<p>In 2017, Ecologic Institute is continuing to analyze key legislative proposals and political processes related to the 2030 energy and climate policy framework of the European Union (EU). This includes specifically the proposed regulations for the post-2020 Effort Sharing and for the Governance of the Energy Union. This work is being done in support of and as a contribution to an initiative by the European Climate Foundation (ECF), with the aim to advance the overall understanding of the options for future EU energy and climate governance in collaboration with many fellow research institutions.</p>&#13;

<p>To put our energy system back on track to achieve the long term EU greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions reduction targets, scaled up efforts are required especially in the three major areas of energy consumption: transport, heating and cooling, as well as electricity generation for households and industry. As these sectors still rely largely on fossil fuels, radical technological changes are needed. Therefore, the main objective of this project is to obtain an overall picture of what technological options are available and how these options can be combined to drive decarbonisation efforts and ensure resilience of the EU energy system.</p>&#13;

The Paris Agreement states that Parties will scale up their commitments with every consecutive nationally determined contribution. A new paper by Ecologic Institute shows how EU legislation can help implement this requirement. The paper is available for download.

Albert, Christian et. al. 2017: Towards a National Ecosystem Assessment in Germany. A Plea for a Comprehensive Approach. GAIA - Ecological Perspectives for Science and Society, Volume 26, Number 1, 2017, pp. 27-33(7).

The Ecologic Institute is responsible for concept, design, programming and content of the POCACITO project website. The website provides information on the project, the case studies and the project results. There is also a "marketplace of ideas", where users can search for specific information by filtering the topics, locations and population. An interactive map then shows the accompanying cities. Furthermore all news about the project can be found in the blog on the website.

The second BONUS Soils2Sea workshop in the Swedish case study region brought together project partners from BONUS Soils2Sea, as well as an engaged group of Polish and Swedish farmers, representatives from the community Mykanow, a representative from a fishing association, the Länsstyrelsen Skåne (The County Administrative Board Skåne), and Havs- och vattenmyndigheten (Swedish Marine and Water Authority). Highlights of the workshop were a film screening of a Soils2Sea documentary recently shot in Poland, presentations on the Tullstorp river restoration project, and a world cafe stakeholder discussion on different governance scenarios to regulate nutrients. The workshop was followed by a field trip to the Tullstorp river, where the different restoration measures and the recently created wetlands could be experienced hands-on.

On 18 November 2016, the ELEEP Network and the POCACITO project hosted an official COP 22 side event in Marrakech on the topic "Transatlantic Perspectives on Integrating Climate Mitigation and Adaptation in Cities".

The Austrian government is currently in the process of developing a strategy for research, technology and innovation to support the emerging bioeconomy. Following this process, the development of a broader strategy is envisaged that comprises further policy domains and sectors. Against this background, the questions arise regarding what role civil society organisations should play in this process and how they can contribute to shaping the further development of the Austrian bioeconomy.

In December 2016, the joint statement of the Expert Commission on the "Energy of the Future" Monitoring Process was published. Ecologic Institute provides scientific support to the work of the Expert Commission with a focus on the key topics that Dr. Hans-Joachim Ziesing and the Expert Commission selected for their joint statement. The joint statement is available for download.

As part of the visual identity for project "Resource Efficient Food and dRink for the Entire Supply cHain" (REFRESH), Ecologic Institute designed two promotional flyers in small postcard format. The flyers summarizes general objectives and aims of the project, are styled according to the project style-guides and contains an project information, contact and an QR-code directing to the project website. Flyers are distributed during project events.

International trade agreements can have an impact on consumers in different ways. On the one hand, they can lead to more or cheaper products to become available for consumers. On the other hand, these agreements contain rules for political and legal meaures that the parties to an agreement may adopt; this can limit the scope for regulation in favour of consumers. How trade agreements are designed is therefore important for consumers. In this project, Ecologic Institute compiles a study for the Federation of German Consumer Organisations, analysing how consumer rights are addressed in international trade agreements and how they can be enforced by consumer organisations.

Ecologic Institute developed an easy-to-use web tool that displays ETS auctioning revenue data for the EU Member States since the beginning of the third trading period in 2013. The intuitive and navigable web interface allows the user to visualize and compare revenues by country and year using one or more graphical representations. The tool incorporates multiple indicators including type of use, share used in/outside the EU, actions in/outside the EU and channels used to support developing countries.

Member States earned close to EUR 12 billion from auctioning in the EU Emissions Trading from 2013 to 2015 with over 80% of the money so far spent on climate action – most of it in the EU. The funding mainly went to renewables, efficiency and cross-cutting programmes. The national reports on the use of auctioning revenues, however, contain mistakes while there seems to be no frequent quality review at present. The summary report is available for download.

The objective of this assignment is to provide country specific and up-to-date information and analysis on the main national policies and measures in the 28 Member States relevant for the climate and energy objectives set out in the Europe 2020 Strategy, as well as for the Energy Union targets.