Meyer-Ohlendorf, Nils and Arne Riedel 2016: Erhöhte Absetzbarkeit von Klimaschutzinvestitionen – den alten § 7d EStG neu fassen? Kurzstudie im Rahmen des Projekts "Rahmen für Klimaschutzinvestitionen". Ecologic Institute: Berlin.

Ecologic Institute analyzes to what extent Germany's income and cooperate tax rules promote climate protection. In this context, Ecologic Institute presents proposals for reforming Germany's income tax law. The analysis and the proposal are available for download. This analysis is part of project carried out in cooperation with Oeko-Institut, BCC GmbH, Prof. Janine Wendt (TU Darmstadt) und Prof. Domenik Wendt (Frankfurt University of Applied Sciences). Next to tax rules, the project analyses whether financial market rules and cooperate laws incentives investment in climate protection.

The project "Rural Urban Nexus – Global Land Use and Urbanisation" is developing approaches and policy recommendations directed at an integrated and sustainable rural and urban development.

In implementing the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), Germany has to deal with a range of new challenges. Achieving goals in land and soil protection, for example, cannot build on a long tradition of policymaking or on a solid basis of information and data for monitoring. An expert workshop together with the Federal Agency of Environment (UBA) and Federal Ministry of Environment (BMUB) on 6 July 2016 in Berlin sought to clarify how Germany can achieve "land degradation neutrality" domestically. Stephanie Wunder from Ecologic Institute presented results from a report, which served as the basis for intensive discussions among the participants.

Delicately fragranced rose blossoms. Dew drops sparkling on leaves. Buzzing bees, fluttering butterflies and a basket of homegrown fruits and aromatic herbs. Gardening is a sensual experience - a pleasure and a joy. Or, at least, as long as everything goes according to plan. When the roses are infested with vine lice, the tomatoes rot and the dainty white butterfly turns out to be the malicious Pieris brassicae, a relaxing hobby can quickly become a source of stress and a bitter battle against pests and disease. The brochure is available for download.

Did you know that ladybirds, green lacewings, ichneumon wasps and other beneficial insects can be purchased in small packets to fight pests in your garden? Information on this and lots of other eco-friendly measures to apply in private gardens can now be found on the UBA internet portal "Pflanzenschutz im Garten". Alternative and preventative measures are the main focus, although environmentally-relevant side effects caused by chemical pesticides are also considered. Ecologic Institute led the conceptualisation and portal content management sections of the project, as well as the production of a comprehensive brochure.

The ECONADAPT project website advances the knowledge and evidence base on the economics of adaptation, and converts the findings into practical material to support decision-making. Innovative methods were co-developed and tested in a participative way with a diverse user groups engaged in adaptation policy at multiple governance scales. The results and findings from the project brought together in a toolbox.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. The policy brief is available for download.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. These policy mixes were designed to specifically address the use of virgin metals, the use of arable land and freshwater, the input of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus and emissions of greenhouse gases. The policy brief is available for download.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. The policy brief is available for download.

Reaching an emissions pathway consistent with the Paris Agreement requires a transformation of the economy and entails significant public and private expenditure. Auctioning revenue generated by the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) could contribute a critical share of this funding. Ecologic Institute was tasked by WWF European Policy Office (EPO) to execute a series of studies on how auctioning revenues are used by EU Member States for climate finance and what impact proposed reforms to the instrument may have going forward. The key aims of the project are to show the use of auctioning revenues by Member States and assess how reforms to the EU ETS affect auctioning revenues and use.

Ecologic Institute supported the German Environment Agency in hosting the Conference "Decarbonization and Resource Efficiency – 100% Renewable Energy and more," which took place on 8 November 2016 at the "Ludwig Erhard Haus" in Berlin. The conference highlighted synergies and ways to minimize trade-offs between decarbonization and dematerialization policies.

This brief highlights the links between EU policy objectives and global targets for sustainable development, centring on aquatic ecosystems. It describes current research within the EU Horizon 2020 project AQUACROSS (Knowledge, Assessment and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS policies), focusing on an integrative approach – ecosystem-based management (EBM) of aquatic ecosystems – to understand and balance common social, economic, and environmental objectives towards a more sustainable future. The brief is available for download.

During the first period of the Forum Fish Protection and Downstream Fish Migration, more than 200 people from different fields, such as water management and nature conservation by the states and the federal government, the federal waterway administration and transport development, the energy industry, the water engineering, fishery biology, nature conservation, fishery and fishery associations and the university science were involved. In the second cycle of the Forum from 2015 to 2018, three two-day events were held to deepen the statements of the first cycle and to continue the constructive dialogue.

What can we learn from European best practices on the existing Monitoring & Verification schemes and coordination mechanisms in Europe? Can bottom-up methodologies contribute to a more reliable measurement and verification process? The first two policy briefs produced by the multEE project feature a set of policy recommendations, six on M&V schemes and five on coordination mechanisms, aimed at policy makers at different policy levels engaged in the development of effective and coherent energy efficiency policies. The recommendations reflect the conclusions from a broader "Synthesis report on European best practices for M&V schemes and coordination mechanisms" that, based on an initial mapping of existing M&V schemes and coordination mechanisms across Europe, identifies and analyses a vast array of Best Practice cases on M&V schemes and coordination models. The recommendations are available for download.