Forests play a significant role in many EU objectives for sustainable development such as combating climate change, preserving biodiversity and promoting a sustainable use of natural resources. The project aims at elaborating an EU-wide vision for forest protection by designing an effective Community approach to counter threats to forests across Member States. The final project report is available for download.

<p>&#13; The United States -- though the 2005 Energy Policy Act -- and the European Union -- through the European Energy Policy -- created incentives for expanding biofuel production and use.  On 24 May 2007, the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) convened a seminar in Brussels on "Transatlantic Approaches to Biofuels" and invited R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute to provide indight to sustainability and trade policy aspects.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; Higher energy costs, aging underground systems, increased demands for fewer public dollars, new knowledge about ecosystem services, and anxiety over the climate are causing authorities, experts and citizens in the US to take a fresh look at water infrastructure.</p>&#13;

<p> Combinations of electrical, information and communication technologies allow for &quot;Smart Grids&quot; to provide dynamic efficiency for power generation, transmission and distribution. Ecologic took the lead in preparing a Learning Centre on the state and promise of Smart Grids at the 15th Session of the UN Commission on Sustainable Development (CSD 15).</p>

<p> Every year, the Congressional Study Group on Germany brings together Members of U.S. Congress and members of the German Bundestag for a series of discussions on issues of mutual interest. The topics for 2007 included renewable energy, relations with China, the war in Afghanistan, and developments in Africa.&nbsp; R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic was invited by the United States Association of Former Members of Congress (USAFMC) to speak on renewable energy policies in the European Union.</p>

<p> Over the coming years, a trillion dollars worth of investment in water and sanitation infrastructure is needed in the United States of America.&nbsp; It is not clear how such investment can be financed, and those responsible in the USA are looking for institutional and organisational solutions.&nbsp; To this end, the US Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) and other held a conference on &quot;Paying for Sustainable Water Infrastructure&quot; in Atlanta, Georgia, on 21-23 March 2007.&nbsp; R. Andreas Kraemer presented the municipal structures for water supply and sewerage in Germany.</p>

Rural areas face a number of new challenges such as climate change, biodiversity loss and the increasing demand for biomass. In this project, a series of conferences with different themes and a wide range of actors will investigate new strategies for innovation in rural areas, compliant with environmentally friendly economic activities.

In the framework of the Integrated Energy and Climate Programme the German government is revising the law on renewable energies. Ecologic acts as a consultant to the the German Federal Ministry for the Environment focusing on legal questions relating to the Renewable-Energy-Sources-Act, the draft of a Renewable-Energy-Heat-Act, and technical and legal questions relating to biogas.

Naumann, Sandra and Anneke von Raggamby 2008: "Biosphere Reserve Schorfheide-Chorin", in: GEM-CON-BIO. Governance and Ecosystems Management for the Conservation of Biodiversity. Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 114-116.

Raggamby, Anneke von and Olympia Papadopoulou 2008: "A Review of Dissemination Activities in the Duration of the Project", in: GEM-CON-BIO. Governance and Ecosystems Management for the Conservation of Biodiversity. Thessaloniki: Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, 253-255.

This discussion paper outlines different options to design a standard-setting scheme that addresses these problems.

During the "E-World" event in Essen, Ecologic Institute's Wolfgang Urban gave a speech on the role of biomethan for the Federal Government's Energy Concept 2050. After shortly introducing the use options of biomethan, he presented political goals in this field, especially the Energy Concept 2050. In addition, he highlighted the possible contribution of biomethan to the achievement of these goals. Wolfgang Urban concluded his speech with suggestions for incentive tools regarding power and heat. The presentation slides are available for download.

The RADOST project aims at strengthening the adaptive capacity of the German Baltic Sea coastal region towards climate change by fostering the dialogue between science, industry, government and civil society. The Ecologic Institute coordinates this project and is responsible for the design, creation and maintenance of the project's website. In addition to providing information about the project, the website offers a newsletter, a forum and a press section. An extensive internal website area serves the networking of partners and the project management. It contains a document management system, photo galleries, decision-making tools and a joint calendar.

Braat. L et al. 2008: The Cost of Policy Inaction (COPI): The case of not meeting the 2010 biodiversity target. Alterra Wageningen University and Research; Institute for European Environmental Policy (IIEP); Ecologic; Fondazione Eni Enrico Mattei (FEEM); GHK; Milieu en Natuurplanbureau; United Nations Environmental Programme - World Conservation Monitoring Centre; Witteveen en Bos, Wageningen / Brussels, commissioned. ISBN: ENV.G.1/ETU/2007/0044.