In order to enhance resource efficiency nationally and internationally the emerging political and societal debate needs to be analysed and fostered. The project aims to scientifically analyse this debate, to support it and to contribute impulses. To this end, inter alia policy options will be assessed and impulses to the debate will be developed.

The EPI-Water project aims to understand how Economic Policy Instruments (EPIs) succeed or fail in directing water resources to uses that reflect social value and priorities. The project, which runs from January 2011 to December 2013, uses a multi-faceted Assessment Framework (AF) to make ex-post evaluations of existing EPIs that have been operating in Europe and abroad, and make ex-ante evaluations of potential EPIs that may be implemented within Europe. The Review of the Assessment Framework is available for download.

<p>The Estonian Environmental Board organized a seminar on "Protected Areas as Part of Green Infrastructure" in connection with the annual EuroParc Nordic-Baltic Section Member Meeting. McKenna Davis spoke about the design, implementation and cost elements associated with green infrastructure projects. Attendees included representatives of the European Commission and Baltic and Nordic national parks, environmental ministries, nature conservation agencies and environmental NGOs.</p>

The EPI-Water project applies an evidence-based approach to the assessment of Economic Policy Instruments (EPIs) for water management. In this report, the 30 ex-post case study reviews undertaken in the work package 3 of the project are synthesized and cross-compared to extract a first set of common features and formulate hypotheses about the conditions under which EPIs contribute to policy options to achieve sustainable water management.

A workshop co-organized by Ecologic Institute in Annapolis, Maryland investigated how the public's view of climate change can influence local government's ability to adapt to climate change. It was a part of the exchange activities of the RADOST project (Regional Adaptation Strategies for the German Baltic Sea Coast) with partner regions in the USA. The examples provided at the workshop focused on the coastal zones of the US state of Maryland and the German federal state of Schleswig-Holstein.

In this paper, researchers from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Ecologic Institute propose that a more decentralized governance structure is one possible solution for dealing with complex problems. The authors argue that highly complex problems, such as achieving sustainable development, are better solved by networks of diverse actors interacting and collaborating both inside and outside of government - what the authors call "governance networks". Such collaboration would make solutions more effective at the implementation stage. The report is available for download.

A policy mix consisting of regulatory and economic instruments can be very powerful in implementing and enforcing policies to address direct effluent emissions, as illustrated by this case study conducted by Ecologic Institute under WP3 of the FP7 EPI-Water project. In order to reduce point source pollution, several instruments were introduced in Germany throughout the years. The study is available for download.

This case study conducted by Ecologic Institute analyzes the policy mix of economic and regulatory instruments introduced in the German state of Baden-Württemberg in order to address two key water management problems: excessive nitrate concentrations in groundwater and unsustainable water abstraction. Three different policy instruments have been applied: the Regulation on Protected Areas and Compensatory Payments (SchALVO) introduced in 1988 (a regulatory and economic instrument), water abstraction charges, and Market Relief and Cultural Landscape Compensation for farmers (MEKA), a voluntary instrument introduced in 1992. The study is available for download.

This case study on green hydropower, conducted by Ecologic Institute, illustrates a novel application of economic policy instruments in European water management. Hydropower in Switzerland accounts for about 59 % of the electricity supply. While hydropower is already considered a green energy, the sector's "green" potential has increased with the introduction of a new label certification scheme. The study is available for download.

In this research project for the Federal Environment Agency, Ecologic Institute develops specific proposals for governance of geoengineering at the international level. Based on a comprehensive analysis of regulatory framework and its gaps, the study identifies general options and specific recommended actions for the effective governance of geoengineering. A key consideration is that the recommendations can be implemented in practice.