EU

EU

Project:Horizon Europe
 
The increasing frequency of floods and droughts highlights the urgent need for climate-resilient landscapes. This is where the European research project SpongeWorks comes in, demonstrating sustainable "sponge" measures in river basins across Greece, France, and the Netherlands/Germany. By restoring rivers, wetlands, and implementing innovative agricultural practices, landscapes are becoming better equipped to retain and release water in a controlled way. With 28 partners involved, the project aims to inspire other regions by sharing success stories and tools to promote "sponge landscapes" across Europe.

Implementing Nature-based Solutions for Water Retention and Climate Resilience in Europe (SpongeWorks)

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Project:Horizon Europe
 
The project's ambition is to contribute to the systemic transformation needed for a nature-positive economy through collaborative multi-stakeholder research and innovation to provide clarity and guidance for policy, industry and society.

GoNaturePositive!

Co-creating a Nature-Positive World

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Project
 
This project realized targeted contributions by Ecologic Institute to the "Paris Governance Toolkit" strategy developed by the European Climate Foundation’s Governance Cluster. In this capacity, Ecologic Institute provided input to the strategy as member of a core group of expert advisors to ECF. The project also sought to expand the evidence-base for climate governance effectiveness with a case study analysis of best practices at national and state level around the world, focusing specifically on the design and adoption of climate framework laws. The assessment resulted in a best practice guide for long-term climate governance systems based on a literature review and interviews with relevant experts. The findings of the report were presented at a UNFCCC side event at COP23 in Bonn.

Input to "Paris Governance Toolkit" strategy on long-term climate governance frameworks

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Project
 
core elements of climate laws
This project aimed to support the creation of harmonized, ambitious, politically credible, and robust long-term climate strategies (LTS) in EU Member States by supporting a growing community of political and technical experts involved in LTS preparation inside governmental institutions and providing opportunities for capacity building, exchange, and knowledge generation. Additionally, core analysis focused on the specific topic of climate change laws as an effective means of embedding long-term strategic thinking in overarching governance frameworks at national level.

Supporting Long-term Strategic Climate Planning and Frameworks in the EU

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Project
 
The Commission's proposal on the Carbon Removals Certification Framework puts the EU on a dangerous path that makes it easier to replace emissions reductions with CO₂ removals. Integrating CO₂ removal into EU emissions trading also carries risks. In this project, a robust framework for CO₂ removal was developed and discussed.

A Robust EU Framework for Carbon Dioxide Removals ( CDRs)

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Project
 
The program "Bridging Global Divides" provides students from the University of Colorado Denver with the opportunity to spend three months in Berlin, while studying relevant contemporary issues such as the ecological crisis, the politics of injustice, international politics, and dictatorships.

Berlin – Bridging Global Divides

Semester Abroad Program with the CU Denver

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institute have launched a project to analyse the ambition level of the 2040 target. The project also examines the impacts of a new 2040 target on EU Member States, sectors, and instruments.

EU 2040 Climate Target

Level of ambition and implications

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Project
 
Ready4NetZero aims to support small- and medium-sized cities in Poland, Romania, Hungary and Croatia in the development and implementation of local strategies to reach climate neutrality. To do so, the project creates knowledge resources (written guidance) and provides training and capacity building activities (webinars, workshops, a study visit, an international conference) to equip municipal staff with capacities, knowledge, and networks to develop and implement local long-term climate strategies.

Capacity Development for Long-term Climate Neutrality Strategies in Towns and Cities (Ready4NetZero)

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Project
 
On 30 November 2022, the Commission proposed an EU carbon removal certification framework (CRCF). The proposed framework could undermine the environmental integrity of EU climate policies. Within this project, Ecologic Institute and Oeko-Institut assess the Commission's proposal for the CRCF and discusses interlinkages of the CRCF with other pieces of EU climate law.

Assessment of the Certification Framework for Carbon Dioxide Removals in the EU

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Project
 
This project will 1) identify good examples, new and innovative interventions to contribute to biodiversity and climate objectives of the CAP; 2) assess CAP Strategic Plan interventions that correspond to the biodiversity and climate ambitions in the four CAP Strategic Plans of Germany, France, Spain and Poland; 3) analyze whether these interventions correspond to the scientific evidence and whether they are relevant and sufficient; 4) consider co-benefits and trade-offs between different policy objectives.

Innovative Agricultural Interventions to Reach EU Biodiversity and Climate Objectives

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of the interim report titled 'The EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework: Options for using certified removal units and funding mitigation activities.' The report is part of the 'Climate Change 44/2024' series and is published by the German Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt).
With the Carbon Removal Certification Framework (CRCF), adopted in 2024, the EU established a voluntary framework for carbon removal certification, which includes criteria for the certification of removals, rules for the certification process and the recognition of certification schemes. A new report by the Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institut for Germany’s Federal Environment Agency (UBA) discusses options for how certified removal units may be used. The report also explores what policy options are available to complement funding for removals besides revenues generated through the CRCF.

The EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework

Options for using certified removal units and funding mitigation activities

Year

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of a report titled 'Pricing methane emissions from the energy sector: Considerations of options for the EU.' The report is authored by Raffaele Piria and Benjamin Görlach, with the final report date being September 30, 2024. The Ecologic Institute logo is featured at the top, and the design includes grey and blue geometric shapes on a white background.
This paper examines whether an EU-wide pricing mechanism should be introduced and explores feasible design options. It concludes that the EU should price CH4 emissions from the energy sector to complement the EU-MER, providing an economic incentive to reduce CH4 emissions beyond the mandated level.

Pricing Methane Emissions from the Energy Sector

Consideration of options for the EU

Year

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Publication:Infographic
 
An animated infographic depicting interconnected gears representing key elements of transformative EU climate policy. The gears are color-coded to represent different themes: yellow for integration, purple for infrastructure, green for innovation, and blue for investment. Each gear is labeled with specific actions or strategies, such as "Principled priority to climate & do-no-harm principle," "Strengthen EU Integrated Infrastructure Planning," and "European Climate Investment Plan."
To achieve climate neutrality, a whole-of-government approach, increased public funding, and strategic policy support are essential. The 4i-TRACTION project outlined ten policy recommendations for future EU climate action. This infographic, conceptualised and designed by Ecologic Institute, outlines ten policy recommendations for future EU climate action.

Ten Recommendations Towards Transformative EU Climate Policy

Year

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Publication:Report
 
The image is a cover page for a report titled "State of EU progress to climate neutrality." The cover features the following elements: Title: The title "State of EU progress to climate neutrality" is prominently displayed in bold white text on a deep purple background. Subtitle: Below the title, the subtitle reads, "An indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks for a climate neutral future." Date: The date "July 2024" is shown below the subtitle.
The European Climate Neutrality Observatory's (ECNO) second annual assessment of progress towards climate neutrality confirms that the EU is moving in the right direction, but that the pace is still too slow.

2024 Report: State of EU progress to climate neutrality

An indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks

Year

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the report titled 'Raising the bar on national climate governance in the EU' by the Ecologic Institute.
How EU policy can help Member States deliver certainty, accountability, consistency, and consensus in their policymaking on the road to net zero. A stocktaking of climate governance systems across EU Member States and assessment of EU policy options for their enhancement.

Raising the Bar on National Climate Governance in the EU

How EU policy can help Member States deliver certainty, accountability, consistency, and consensus on the road to net zero

Year

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Publication:Report
 
Cover of the final report "Compilation of existing guidance on ecosystem restoration. Reference document for Member States to inform nature restoration planning.
This document compiles useful sources for MS to inform nature restoration planning. It aims to support MS in the contextualization, design and planning of nature restoration measures in their NRPs and includes links to established (i) guidelines and standards, (ii) key platforms and networks, and (iii) databases.

Compilation of Existing Guidance on Ecosystem Restoration

Year

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover of the Joint Policy Brief of the ENTRACTE and CECILIA2050 Projects "The Future of Carbon Pricing in the European Union"
This policy brief presents insights on the historical and future role of carbon pricing in the EU. The findings discussed are drawn from research undertaken by the CECILIA2050 and ENTRACTE projects.

The Future of Carbon Pricing in the European Union

CECILIA2050 Policy Brief No 6

Year

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover of the CECilia2050 Policy Brief No 5 "International dimensions of EU climate change policies"
This policy brief summarises the insights conducted under the CECILIA2050 project on the international dimensions of EU climate policy. The aims of the research were to understand the economic and political interactions between EU policies and the rest of the world, assess the effectiveness of these measures and determine the legal and political feasibility of policy responses in regard to diminishing the risk of carbon leakage.

International Dimensions of EU Climate Policy

CECILIA2050 Policy Brief No 5

Year

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Publication:Report
 
cover oage (updated)
This publication discusses the penalty regime to be established by the EU Member States to sanction infringements against the recently adopted EU Methane Regulation (EU-MER). In these regimes, (administrative) fines will play a major role. The EU-MER stipulates that the level of fines must be proportionate to the environmental damage and impact on human health associated with the infringement as the core criterion. The working paper proposes applying a core reference value of 6.000 EUR/tCH4 to be adjusted according to the aggravating or mitigating factors foreseen by the regulation.

Penalties and Selected Legal Issues

Implementing the EU Methane Regulation Working Paper N° 3

Year

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Publication:Report
 
The EU Methane Regulation (EU-MER) is crucial for reducing methane (CH4) emissions from the energy sector, thereby enhancing our chances at achieving the climate targets. This paper discusses the respective roles of the responsible ministries (RM) and the competent authorities (CA) and examines how the CA's tasks can be allocated to various pre-existing agencies at the national or regional level. Additionally, the working paper discusses the importance of political autonomy for CA and how MS can prevent undue influence.

Governance at the National Level: Responsible ministries and competent authorities

Implementing the EU Methane Regulation Working Paper N° 2

Year

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Publication:Report
 
Updated cover page
The EU Methane Regulation (EU-MER) is crucial for reducing methane emissions from the energy sector, thereby enhancing our chances at achieving the climate targets. This paper describes the tasks of the Member States' responsible ministries and competent authorities, analyses the resources they will need to accomplish them, and provides recommendations for effective planning. 

Tasks and Resources Needed at the National Level

Implementing the EU Methane Regulation Working Paper N° 1

Year

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Publication:Policy Brief
 
Cover page of the CECILIA2050 Policy Brief No 4 "Pathways for the evolution of existing climate policy mix"
This policy brief describes policy pathways for the evolution of the current EU climate policy mix. It defines combinations of instruments that have a reasonable chance of meeting the desired emissions targets. Policy pathways are defined based on three policy dimensions: 1) Carbon pricing, 2) Technology policies and 3) Behavioural Change promotion. Although each pathway focuses more attention in one type of instruments, all packages have a certain combination of the three policy dimensions to meet the targets. Finally, instruments to adapt EU climate policy to different international conditions are explored.

Pathways for the Evolution of the Existing Climate Policy Mix

CECILIA2050 Policy Brief No 4

Year

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Event:Conference
 
The Conference "Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building blocks and measures" took place in Brussels on 7 November2024. This conference convened experts, policymakers, and representatives of Member States and EU Institutions. At the event, participants discussed ways for the implementation of the EUs new 2040 climate targets. Participants also discussed key building blocks and key measures particularly relevant for cutting the EU's greenhouse gas emissions by net 90 % in 2040. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sabine Gores (Öko-Institute) presented preliminary results of the forthcoming report "Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building Blocks and Measures" were presented.

Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building blocks and measures


Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Conference
 
Image with the title of the event
From Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 December 2024, the Ariadne project will host a three-day event consisting of a series of workshops and discussion events. We look forward to seeing you there, and invite you to block these days in your agenda – and join us from 9-11 December in Brussels.

Staying the Course in Turbulent Times

A Dialogue with the Ariadne Project on Future EU Energy and Climate Policy

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Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Conference
 
Promotional banner for a Policy & Research Dialogue Conference titled "Managing the Transition to Net Zero: EU Climate Policy in a Global Context," scheduled for 9th & 10th July 2024. The banner features the logos of NDC Aspects and 4i Traction, with the event dates highlighted in a green box. A "Register now!" call-to-action is displayed in the bottom left corner against a blurred background of an audience attending a conference.
This conference, taking place a month after the European elections, sought to spotlight key issues in the EU’s transition to climate neutrality – and discuss options to address them, with a global context in mind. The conversations among policy-makers and other stakeholders were kicked-off by content inputs from two EU-funded research projects, 4i-TRACTION and NDC ASPECTS, that have been working over the past three years to generate new insights on climate action challenges in Europe and globally.

Managing the Transition to Net Zero: EU climate policy in a global context

4i-TRACTION x NDC Aspects Joint Conference

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Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Conference
 
At our launch event in Brussels, we will present our newest findings and engage with relevant high-profile stakeholders from the European Parliament and the economy. We will host two thematic panels on topics that move the EU at the moment: industrial transformation and just transition for the people of the EU. 

ECNO Launch Event: Annual Flagship Report 2024

Insights on progress to EU climate neutrality for the incoming EU cycle


Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Workshop
 
Image with the title of the event
The Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), in cooperation with BELSPO and the Belgian Climate Centre is organising an in-person C3S user workshop with a geographical focus on Belgium, on Thursday, 20th June 2024. The half-day workshop takes place in Brussels and is targeted at current and potential future C3S users in Belgium.

C3S User Engagement Workshop with the Belgian User Community


Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Digital Event
 
Image with the webinar title
In this webinar, ECNO invites stakeholders to reflect on the changes in approach to industrial transition that have been taking place over the last year.

Towards a Green Industry Deal

Avoiding blind spots and enabling industrial transformation


Online

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Event:Digital Event
 
The negotiations of the Carbon Removals Certification Framework (CRCF) have put EU climate policies at a critical juncture. These negotiations raise some essential questions concerning the further development of EU climate policy.

Carbon Removals in EU Climate Policies

How to Use Carbon Removal Certificates?


Online

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Event:Digital Event
 
Promotional graphic for a webinar titled 'Is European Cleantech on track for decarbonisation and competitiveness?'. The graphic has a modern, clean design with a large, partially transparent circle overlaying a blurred image of technology or machinery, suggesting a focus on cleantech. The text is prominently displayed in the upper left corner with bold lettering, and abstract shapes in teal and pink add a dynamic feel to the visual.
In this webinar, we will examine what ECNO's analysis can tell us about the progress of the EU cleantech sector and the future of EU cleantech policy. As the European elections approach, and the global cleantech race only speeds up, finding an impactful European solution is increasingly necessary.

Is European Cleantech on Track for Decarbonisation and Competitiveness?

Webinar


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
The 4i-TRACTION Community of Experts Coffee Hour format is one of the stakeholder engagement activities. This dynamic series of Coffee Hours addresses and engages members of the "Community of Experts", a select group of experts with different backgrounds on the "4Is" of the project: Innovation, investment, infrastructure and integration. Each session explored critical issues in EU climate and energy policies, fostering an open and insightful exchange under the Chatham house rule.

4i-TRACTION Community of Experts Coffee Hours

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online, Germany

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Event:Conference
 
Social media card of the event with event title, date and place
In a three-day series of events in Brussels from 5 to 7 December 2023, partners from the Kopernikus project Ariadne present important findings from their work that are relevant for the further development of EU climate and energy policy. They discuss these with representatives from political institutions, science, civil society and business. Participants can look forward to a varied program with workshops on current topics such as the future electricity market design, challenges of the energy transition, improvement of the EU governance mechanism, the role of household surveys in climate policy or the integration of negative emissions into the ETS.

Shaping EU Climate and Energy Policy

Insights from and questions for the Ariadne project

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Brussels, Belgium

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Event:Digital Event
 
Nature Restoarion Law
On 28 June 2023, participants joined webinar hosts Ricarda Faber and Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute and their two expert guests: Humberto Delgado Rosa (Director for Biodiversity at the European Commission) and Sabien Leemans (Senior Biodiversity Policy Officer for WWF). Together, they discussed what can be done to restore ecosystems and protect biodiversity in the EU, as well as the new Nature Restoration Law proposed by the European Commission.

Nature Restoration Law: Restoring Europe's ecosystems and protecting biodiversity


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
At the Webinar "Making Carbon Removals a Real Climate Solution – How (not) to integrate carbon removals into EU climate policies" a new Ecologic paper with the same title will be presented.

Making Carbon Removals a Real Climate Solution

How (not) to integrate carbon removals into EU climate policies


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
GDBD
How do we classify which investments are the right ones to power the transition to a climate and nature-friendly economy? This is a pretty big question, and one that is crucial to a successful implementation of the European Green Deal. The EU Taxonomy Regulation specifies the various criteria that investments will need to fulfil to be considered sustainable. In practice, the taxonomy is a long list of economic activities with benchmark performance standards.

Financing Europe's Green Transition – The EU Taxonomy Regulation


online

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Event:Digital Event
 
The EU's carbon-neutral future
On 6 March 2023, participants joined webinar hosts Ewa Iwaszuk and Aaron Best from Ecologic Institute and their expert guests Claire Dupont, Professor at the Department of Public Governance and Management, Ghent University, and Matthias Duwe, Head of the Climate Team at Ecologic Institute. Together, they discussed the central role climate policy plays in the European Green Deal and explored how policy can spur innovation and reduce net emissions to zero in the European Union.

The EU's Carbon-neutral Future: Achieving net zero by 2050


online, Germany

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Presentation:Speech
 
presentation
On 22 February 2024, Dr. Benjamin Kupilas and Fenja Kroos gave a presentation at the 6th ad-hoc meeting on future national restoration plans (NRPs) organized by DG ENV. They presented their work on the Compilation of Existing Guidance on Ecosystem Restoration commissioned by DG ENV.

Compilation of Existing Guidance on Ecosystem Restoration


Dr. Benjamin Kupilas

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Presentation:Speech
 
In 2023, the EU adopted regulations defining under which conditions green hydrogen is considered as fully renewable and the methodology to determine the GHG intensity of hydrogen and other PtX products. To discuss these requirements with stakeholders from third countries considering to export renewable hydrogen or derivates to the EU, the International PtX Hub organized a workshop series in 2023. Raffaele Piria coordinated the conception of these workshops and gave a presentation on the climate and energy policy context for the EU's hydrogen strategies and policies.

Background and Context for the EU Hydrogen Certification Rules and Procedures

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Raffaele Piria

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
Carbon farming promises to mitigate climate change whilst generating income for farmers – but can this promise be realised, and what are the risks? The European Parliament’s Environment and Agricultural Committees held a joint hearing to understand how EU policy can support on-farm carbon sequestration. The hearing featured two panels, including a presentation from Ecologic Institute Fellow Hugh McDonald on the challenges of carbon farming certification.

The Challenges of Certifying Carbon Farming


Hugh McDonald

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
Building on the momentum created by the negotiations on the Nature Restoration Regulation (NRL) as well as by the overall successful outcome of the biodiversity summit COP15, the think tank network "Think Sustainable Europe" (TSE) met with EU Environment Commissioner Sinkevičius. As part of TSE, Ecologic Institute presented key recommendations on the NRL. These build on a series of policy briefs by Ecologic Institute and IEEP respectively, and were well received and aroused great interest both in the EU Commission and the European Parliament.

Meeting with EU Commissioner Sinkevičius on Biodiversity and the Nature Restoration Regulation


Dr. Camilla Bausch

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow of Ecologic Institute, gave a speech at the international academic conference "Towards the Polish Climate Protection Act" on 7 September 2022 in Szczecin (Poland). He presented the main features of the German Federal Climate Change Act and its revision based on the decision of the Federal Constitutional Court on 24 March 2021. He also participated in the panel discussion.

The German Federal Climate Change Act


Dr. Stephan Sina

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Presentation:Speech
 
slides
In the webinar series "Why do we need a climate law?" Matthias Duwe, Head Climate at Ecologic Institute, presented three key elements of a sound climate law: (1) the coordination of long-term planning and short-term policy, (2) monitoring progress, and (3) mechanisms for coordinating sectoral policies. In particular, he focused on the Slovenian climate law and showed how to adopt the European lessons learned within the Slovenian context.

How to Integrate European Lessons Learned on Climate Laws in the Slovenian Context?


Matthias Duwe

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
The current global pandemic presents both risks and opportunities for the transition to a more sustainable future in Europe. At the launch event for the newest report of the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU), Dr. Camilla Bausch discussed the importance of the European Green Deal at this moment of crisis with Prof. Dr. Christian Calliess.

Towards an Ambitious Environmental Policy in Germany and Europe


Dr. Camilla Bausch

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Presentation:Speech
 
Ecologic Institute researchers presented interim results of the project: CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs (COACCH) at the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA) 2019 in Lisbon (Portugal). The presentations covered first experiences from the COACCH Co-Design process, as well as a recently prepared synthesis of Economic costs of climate change and adaptation in Europe.

Co-Design of Economic Assessment of Climate Change Impacts


Katriona McGlade

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, joined Bettina Kampman from CE Delft on 2 July 2015 to present and discuss a mid-term evaluation of the Renewable Energy Directive at Directorate-General for Energy (DG Energy) in Brussels (Belgium). The study had been carried out by a consortium of CE Delft, Ricardo-AEA, Ecologic Institute, E-Bridge and REKK, and been published recently on DG Energy's website. The presentation is available for download.

Mid-term Evaluation of the Renewable Energy Directive


Dr. Stephan Sina

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Presentation:Speech
 
In the first week of July the European Society for Environmental History (ESEH) had invited to its 8th Biennial Conference to Versailles. Under the motto “Greening history: Studying the environment across disciplines: past, present, future” environmental historians from around the world met to exchange their empirical findings for a sustainable future and to discuss further applied research trends amongst the humanities.

History for a Sustainable Future | 8th Biennial Conference


Dr. Grit Martinez

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Presentation:Speech
 
On 7 October 2014, Ecologic Institute's Rodrigo Vidaurre held a presentation on regional governance responses to increasing drought risks at the 2014 international conference "Our Climate – Our Future". The talk, part of the Conference Session on "Integrated strategies for climate change mitigation and adaptation", presented the methodology and insights generated by an analysis of the regional governance settings. The presentation slides are available for download.

Regional Governance and Management for Drought Adaptation in North-West Europe


Rodrigo Vidaurre

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Presentation:Panel discussion
 
More than 100 participants from ministries, NGOs, embassies and research institutions came together in the British Embassy in Berlin. The event focused on how to more successfully prevent wildlife crime. Christiane Gerstetter remarked that environmental crime is considered as a difficult concept to implement and enforced even by many experts and practitioners. The ensuing panel discussion was moderated by R. Andreas Kraemer.

Combating Wildlife Crime: Efforts and Perspectives from the UK and Germany


R. Andreas Kraemer

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Presentation:Speech
 
<p>The Estonian Environmental Board organized a seminar on "Protected Areas as Part of Green Infrastructure" in connection with the annual EuroParc Nordic-Baltic Section Member Meeting. McKenna Davis spoke about the design, implementation and cost elements associated with green infrastructure projects. Attendees included representatives of the European Commission and Baltic and Nordic national parks, environmental ministries, nature conservation agencies and environmental NGOs.</p>

Design, Implementation and Cost Elements of Green Infrastructure Projects


McKenna Davis

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