Publications – Ecologic Institute EU

Coastal + Marine

Introducing the H2020 AQUACROSS Project

Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies

Lago, M., Boteler, B., Rouillard, J., Abhold, K., Jähnig, S., Iglesias-Campos, A., Delacámara, G., Piet, G., Hein, T., Nogueira, A., Lillebø, A., Strosser, P., Robinson, L., De Wever, A., O'Higgins, T., Schlüter, M., Török, L., Reichert, P., van Ham, C., Villa, F. and Hugh, M. (2019). Introducing the H2020 AQUACROSS project: Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies. Science of The Total Environment, 652, pp.320-329.Read more

Publication

Book Section

32 Gründe, warum Europa eine verdammt gute Idee ist

The EU Member States have committed to be climate neutral by the second half of this century. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf calls this a fundamental challenge that no EU member state can address alone and that makes the EU indispensable for effective climate protection. This is one of 32 reasons why Europe is a "damn good idea". The eponymous book was published in the run-up to the 2019 European elections. It presents numerous achievements of the European Union in an understandable way, explains complex interrelationships and shows the positive effects of the EU for its citizens. Read more

Publication

Infographic

Energy

EU Climate Policy & EU Reform: Pretty much best friends – Infographic

In response to Brexit, the EU has embarked on a process of reflection and possibly reform. As a contribution to this process, the Ecologic Institute explores the interlinkages between the process on the Future of the EU and EU climate and energy policies. This infographic presents how the EU climate policy can help with the EU reform and how the EU reform might improves the EU climate policy.Read more

Publication

How Can We Make the Energiewende Digital and Sustainable?

The Energiewende means a transition from the old, nuclear-and-coal based, to a sustainable and digitalized energy system. This is a complex endeavor: the number of actors involved increases and their functions overlap. While digital technologies bring automation and potential for relief, they are an ambivalent phenomenon: with no comprehensive laws on data protection, it is unclear what is going to happen to the tremendous amount of data collected by digital appliances. Besides, technologies like blockchain are often so energy-intensive that they eat up the amount of resources that they are trying to save. Therefore, political design must actively shape a digital and ecologically sustainable energy transition – it will not happen by itself.Read more

Publication

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Pretty Much Best Friends

On 9 May 2019, the European Council meets in Sibiu (Romania). Not long ago, this meeting was expected to be an important milestone in the Process on the Future of the EU. Now, expectations are much lower. Avoiding controversy is the first order of business. But the core questions of the Process on the Future of the EU will not go away: how to maintain and develop a strong EU? This question will stick with us, and it will keep the new Parliament and the new Commission busy. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available online.Read more

Publication

EU Reform and Climate Policies – Two Birds with One Stone

Maintaining a strong EU and implementing effective climate policies go hand in hand with one another. Indeed, they are pretty much the best of friends. A stable, prosperous and climate-resilient Europe requires effective climate action; and effective climate action needs a strong EU. When addressed from this angle, there is a lot of agreement among EU policymakers, who often speak about the importance of climate action when addressing the future of the EU. However, there is more to it than general agreement. Climate policies and the future of the EU can reinforce each other in concrete ways. This article by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute) and Sebastian Oberthür (Vrije Universiteit Brussel) is available for download.Read more

Publication

Plastik in der Umwelt – Quellen • Senken • Lösungsansätze – Programme Flyer

BMBF-Forschungsschwerpunkt

Ecologic Institute designed a programme flyer as part of the visual identity for the project "Plastic in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions." The programme flyer was developed and designed to provide relevant content on conference context, agenda, and the venue in a concerted way to participants.Read more

Publication

Case Study

Global Environment

Bridging the Research-management Gap in Environmental Conservation

A case study from Andalusia, southern Spain

Science is believed to provide the most objective basis for effective decision-making, though it is rarely implemented in environmental management. Here, the authors reflect on the results of a regional workshop aimed at exploring the knowledge and use of scientific evidence by environmental managers in an ecologically diverse region in southern Spain: Andalusia. Read more

Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Mobility

Wer von Fahrverboten spricht, verhindert Umweltschutz

Framing-Check: "Fahrverbot"

The use of the term "driving ban" can give the impression of a general and comprehensive ban on driving. In this sense, it means, rather, a ban on mobility. The term thus does not only suggest a banishment, but also an interference in the personal freedom of all drivers, not only of diesel drivers. "Traffic restrictions" is the more precise term with respect to the content. Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Head of International and European Governance, and Katharina Umpfenbach, Coordinator Energy of the Ecologic Institute, discuss this in the Süddeutsche Zeitung. The article is available online.Read more

Publication

Water

Plastik in der Umwelt – Conference Proceedings of the Status Conference

The conference proceedings for the status conference of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions", presenting the joint research projects and cross-cutting topics, are available for download.Read more

Publication

Report

Kriterien zur Bewertung des Transformationspotentials von Nachhaltigkeitsinitiativen

Abschlussbericht

This assessment system is the first of its kind with an integrated approach to assess sustainability and the transformative potential of civil society initiatives.Read more

Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Energy

The Future of Energy Security

Energy security – the uninterrupted supply of energy at reasonable prices, as defined by IEA – has both external and internal dynamics. It can be ensured through local adequacy, that is, abundant and varied forms of indigenous energy resources, but the countries that face local shortages, as in Bangladesh, depend on imports. Shafiqul Alam explains in his online article in the Dhaka Tribune how internal measures could attenuate reliance on external sources.Read more

Publication

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Water

Plastics in the Environment: Social Science Research – Poster Series

Overview of research topics, types of results and target groups of projects with a social science component in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment", funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF).

How is a topic such as microplastics socially problematised? How can consumers use plastics more sustainably? And what role do the interests and perceptions of different actors play in international plastics regulation? These and other questions are posed by social scientists in a number of joint research projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment". In this poster series, social science research from ten joint research projects is presented and first interim results are briefly and concisely summarised.Read more

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