Ecologic Institute's lawyers Dr. Volker Hoppenbrock (Fellow) and Anke Rostankowski (Associate) have contributed to the latest commentary on the German Renewable-Energy-Law (EEG). The new issue of this practice-oriented legal standard work deals with the EEG which is one of the most important cornerstones of German environmental energy law.

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.

As part of the German Energy Agency's Annual Conference of Biogas Partnerships, Dr. Wolfgang Urban (Ecologic Institute) informed the participants about the role of biogas in the Renewable Energies Act (EEG). He explained the political guidelines of the Germany Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and presented monitoring results as well as principal changes in the new EEG. The presentation slides are available for download.

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.

Technology transfer is an important part of ongoing efforts at climate change mitigation and adaptation, and a central issue in negotiations between developed and developing countries. In a German publication for the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Christiane Gerstetter summarises the state of the debate prior to the Durban climate summit.

"Limited Freedom above the Clouds: Aviation Becomes Part of European Emissions Trading Scheme" was the topic of the 20th Climate Talk, hosted by Dr. Camilla Bausch and Benjamin Görlach of the Ecologic Institute, as well as Dr. Susanne Dröge of the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) on 21 November 2011.

Adaptation to climate change: What does this mean in practice? Where can I find support and orientation, what good examples already exist? Answers to these questions can be found in a brochure prepared by Ecologic Institute on behalf of the Competence Centre on Climate Impacts and Adaptation (KomPass) of the German Federal Environment Agency.

Martinez, Grit; Bray, Dennis (2011): Befragung politischer Entscheidungsträger zur Wahrnehmung des Klimawandels und zur Anpassung an den Klimawandel an der deutschen Ostseeküste. Ecologic Institut Berlin & Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht. RADOST-Berichtsreihe, Bericht Nr. 4.

Dr. Wolgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presents guidelines for the further expansion of biogas in the conference proceedings "Biogas in Agriculture - Status and Perspectives." These proceedings contain the specialists' contributions of the second FNR/KTBL Congress "Biogas in Agriculture – Status and Prospects", dealing with current biological, processual, and operational measures to stabilize and improve the investment process. In addition, new conversion methods, the effects of system damages, and legal developments for biogas production are discussed. The proceedings can be purchased at the price of 25 Euro in KTBL online shop.

Ecologic Institute and Helmholtz-Zentrum Geesthacht (previously GKSS) conducted an online survey with regional political stakeholders from the German Baltic Sea coast in spring 2011. Eleven hundred actors at the community level in Mecklenburg-West Pomerania and Schleswig-Holstein were surveyed on their perceptions of climate-induced changes in their communities and possible measures for adapting to climate change. They were also questioned on their experience with using regional climate data and its use in political practice. The report is available for download.

During the biogas Congress 2011 Ecologic Institute's Dr. Wolfgang Urban spoke about the options of use for biomethane. He pointed out that the resource 'biogas' is limited and exposed to utilisation competition. In addition, it is to be considered in relation to factors as availability of water and soil, waste and residues potentials. The greenhouse gas benefits of biogas depents of it's usage paths details. To make biomethane energy-efficient and climate-friendly combined heat and power production should be promoted. Furthermore, a CO2 footprint for biomethane should be developed, the GHG emissions from the biogas deployment and preparation minimized and the further coverage of waste and residue potentials pushed.