This policy brief presents the SWITCH-ON toolbox that guides innovators to identify target markets and select a suitable business model consistently. This toolbox, called the Market Analysis Framework (MAF), has been applied by the developers of the 14 SWITCH-ON open data products and services, making it a tested and validated framework. By promoting demand-driven product development, the MAF can help European innovators increase their chances of achieving commercial success, ultimately contributing to the region's smarter, more sustainable, and more inclusive future economy. The Policy Brief No.1 is available for download.

This brief highlights the links between EU policy objectives and global targets for sustainable development, centring on aquatic ecosystems. It describes current research within the EU Horizon 2020 project AQUACROSS (Knowledge, Assessment and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS policies), focusing on an integrative approach – ecosystem-based management (EBM) of aquatic ecosystems – to understand and balance common social, economic, and environmental objectives towards a more sustainable future. The brief is available for download.

What can we learn from European best practices on the existing Monitoring & Verification schemes and coordination mechanisms in Europe? Can bottom-up methodologies contribute to a more reliable measurement and verification process? The first two policy briefs produced by the multEE project feature a set of policy recommendations, six on M&V schemes and five on coordination mechanisms, aimed at policy makers at different policy levels engaged in the development of effective and coherent energy efficiency policies. The recommendations reflect the conclusions from a broader "Synthesis report on European best practices for M&V schemes and coordination mechanisms" that, based on an initial mapping of existing M&V schemes and coordination mechanisms across Europe, identifies and analyses a vast array of Best Practice cases on M&V schemes and coordination models. The recommendations are available for download.

BASE Consortium 2016: Key Policy Issues in Implementing and Evaluating the EU Adaptation Strategy. BASE Policy Brief # 4.

The BONUS project SHEBA (Sustainable Shipping and Environment in the Baltic Sea region) held a workshop with participants from various shipping-related sectors. The workshop aimed to better understand the environmental pressures of shipping in the Baltic and how these impacts might change over time, as well as which policies and abatement technologies could be important in the future. The main findings of this stakeholder consultation are available for download.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. The policy brief is available for download.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. These policy mixes were designed to specifically address the use of virgin metals, the use of arable land and freshwater, the input of the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus and emissions of greenhouse gases. The policy brief is available for download.

As part of the DYNAMIX project, three policy reports that synthesised the assessments of three policy mixes (a land use policy mix; a metals and materials use policy mix; and an overarching policy mix) were written in order to support the pathway to absolute decoupling in the EU. The policy brief is available for download.

Hans Verkerk et. al. 2016: Planning for Climate Change: Society as a Key Player in River Basin Adaptation. [BeWater policy brief no.1]. The publication is available in English, Catalan, French, Arabic, and Slovenian.

Policy Brief no.3 examines the case of using Climate information Services to increase urban resilience, learning from the Danish experience with Cloudburst management. It is based on one of the detailed narratives carried out for the RECREATE project. The policy brief is available for download.

Jacob, Klaus et al. (2016): Handlungsbedarfe und Optionen für eine innovationsorientierte Ressourcenpolitik in planetaren Grenzen. PolRess Policy Papier.

This policy brief describes policy pathways for the evolution of the current EU climate policy mix. It defines combinations of instruments that have a reasonable chance of meeting the desired emissions targets. Policy pathways are defined based on three policy dimensions: 1) Carbon pricing, 2) Technology policies and 3) Behavioural Change promotion. Although each pathway focuses more attention in one type of instruments, all packages have a certain combination of the three policy dimensions to meet the targets. Finally, instruments to adapt EU climate policy to different international conditions are explored.

This CleanSea policy brief provides a critical review and assessment of potential measures to reduce marine litter. This brief focuses on existing economic instruments implemented in Europe. It points critical factors which influence the appropriateness and effectiveness of economic instruments. It also shows where the scope of current economic instruments could be expanded to explore their capacity to reduce marine litter. Such an evaluation of existing economic instruments to reduce marine litter is essential to furthering the necessary steps to achieve GES and sustainable marine ecosystem management. The policy brief is available for download.

This policy brief presents insights on the historical and future role of carbon pricing in the EU. The findings discussed are drawn from research undertaken by the CECILIA2050 and ENTRACTE projects.

The solar services sector sells the service of providing the use of solar electricity to its customer instead of selling solar PV systems (the product). This new business model can be seen as a radical innovation for the solar sector – as it is in other sectors. It is particularly interesting from the perspective of systemic eco-innovation fostering a carbon-free and circular economy. The policy brief is available for download.