Ecologic Institute in Washington DC, is one of the book's editors and contributed to several chapters.

This article provides a stock-take of the state of the European Union's (EU) position heading into the climate change negotiations in Durban in late 2011. A long-time champion of an effective global system under the auspices of the UN, the EU finds itself in a difficult position as the future of the Kyoto Protocol is seen to being a stake at the summit in South Africa. With a number of other industrialised countries jumping ship and declaring their unwillingness to continue the Protocol in a Second Commitment Period, the EU is feeling ever more exposed and under pressure to declare for the continuation of Kyoto.

This study aimed to address current knowledge gaps regarding the uptake and implementation of ecosystem-based approaches, and thereby gain a better understanding of their role and potential in climate change adaptation and mitigation in Europe.

This report presents an analysis of the Peatland Rewetting Project in Belarus, which explores the potential of carbon emission reductions from rewetting degraded or depleted peatland located within the Belarusian territory and the opportunity to trade credits representing these reductions in a voluntary carbon market. Peatland rewetting as applied in the Belarus Project represents an ecosystem-based approach to climate change adaptation and mitigation and is approached in this report as such. The report is available for download.

This case study conducted by Ecologic Institute analyzes the policy mix of economic and regulatory instruments introduced in the German state of Baden-Württemberg in order to address two key water management problems: excessive nitrate concentrations in groundwater and unsustainable water abstraction. Three different policy instruments have been applied: the Regulation on Protected Areas and Compensatory Payments (SchALVO) introduced in 1988 (a regulatory and economic instrument), water abstraction charges, and Market Relief and Cultural Landscape Compensation for farmers (MEKA), a voluntary instrument introduced in 1992. The study is available for download.

Despite the continuous international efforts to reduce energy poverty, about 2.7 billion people do not have access to modern energy services in the developing countries. This study analyses the current situation, outlines the main challenges but also provides best practice examples how the challenges can be met. Eike Dreblow from Ecologic Institute was one of the authors. The final results of this project are available for download.

Ecoscholars was an initiative of international scholars hosted by the Ecologic Institute. It was a discussion and networking group located in Berlin. Its members were international researchers, scholars, fellows, and professionals who were involved in climate change, energy, sustainability, and other related environmental fields. Ecologic Institute created a website which provided information about the Ecoscholars network and its events. It provided a tool for users to subscribe to the Ecoscholars mailing list.