The LEDDRA Policy Conference aimed to present selected and policy-related project findings and to discuss associated policy recommendations, as well as to develop new critical thinking to support future initiatives addressing Land and Ecosystem Degradation and Desertification (LEDD). The conference brought together LEDDRA researchers, policy makers from international, EU organizations, and Member States, as well as stakeholder groups and NGOs. The discussion and questions raised by the presentations and dialogue at the conference will contribute to ongoing efforts to combat land degradation and desertification at the international, European, and national levels.

Ecologic Institute, the Urania Berlin, and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin present the event series "Biodiversity - local/global" to offer a better understanding of biological diversity and its socially-relevant facets.

The first publication of the FP7 research project newsletter, titled "Contributing to Building of Awareness, Learning and Transfer of Knowledge on Sustainable Use of Raw Materials (COBALT)", is now available online. The newsletter features a comprehensive presentation of the COBALT project. It also provides information on COBALT's opening conference, the 1st COBALT EU Civil Society – Industry Dialogue; a report on mineral raw material related education; and information on upcoming EU and regional talks. Subscriptions for this electronic newsletter are available to all interested readers, with a new publication every six months.

Ecologic Institute's Ulf Stein presented first insights of the INTERREG IVb project DROP during the International Conference on Regional Climate Adaptation and Resilience (CLARR 2014) in Bremen. DROP is trying to enhance the preparedness and resilience of northwestern European regions to periods of drought and water scarcity. In his conclusions he developed messages for the domains of natural science, policy and water management. The presentation slides are available for download.

Ecologic Institute, the Urania Berlin, and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin present the event series "Biodiversity - local/global" to offer a better understanding of biological diversity and its socially-relevant facets.

Ecologic Institute, the Urania Berlin, and the Museum für Naturkunde Berlin present the event series "Biodiversity - local/global" to offer a better understanding of biological diversity and its socially-relevant facets.

The Think Tanks and Civil Societies Program (TTCSP) at the International Relations Program, University of Pennsylvania, conducts research on the role policy institutes play in governments and in civil societies around the world. On Wednesday, 22 January 2014, the TTCSP released its 2013 Report. On this occasion, more than 25 global partners implemented local launch events.

For four years now, Ecologic Institute has claimed a top spot in the "Environment" category of the highly regarded global rankings of policy institutes, or think tanks, published by the University of Pennsylvania. In 2013, the Berlin-based research organization was ranked in 9th place.
 Researchers at Ecologic Institute have been working on current societally- and politically-relevant environmental questions since 1995. The research performed by Ecologic Institute has been recognized, as it has been for the last three years, with a top ranking in the Global Go To Think Tank Index.

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.