Policy makers from Middle and Eastern Europe as well as from developing countries visited Germany to co-operate on issues of environmental technology transfer. Representatives from the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the German Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) met foreign partners and other stakeholders of the environmental technology transfer in conferences, workshops etc.

During the European Maritime Day (EMD) more than 1000 participants from politics, economy, science, and NGOs, the seventh EMD centered on the question of sustainable use of seas and oceans. Ecologic Institute, presented by Dr. Grit Martinez, Susanne Altvater, and Dr. Nico Stelljes presented research results and discussed the results with locals from Bremen and the surrounding region.

Over 25 members of the ELEEP Network met in Brussels and The Netherlands from 14 until 18 May 2014. The Members engaged in a variety of activities, with a specific focus on discussing the organizational and substantive evolution of the ELEEP Network. This face-to-face consideration of how to implement an action-oriented, policy-relevant network – that remains both professionally and personally rewarding – will inform an ongoing discussion of ELEEP’s next steps with the two coordinating organizations (Ecologic Institute and Atlantic Council), as well as the rest of the members in the ELEEP network, over the coming months.

The ECONADAPT project, on the Economics of Adaptation, was a research project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Recognizing that there is an economic rationale for climate change adaptation, the ECONADAPT project set out to advance the knowledge and evidence base on the economics of adaptation and to develop practical material to support decision making processes. ECONADAPT applied adaptation economics in several decision making scenarios that could require economic information including risk management, project appraisal, impact assessments and planning processes. Throughout the project innovative methods were co-developed and tested in a participative way with diverse stakeholders engaged in adaptation policy at multiple governance scales.

Fertile land areas to produce agricultural and forestry products are globally only available in a limited amount. The land footprint is a suitable indicator in order to assist the analysis of global land use related to consumption of a country or region and to monitor land use. Within this study a review of land flow studies and accounting methodologies is undertaken in order to elaborate recommendation for the methodology of future land footprint calculations. However, the land footprint is as an area-based indicator and unable to illustrate a large number of land-related environmental issues. The project therefore also provides an overview and discussion on possible environmental impact oriented indicators. Finally, the project team undertakes a calculation of possible indicators for the case of Germany based on the developed recommendations.

At the European Maritime Day in Bremen (EMD) on 20 May Dr. Grit Martinez, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute presented the first results of a multidisciplinary research endeavor on socio-cultural aspects regarding resilience, preparedness and action to risks at European coast. The research is part of the EU FP7 Collaborative project RISC-KIT (Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts-Toolkit, duration 2013-2017).

"Loss and damage – what can the new mechanism offer?" was the topic of the 26th Climate Talk on 7 April 2014. The event, jointly organised by the Ecologic Institute and the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), featured guest speakers Ilka Wagner (BMUB), Sabine Minninger (Brot für die Welt) and Sönke Kreft (Germanwatch).

Determining environmental impacts of products is complex. In this study, BIO IS, the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP) and the Ecologic Institute investigated approaches for verifying that claims made by companies on the environmental properties of products or their own overall environmental performance are correct. The study was commissioned by the European Commission, DG Environment. The Ecologic Institute contributed an analysis on the law of the World Trade Organziation as far as relevant for related policy measures. The report is available for download.

The Ecologic Institute continues to be actively involved in the debate on the ongoing negotiations on the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) and its environmental impact. On 23 April 2014, Max Grünig, Senior Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, participated as a panelist in a stakeholder forum on TTIP in Washington D.C. The presentation slides are available for download.

<p>The LIFE Regulation for 2014 - 2020 allows for the first time the use of financial instruments. Three options for a financial instrument part funded via the LIFE Climate Action sub-programme are discussed in the project. An in-depth assessment of the options is required. As options financing instruments for mitigation and climate adaptation are covered, including a flexible loans and guarantee facility for energy efficiency and a technical assistance facility.</p>

Sustainable water management under climate change is an urgent challenge for the Euro-Mediterranean region. The BeWater FP7 project supports a transition to stakeholder-driven river basin water management planning in this region by working together with local partners and stakeholders. A highly participatory approach is utilized to develop river basin adaptation plans in four case study regions, which can then serve to guide the development of additional plans throughout the Mediterranean.