EU

EU

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
 
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 aimed 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 created knowledge resources (written guidance) and provided 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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Project
 
The European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) aims to help ensure the EU achieves climate neutrality by providing scientifically rigorous analysis of economy-wide progress and an independent check on EU climate policy processes. ECNO analyses the data underlying a comprehensive set of progress indicators to present a unique, up-to-date picture of the whole economy and identify any gaps in data collection, benchmarking, and monitoring that need to be addressed. Ecologic Institute has developed an indicator framework in a previous project that ECNO's methodology is based on.

European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO)

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute was commissioned by WISE Netherlands to take a more in-depth look at how Member States are spending their auctioning revenues, and if and how they are using them for climate action. Furthermore, we wanted to understand the political context and the narrative around auctioning revenues. For this purpose, we conducted eight country case studies, namely Czech, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. We based our analysis on Member States' reporting to the European Commission regarding the use of auctioning revenues, desk research on legal documents and interviews with relevant experts from ministries and NGOs.

The Use of ETS Auctioning Revenues in EU Member States

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute concluded the project "The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark". The project established a network of think tanks from eight EU Member States – Germany, Bulgaria, Czechia, Estonia, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Poland. The project monitored the domestic debates on the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE) and its link to climate policies. The project also facilitated dialogues on the CFE between Member States, and contributed regularly to national debates on the CFE.

The Future of the EU – Make Climate Action its Trademark

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Project
 
Podcast cover
Ursula von der Leyen (President of the European Commission) described the European Green Deal as "Europe's man-on-the-moon moment". With this plan, the European Union aims to achieve climate neutrality by 2050, protect and enhance nature, and sustainably transform the European economy and society. But what exactly is the European Green Deal? Which role does it play in our everyday life? And what challenges does it pose? In our podcast and webinar series "Green deal – Big Deal?" we take a critical look at these questions and discuss various aspects of the European Green Deal with experts from policy, business and science.

Green Deal – Big Deal? Discussing Europe's Green Future

Podcast & Webinar Series about the European Green Deal

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Publication:Case Study
 
This paper examines the penalty provisions in the draft Czech implementing law submitted on 11 November 2025 by the Minister for the Environment to the Prime Minister. It briefly considers the draft's legislative status in light of the political situation following the 3–4 October general election, assesses its compliance with the EU-MER, and compares it with good practice in Denmark and with Italy's draft law.

Czechia's Draft Penalty Rules for Violations of the EU Methane Regulation

Assessment of the draft law of 11 November

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Publication:Article
 
Anthropogenic litter poses a growing threat to aquatic ecosystems worldwide. While the EU's Marine Strategy Framework Directive (MSFD) addresses this pollution as an environmental status indicator, the Water Framework Directive (WFD) lacks such a measure.The publication, jointly authored by researchers from the European Plastic Pirates initiative, illustrates how citizen science can address this issue by using existing litter data from related initiatives. Members of the author team included Doris Knoblauch and Mandy Hinzmann from the Ecologic Institute.

Public Participation in EU Legislation?

Recommendations for Involving Citizen Scientists in Anthropogenic Litter Research Within the Water Framework Directive

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of the "2025 Flagship Report: State of EU progress to climate neutrality" by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO). The image shows a panoramic view of a green urban park with various climate-related icons overlayed, and a city skyline in the background. The title highlights the report’s focus on indicator-based assessment across 13 building blocks for a climate-neutral future. Dated September 2025.
The EU is making promising progress on the road to climate neutrality but needs to keep up the pace to achieve the goal. This is the result of the third progress report by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO), which has analysed developments in over 150 indicators across all areas of society. The weak points identified provide crucial information for the work of the EU institutions.

State of EU Progress to Climate Neutrality – 2025 Flagship Report

2025 Flagship Report

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Publication:Report
 
cover page
This report explores options for an EU purchasing programme for permanent carbon removals to address a critical gap in climate change mitigation. While emissions reductions remain the primary objective of EU climate policy, achieving climate neutrality and eventually net-negative emissions necessitates the large-scale deployment of carbon removals. This requires the swift development and deployment of cost-effective and socially beneficial carbon removal technologies.

An EU Purchasing Programme for Permanent Carbon Removals

Assessment of policy options and recommendations for short-term policy design

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Publication:Brochure
 
Complementing the policy guidance "Mainstreaming climate and environmental objectives in EU funding programmes in the post-2027 period," this illustrated brochure showcases diverse examples of nature-based solutions (NbS) across water, urban, transport, agriculture, and marine sectors.

Good Practice Examples of Nature-based Solutions Across Sectors

Mainstreaming climate and environmental objectives in EU funding programmes in the post-2027 period

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Publication:Report
 
Cover page of a report titled “Mainstreaming Climate and Environmental Objectives in EU Funding Programmes in the Post-2027 Period.” The title appears in white text on a blue background at the top. Below, three stylized floating blocks of earth are shown; one has a wind turbine on it. At the bottom of the image are logos of Ramboll, CE Delft, Ecologic Institute, and I4CE.
This study explores how climate and environmental objectives can be more effectively integrated into the post-2027 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF). It assesses the effectiveness of current mainstreaming tools such as climate and biodiversity spending targets, the Do No Significant Harm (DNSH) principle, expenditure tracking systems, and funding exclusions.

Mainstreaming Climate and Environmental Objectives in EU Funding Programmes in the Post-2027 Period

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Publication:Report
 
This ECNO report assesses transparency and policy information in the final National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) of four EU countries: France, Ireland, Italy, and Sweden. The report evaluates whether these plans provide a sufficient blueprint for achieving national climate targets.

Delivering 2030 Climate Targets

A snapshot of the transparency and policy information gaps of Member States' NECPs

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Publication:Book
 
Cover of the report titled 'Sustainable development in the European Union: Monitoring report on progress towards the SDGs in an EU context, 2025 edition' by Eurostat. The design features shades of blue with a colorful tree graphic in the lower half.
Eurostat's "Sustainable Development in the European Union: Monitoring Report on Progress towards the SDGs in an EU Context" (2025 edition) offers the ninth comprehensive assessment of the EU's journey toward the 17 Sustainable Development Goals. Researchers from Ecologic Institute authored the chapters on Zero Hunger (SDG 2), Clean Water and Sanitation (SDG 6), Affordable and Clean Energy (SDG 7), Climate Action (SDG 13), Life Below Water (SDG 14), Life on Land (SDG 15) and Partnerships for the Goals (SDG 17), providing rigorous, policy-relevant evidence.

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2025

Monitoring Report on Progress Towards the SDGs in an EU Context

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Publication:Book
 
Cover of the 2025 edition of Eurostat’s “Overview of progress towards the SDGs in an EU context.” The design mirrors the full report cover, featuring a white tree with multicolored leaves, this time on a grey-blue background. The Eurostat and SDG logos appear below the tree.
The 2025 overview brochure accompanies Eurostat's ninth regular report monitoring progress towards the SDGs in an EU context. Ecologic Institute's authors covered the chapters on SDG 2 (Zero Hunger), SDG 6 (Clean Water and Sanitation), SDG 7 (Affordable and Clean Energy), SDG 13 (Climate Action), SDG 14 (Life Below Water), SDG 15 (Life on Land) and SDG 17 (Partnerships for the Goals). The brochure is available for download.

Sustainable Development in the European Union – 2025 Overview

Overview of Progress Towards the SDGs in an EU Context

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Publication:Document
 
The image shows the cover of a discussion paper titled 'Climate Targets for EU Member States after 2030: Functions and Options.' The paper is authored by Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf (Ecologic Institute), Sabine Gores (Oeko-Institut), and Jakob Graichen (Oeko-Institut). The publication is from 10 April 2025 and includes the logos of Ecologic Institute and Oeko-Institut.
A new paper by the Ecologic Institute and Oeko-Institut discusses how to design climate target for Member States. The paper explores seven options how to best design national climate targets for the time after 2030. This paper is available for download.

Climate Targets for EU Member States after 2030

Functions and Options

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Event:Conference
 
Image with the title of the event
From Monday 9 to Wednesday 11 December 2024, the Ariadne project hosted a three-day event consisting of a series of workshops and discussion events 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 presented our newest findings and engaged with relevant high-profile stakeholders from the European Parliament and the economy. We hosted two thematic panels on topics that moved 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 organized an in-person C3S user workshop with a geographical focus on Belgium, on Thursday, 20th June 2024. The half-day workshop took place in Brussels and was 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 invited stakeholders to reflect on the changes in approach to industrial transition that took place over 2024.

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) put EU climate policies at a critical juncture. These negotiations raised 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 presented important findings from their work that are relevant for the further development of EU climate and energy policy. They discussed these with representatives from political institutions, science, civil society and business. Participants enjoyed 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 was 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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Event:Conference
 
With the Fit-for-55 package about to be put into law, and the RePowerEU plan adopted in response to the energy crisis, EU climate and energy is undergoing the most profound change in years, getting the EU on track to a post-fossil energy system. In a three-day series of events, partners from the Ariadne research project presented key insights from their work that is relevant for the further development of EU climate and energy policy, and discussed these with representatives from political institutions, academia, civil society and business. The events served to share research insights, to discuss and validate findings and their relevance for EU policy process, and to gather inputs for further research.

Shaping EU Climate and Energy Policy: Insights from and for the Ariadne Project

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Brussels, Belgium

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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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Presentation:Speech
 
<p>&#13; Andrew Reid, Transatlantic Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented the results of the project Cooperation Across the Atlantic for Marine Governance Integration (CALAMAR) to decision-makers, scientists and other maritime stakeholders at the 2011 European Maritime Day in Gdansk (Poland). Examining opportunities for EU/US cooperation on maritime governance, the project was presented as part of a panel on strategies for strengthening maritime clusters in the Atlantic region.</p>

Opportunities for EU/US Cooperation on Maritime Governance


Andrew Reid

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Presentation:Chairing
 
Fukushima has been a painful reminder that each energy source has its drawbacks, and none comes without side effects. To realise our ambitious climate objectives, we must above all stop wasting energy and use energy in a much smarter and more efficient way. This is not a new insight, but turning this insight into action has proven remarkably difficult. How the existing obstacles to energy efficiency can be overcome, and which initiatives have worked successfully for Germany and the UK so far, was the topic of a discussion event at the UK Embassy in Berlin, moderated by Benjamin Görlach, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute.

Energy Efficiency – The missing link in the delivery of climate targets?


Benjamin Görlach

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Presentation:Lecture
 
<p>&#13; With Arabia in turmoil and nuclear tragedy at Fukushima, Japan, the US rethinks energy dependence on unstable or hostile parts of the world, and looks anew at sustainable energy options.  R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute presented German and EU experience at the University of Pennsylvania's International Relations Program on 15 March 2011.</p>&#13;

Climate and Energy Policy in Germany and the EU


R. Andreas Kraemer

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Presentation:Speech
 
<p>&#13; In this presentation Ecologic Senior Fellow Ingmar von Homeyer provided an analytical overview of EU environmental governance from the early 1970s up to the present. He argued that EU environmental governance can be described as an amalgam of four to five environmental governance regimes which have successively been layered on top of each other over the past 35 years.</p>&#13;

The Evolution of EU Environmental Governance


Dr. Ingmar von Homeyer

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Presentation:Speech
 
How can the effectiveness of environmental policies be assessed in retrospect? Have the stated targets of environmental policies been achieved, and if so, was it because of the policies or because of other factors? Have targets been achieved at proportionate costs, or could there have been cheaper options of reaching them? These and other questions on ex-post policy evaluation were discussed at an expert workshop convened by the European Environment Agency and the Environment Agencies of Denmark, the Netherlands and the UK. Benjamin Görlach gave an introduction to cost-effectiveness analysis as an evaluation tool, and presented experiences with ex-post cost-effectiveness analyses of environmental policies in Europe.

Ex-Post Cost-Effectiveness Analyses of Environmental Policies


Benjamin Görlach

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Presentation:Speech
 
The environment is a cross-cutting theme in the European funding policies. Which are the environmental and agricultural funding opportunities for 2007-2013, and what are the consequences for landscape change and sustainable development? Rainer Müssner in collaboration with Katrina Marsden gave a presentation focusing on these issues at the 14th International Symposium on Problems of Landscape – Ecological Research.

The Environmental and Agricultural funding opportunities 2007-2013


Dr. Rainer Müssner

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Presentation:Chairing
 
The current and future impact of the European Union on the sustainable development of its neighbours to the south and east and proposals for the future direction of the European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) were the themes of this session that took place at the 2006 Annual Conference of the European Foundation Centre (EFC). During the event an Ecologic Brief on European Neighbourhood Policy , written by Sascha Müller-Kraenner, was launched.

Democracy, Stability, Integration – A Sustainable European Neighbourhood Policy?


R. Andreas Kraemer

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Presentation:Speech
 
The 20th anniversary of the Chernobyl accident was the occasion for the Böll Foundation to host an event on Ukrainian and European energy policy in the premises of the Deutsche Umwelthilfe in Berlin. The event offered an opportunity for energy experts to discuss recent and possible future developments in energy policy, especially nuclear energy. Dr. Camilla Bausch, Senior Fellow at Ecologic, gave a presentation on the European energy policy with special focus on the Energy Charter Treaty.

European Energy Policy with Special Emphasis on the European Energy Charta


Dr. Camilla Bausch

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