Ecologic paper discusses potential implications of TTIP on the (re-)municipalisation of energy services and community power projects.

On 22 October 2013, Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, moderated a discussion on the planned Energiewende Act for Berlin with about 90 representatives taking part, from business, policy, and administration, in Berlin City Hall. This was the second event on an Energiewende Act for Berlin organized by the Senate Department for Urban Development and the Environment. A summary of the discussion is available for download.

The water and wastewater sectors face tremendous challenges to assure safe, cost-effective, and sustainable water supply and sanitation services. Detecting and treating emerging pollutants has become a critical need in these sectors. Innovative technologies could hold the key to solving these challenges. To support the market penetration and broader application of innovative methods and technologies in the water and wastewater sectors, DEMEAU cooperates with relevant policy makers, regulators, and standardisation bodies as well as with technology producers and users on the national and EU level. The DEMEAU newsletter delivers insights and shares developments within the DEMEAU FP7 project.

This survey of Dominik Müller, Senior Analyst at Ecologic Institute, describes the regulatory and policy framework for the promotion of renewable energies in Germany as amended by the "Energiewende" announced by the German Federal Government in the wake of the Fukushima nuclear power plant disaster. The article focuses on changes in the electricity sector chiefly through fundamental amendments of the Renewable Energies Sources Act ("Erneuerbare-Energien-Gesetz – EEG") since 2011. Moreover, the article also discusses the political and regulatory situation for the use of renewable energies in the heat and transport sectors in Germany.

Agriculture provides substantial ecosystem services which lead to several benefits that humans derive from nature. This report examines the quantitative connection between provisioning agro-ecosystem services in terms of food, feed, fibers, and fuel supply and the ecological demands of these ecosystems. Energy balances of agro-ecosystems as well as different biophysical structures and processes were applied to quantify the relationship between these different services. Moreover, trade-offs between provisioning and other ecosystem services such as regulating and cultural services are discussed.

ELEEP is a dynamic, membership-only forum for the exchange of ideas, policy solutions, best-practices and professional development for early and mid-career North American and European leaders working on environmental and energy issues. Ecologic Institute developed ELEEP's website which offers a place for ELEEP members to interactively exchange information in a blog, register for ELEEP study tours, get news about ELEEP and join online events. The website also contains a dynamic map displaying the origins of ELEEP's fellows and alumni.

Human-caused marine pollution presents an increasing threat to biological diversity. This kick-off event of the event series entitled "Biodiversity - local/global" depicts the dangers. In his presentation R. Andreas Kraemer, Founding Director and CEO of Ecologic Institute, describes the extent of the global marine pollution and it's effects on the diversity of marine life. The video references are available online.

Görlach, Benjamin. 2013. What constitutes an optimal climate policy mix? Defining the concept of optimality, including political and legal framework conditions. CECILIA2050 WP1 Deliverable 1.1. Berlin: Ecologic Institute.

Hsia, Renee Yuen-Jan; Charles Lui; Tanja Srebotnjak and Judith Maselli 2013: "Do Emergency Department Closures have Ripple Effects on Surrounding Communities?: An Analysis of Closures on Inpatient Mortality for All-Comers in California, 1999-2010". Annals of Emergency Medicine, Vol. 62, No. 4, 157.

Görlach, Benjamin; Homann, Gesa; Wawer, Tim. 2013. Country report: Germany. Contribution to CECILIA2050 Deliverable 1.2: Review of the existing instrument mix at EU level and in selected Member States. Berlin: Ecologic Institute

Ecologic Institute initially supported the Federal Environment Ministry (BMU) and since the beginning of 2014 the Federal Ministry of Economics (BMWi) in the preparation and implementation of networking meetings and workshops in the field of renewable energies. During the events new findings from research projects funded by the ministries are presented to national and subnational policy-makers as well as to other scientists.

Ecologic Institute and BIO IS were commissioned by the European Parliament to investigate the potential impacts of the Transatlantic Trade and Investment Partnership (TTIP) on the EU's environmental and food safety policies and the EU's right to regulate. TTIP is currently being negotiated between the US and the EU. The study provides recommendations regarding the role of the European Parliament in the negotiation of TTIP. The study is available for download.