The 21st Climate Talk, which took place on 6 March 2012, addressed issues regarding fracking and was entitled "Shale gas and fracking - an energy revolution in Europe?"
 Shale gas - natural gas trapped deep in underground rock formations - has provided hope for an energy revolution in Europe. Because the gas can only be retrieved with the technique of "hydraulic fracturing" (short: "fracking"), which uses great quantities of water and sand as well as chemical components, the potential environmental effects are being discussed intensely and controversially.

As part of the BiogasWorld, an international fair for biogas technology, Ecologic Institute's Wolfgang Urban gave a lecture on the further development of the German Renewable Energies Law (EEG) in 2012 and its implications for biogas and biomethane. Additionally he presented results of the monitoring process the EEG has undergone. The presentation slides are 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.