On 30 April 2014, Ecologic Institute hosted an expert workshop on the significance of the European Commission's proposed new energy governance, focusing on options and implications for electricity infrastructure measures. Twenty-one participants including policy makers as well as representatives of civil society, academia and business discussed possible requirements of, approaches to, and effects of such new measures through a set of structured questions and impromptu presentations. The summary is available for download.

At the 5th World Congress of Environmental and Resource Economists, held in Istanbul 2014, the Ecologic Institue organised a policy session to discuss the perspectives of EU Climate Policy for 2030 and beyond. The session featured four distinguished panelists: Andreas Barkmann (European Environment Agency), Aldo Ravazzi (Italian Ministry of the Environment), Paul Ekins (University College London) and Andrew Błachowicz, moderated by Benjamin Görlach of the Ecologic Institute.

How are Member States in the EU implementing National Adaptation Strategies (NAS's)? How do their approaches differ, and what lessons can we learn? Using case studies from across Europe, this policy brief analyses processes for designing, implementing and reviewing NAS's. It identifies the positive role being played by the EU Adaptation Strategy in influencing NAS implementation, while also identifying shared challenges, including those related to short political timeframes and concretely realizing mainstreaming of climate adaptation into all sectors.

How can energy cooperatives contribute to energy transition in rural areas? In this study, Timo Kaphengst and Eike Velten examine the role of energy cooperatives for Sustainable Development, analyzing a case study in Northern Bavaria. The report is available for download.

From 23 June to 25 August 2014, the Arctic Summer College 2014 took place. Within 10 weekly webinars, various Arctic experts presented their knowledge. Each session ended with a discussion of the daily topic amongst all participants.

At a Trade Night on 19 June 2014, Steve Charnovitz shared his views on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and discussed with the audience the vision needed to create a TTIP that reaches beyond a simple trade agreement for reduced tariffs between the US and the EU. Steve Charnovitz is an Associate Professor of Law at The George Washington University Law School.

The Emerging Leaders in Environmental and Energy Policy Network (ELEEP) is a joint project of the Ecologic Institute and the Atlantic Council. Launched in fall 2011, ELEEP is a dynamic, membership-only forum for the exchange of ideas, policy solutions, best-practices, and professional development for early and mid-career American and European leaders working on environmental and energy issues. ELEEP currently has about 100 members, split between the US and the EU. Members debate topics of the day online and meet regularly for study tours and other face-to-face activities. ELEEP is financially supported by the European Union, the Robert Bosch Stiftung, and the Allianz Foundation for North America.

On 17 June 2014, a project workshop on 'Mainstreaming climate change into rural development policy post 2013' took place at the European Commission in Brussels. Organized by Ecologic Institute in cooperation with DG Climate Action, the workshop provided an opportunity to present and discuss the draft technical guidance for Member States on how to design and integrate new and innovative climate actions in rural development programs. All presentations are available for download.

After five years of research and dialog about climate change and adaptation along the German Baltic Sea coast, the RADOST project (Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast) presents its most important findings in this final report. Thanks to a joint effort between research institutions, businesses, public administrations, and civil society, adaptation strategies and measures were developed. The final report is available for download.

As a new element in the Ecologic Institute's long-standing cooperation with the Duke University in North Carolina, the Institute hosts a course on the German Energiewende. For the second time, the Ecologic Institute organizes this course as part of the 2014 Summer in Berlin program jointly organized by Duke University and Rutgers.

On 5 June 2014, the one-day conference "Climate Mitigation Requires Initiative – Conference on the Strategic Development of the NKI" took place in Berlin under the scope of the project "Strategic Development of the National Climate Initiative (NKI)". 150 participants from policy, business, scientific institutions, and civil society discussed and exchanged their views on the main focal points for the further development of the NKI. The presentation slides are available for download.

Kraemer, R. Andreas and Wenke Hansen 2001: "Kennzahlenvergleiche und Benchmarkingsysteme", in: Nachhaltige Wasserversorgung in Deutschland. Analyse und Vorschläge für eine zukunftsfähige Entwicklung. Berlin: Umweltbundesamt, 141-157.

Emissions trading promises the achievement of a pre-defined environmental outcome at least cost. If the system works and key assumptions hold, it would seem to be an "optimal" climate policy instrument. On closer inspection, however, it is less clear what constitutes an "optimal" climate policy. This paper argues that optimality involves a range of criteria beyond short-term economic efficiency, but also has to consider the longer-term dynamic efficiency, as well as the political, administrative and legal feasibility of policy instruments.