We are excited to announce the sixth webinar in our POLIMP Webinar Series, which will feature a discussion on the topic: "Beyond feed-in tariffs: the future of renewable energy support" moderated by Ecologic Institute's Head of Climate, Matthias Duwe.

The final conference of the EU-funded research project "European Action to Fight Environmental Crime" (EFFACE) took place on 17 and 18 February 2016 in Brussels. More than 100 participants attended the conference - including representatives of EU institutions, national environmental authorities, police, civil society as well as academic experts on the topic from the EU and beyond. 

In this second webinar in the series accompanying our ETS e-learning program, moderated by Ecologic Institute's Elizabeth Zelljadt, expert guest speaker Damien Meadows of the EU Commission discusses how the EU ETS came to be, changes to its structure over time, and the evolution of emissions trading systems in the future.

In 2016, the negotiations on the legislative instruments for the EU's 2030 climate and energy targets will take off for good. Following the proposal for a revised ETS Directive in mid-2015, the next milestone for the implementing legislation will be a new Effort Sharing Decision (ESD). The European Commission is expected to publish a proposal for the new ESD before the summer.

This document aims to offer a synthesis and discussion of the methodological process and results of implementing climate change adaptation case study research, reporting on the key messages and lessons learnt through a critical comparison of case studies that equally accounts for the stakeholders' perspectives. The deliverable is structured in four chapters.

Overbeek, Greet; Erik de Bakker; Zoritza Kiresiewa 2016: Review of Bioeconomy Strategies at Regional and National Levels. Promoting stakeholder engagement and public awareness for a participative governance of the European bioeconomy.

Hans Verkerk et. al. 2016: Planning for Climate Change: Society as a Key Player in River Basin Adaptation. [BeWater policy brief no.1]. The publication is available in English, Catalan, French, Arabic, and Slovenian.

Policy Brief no.3 examines the case of using Climate information Services to increase urban resilience, learning from the Danish experience with Cloudburst management. It is based on one of the detailed narratives carried out for the RECREATE project. The policy brief is available for download.

The EU overseas entities support unique ecosystems which are home to an estimated one-third of the globally threatened species, including many endemic species. Because of the importance of biodiversity and ecosystems services in EU ORs/OCTs both locally and to the EU and member states (MS), it is essential to develop effective approaches to biodiversity governance. Yet often short-term economic interests are given priority over the preservation of ecosystem services. Ecosystem valuations offer a policy tool to convert the concrete and abstract value that ecosystems and biodiversity contribute to EU OR/OCT economies into numbers.

On 28 January 2016, Policy makers, negotiators and stakeholders discussed the implications of the Paris Agreement for climate policy with 120 participants from ministries, academia, business and civil society. It was the final event of a a series of events organised and papers written by Ecologic Institute for the German Federal Environment Agency, entitled "Improving climate protection – for Paris and beyond".

Ecologic Institute's new research paper provides a comprehensive overview and assessment of the Paris Agreement, including the agreed next steps, an outlook on implementation and key political messages. It is now available for download.

The fifth webinar in our POLIMP Webinar Series will take place on Tuesday, 26 January 2016 from 10:30-11:30 CET, featuring a discussion on the topic "After Paris: Implications of the Paris Agreement for EU climate policy" moderated by Matthias Duwe (Head, Climate at Ecologic Institute). The webinar will feature guest speakers Dr. Camilla Bausch (Ecologic Institute) and Andrzej Błachowicz (Climate Strategies).

The fifth POLIMP webinar featured a discussion on the topic: "After Paris: Implications of the Paris Agreement for EU climate policy" moderated by Ecologic Institute's Head of Climate, Matthias Duwe. Dr. Camilla Bausch (Director, Ecologic Institute) and Andrzej Błachowicz (Managing Director, Climate Strategies) assessed the main outcomes of the Paris negotiations and discussed what they could mean for the future of EU climate policy going forward. The audio recording is available online.

In October 2014 the European Council decided to enhance the availability and use of existing flexibility instruments under the EU Effort Sharing Decision. The auctioning of Annual Emission Allocations (AEAs) is one option to enhance flexibility. A new Ecologic Paper discusses advantages and challenges of AEA auctioning. The paper is available for download.

Supply-side factors are key to explaining the dramatic fall of oil prices from over $100 per barrel since late 2013 that have eaten into the profits of oil companies. However, oil industry observers are increasingly drawing attention to the long-term disruptive potential of new technologies, design methods, and business models that could also herald strong competitive pressures by weakening consumer demand for oil. The results of the Paris Climate Summit with its call for rapid emission reduction, early peaking and green-house-gas neutrality can accelerate this trend and herald a paradigm shift. As the world begins to embrace a low-carbon future by 2050, as evidenced in the Paris Agreement and many private sector initiatives, what are the strategic implications – and opportunities – for oil companies and resource owners?