Projects

Project
 
Tackling methane emissions is critical for the EU to meet its climate targets for 2030. The EU Methane Emission Regulation (EU-MER) is a key tool to achieve these reductions. However, countries like Romania and Czechia face significant implementation challenges. This project seeks to accelerate methane reductions in Romania and Czechia by enhancing the implementation of the EU-MER.

Implementing the EU Methane Emission Regulation in Czechia and in Romania

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The revised EU Environmental Crime Directive (ECD) requires Member States to punish ecocide-like consequences of an environmental criminal offence as a qualified criminal offence. On behalf of Stop Ecocide Germany, Ecologic Institute is investigating how this new regulation can be transposed into German criminal law.

Transposition of the EU 'Ecocide' Provision into German Criminal Law

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The marine Arctic is facing rapidly changing environmental conditions that are likely to require improved and adaptive management tools to protect its specialized ecosystems. Together with the Kiel Institute for the World Economy (IfW Kiel) and the Research Institute for Sustainability, Helmholtz Center Potsdam (RIFS), Ecologic institute conducts research for the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, supported by the Federal Ministry for Environment (BMUV), on potential new dynamics of Arctic marine protection and adaptive management from different angles.

Dynamic Protection and Adaptive Management – Arctic marine protection facing climate change (DynArc)

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Ecologic Institute supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUV) in preparing the ratification of the so-called BBNJ Agreement and the related German implementing laws. The BBNJ Agreement of June 2023 is a UN treaty and the first multilateral legal framework for the protection of biodiversity on the high seas. Ecologic Institute identifies the obligations for Germany and which of them require new legislation, and drafts legal proposals for implementing provisions.

Implementing Legislation for the BBNJ Agreement

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Oeko-Institut and Ecologic Institute are jointly supporting the Federal Agency for Nature Conservation (Bundesamt für Naturschutz – BfN) in the necessary further development of environmental legislation at federal level in line with the objectives of the new NBS 2030 and the EU-BDS. The aim of this project is to identify existing deficits in national biodiversity protection and to develop proposals for improvement.

Legal Options for Biodiversity Protection

Implementation of the National Strategy on Biodiversity 2030 (NBS 2030)

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As part of the implementation of its NDC, the Chinese government is focusing on further developing its climate legislation. According to recent developments, China plans to develop an environmental code with a chapter on climate. The Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports the Chinese side by strengthening exchange between experts and stakeholders from the two countries and providing information on German and EU experience in this field. In this context, Ecologic Institute will conduct two studies on German and European climate legislation, one of them focusing on the structure of climate-related laws and their relationship to environmental laws.

Analyses of German and European Climate Law Structure

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Ecologic Institute is conducting a review of the current sanctions regime in emissions trading for the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) and making proposals for improvements to enforcement and the legal situation. The focus of the project is on administrative offence law.

Efficient Enforcement of Sanctions in Emissions Trading Law

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Ecologic Legal is supporting the German Federal Foreign Office in the international climate negotiations, particularly on the identification and analysis of German, EU and international negotiation positions. This project builds on previous work conducted in the projects on "Scientific and Legal and Support of the Climate Negotiations".

Scientific and Legal Support of the Climate Negotiations

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In a project for the European Climate Foundation (ECF), Ecologic Institute assesses the implementation status and the quality of the national implementing measures of selected provisions of these EU laws in six Member States. Ecologic Institute conducts country fiches on Austria, Bulgaria, France, Germany and Spain, while Reform Institute conducts a country fiche on Poland. The project aims at getting a picture of the challenges of a timely and adequate implementation, also with a view to the recent amendments of the EU legislation within the "Fit for 55" package.

Analysis of the Implementation of EU Provisions for the Clean Energy Transition in Selected Member States

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Ecologic Legal is supporting the German Federal Foreign Office in the international climate negotiations, particularly on the identification and analysis of German, EU and international negotiation positions. This project builds on previous work conducted in the projects on "Scientific and Legal and Support of the Climate Negotiations".

Scientific and Legal Support of the Climate Negotiations

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Ecologic Institute and the Oeko-Institute have launched a project to analyse the ambition level of the 2040 target. The project also examines the impacts of a new 2040 target on EU Member States, sectors, and instruments.

EU 2040 Climate Target

Level of ambition and implications

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The aim of the project is to discuss the current state of knowledge and future role of environmental provisions in free trade agreements. The focus is particularly on a literature review of the last ten years, as well as the (legal) analysis of a global selection of free trade agreements.

Environmental Provisions in Free Trade Agreements

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As part of the implementation of its NDC, the Chinese government is focusing on further developing its climate legislation, which includes the design of a Chinese climate legislation framework. Through the climate legislation workstream of the project "Sino-German Cooperation on Climate Change – Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC)", the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) supports the Chinese side by strengthening exchange between experts and stakeholders from the two countries and providing information on German and EU experience in this field.

Three Studies on German Climate Legislation and Climate Law

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The transition to renewable energies and persistent bottlenecks in the German transmission grid represent key challenges for the German electricity supply system in terms of the need for security of supply. A so-called capacity mechanism could be an important solution to this. On behalf of the four German transmission system operators (TSOs) Amprion GmbH, TenneT TSO GmbH, 50Hertz Transmission GmbH and TransnetBW GmbH, the foundations of a capacity mechanism for the German electricity market that is compatible with the European legal framework for the energy market and European state aid law are therefore to be developed. In an interdisciplinary research team led by Consentec, the Ecologic Institute is responsible for examining energy law issues in the project.

Development of a Capacity Mechanism for the German Electricity Market

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In this project, Ecologic Institute, Öko-Institut and Schnittstelle Boden develop legal options for revising the German Federal Soil Act and draft potential corresponding amendments. This is one of the objectives in the German Government's 2021 Coalition Agreement and the research is funded by the German Environment Agency.

Revising Federal Soil Protection Law

Legal options and drafting for amending the Federal Soil Protection Act

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Project
 
The Covid-19 pandemic and, most recently, the war that has erupted in Ukraine have shown that such crises can have a major impact on European emissions trading. This raises the central question: Can and must the European emissions trading system become more crisis-proof? In the present project, concrete crisis scenarios are developed that could put a strain on the European emissions trading system (EU ETS). This is followed by an analysis of the possibilities that the existing laws and regulations offer for reacting to such crises. The further aim of the project is to show ways to improve the handling of crises within the trading system.

Crisis Resilience of the European Trading System

Legal report for the German Emissions Trading Authority (DEHSt) at the German Environment Agency

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Project
 
In the course of the "European Green Deal", the greenhouse gas emission allowances cap in the European Emissions Trading Scheme (EU-ETS) was tightened in order to achieve the set target of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990 levels by 2030. This leads to a higher risk of relocation of production sites to locations outside the EU ETS (so-called carbon leakage) by energy-intensive industries. The European Green Deal therefore considers a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism (CBAM). This mechanism is intended both to counteract the relocation of production sites and to promote the decarbonisation of CO2-intensive industry. The EU Commission presented a regulatory proposal for the introduction of such a mechanism on 14 July 2021. Within the framework of the research project, the possibilities of a CO2 compensation mechanism (CBAM) that is permissible under international, trade and European law is investigated, evaluated and presented. The work was carried out jointly by a consortium consisting of Ecologic Institute, Oeko-Institut and Prof. Dr. Michael Mehling.

Legal Admissibility and Consequences of Regulating a Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism in the EU-ETS

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Climate lawsuits have become a frequently chosen tool in the fight for more ambitious climate policies in recent years. In the extensive reporting on this topic, one aspect has so far been neglected: the differences between the jurisprudence in the Global South and the Global North. To address the related issues, Verfassungsblog, Völkerrechtsblog and the journal World Comparative Law (WCL) in cooperation with the Ecologic Institute are organizing an online symposium on the subject of "Comparative Climate Litigation in North-South Perspective".

Comparative Climate Litigation in North-South Perspective

Online Symposium

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute, together with the Oeko-Institut and Prof. Dr. Klinski of the HWR Berlin, supports the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) in the preparation of negotiations at the EU level, the implementation of EU law, and the further development of the national legal framework. The support is provided by elaborating legal issues including economic and other effects as well as by ad hoc analyses.

Legal Support for the Implementation of the New EU Climate Target and the Further Development of Climate Protection Law

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Against the backdrop of global supply chains, global environmental crises and climate change, the discussion on interrelations between trade and sustainability has increasingly come to the fore. Ecologic Institute supports the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) in developing politically enforceable options to strengthen sustainability obligations in trade agreements.

Germany's Positioning on the Further Development of Trade Policy under Sustainablity Aspects

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Plastic pollution has become one of the most pressing environmental issues. Calls for a global treaty to tackle plastic pollution have increased over the last years, discussions will continue at the next sessions of the UN Environment Assembly in February 2022. After the Ad Hoc Open-Ended Expert Group on Marine Litter and Microplastics concluded its work in November 2020, various countries have started to prepare positions and forge alliances in preparation of these pending discussions.

A Global Treaty on Plastic Pollution – Perspectives from Asia

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In 2019, the EU and the countries of the South American trade bloc Mercosur concluded negotiations on a trade agreement. The negotiated text of the agreement includes a chapter on trade and sustainability. The rules on forest protection are weak, however, and the agreement does not provide for sanctions for violations of sustainability-related commitments, either. Against this backdrop, Ralph Bodle and Christiane Gerstetter, both Senior Fellows at the Ecologic Institute, analyse legal options for strengthening forest protection in the agreement. The legal analysis was compiled on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMU).

Options for Stronger Forest Protection in the EU-Mercosur Trade Agreement

Legal analysis

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Project
 
Ecologic Institute, together with partners, will develop recommendations on how environmental offences can be better prevented in Germany through deterrent sanctions. The project first investigates at a theoretical level under which conditions a certain sanction, such as a prison sentence, has a deterrent effect against environmental law violations. These theoretical considerations are substantiated by means of case studies on illegal waste disposal and disposal of waste by ships on the sea. On this basis, the research team will develop recommendations for policies as well as practical measures to improve enforcement.

Criminal and other Sanctions in Environmental Law

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This research project explored whether strengthening the concept of extended product responsibility in international law has the potential of noticeably improving waste management in the Global South. The concept of Extended Producer Responsibility (EPR) aimed at taking into account waste management issues during the entire life cycle of a product (cradle-to-grave approach). Its main purpose was to reduce the costs of waste management for local authorities and taxpayers, while at the same time providing incentives for producers to design their products so that they are easier to recycle and dispose of in an environmentally sound manner, generating less waste overall.

Anchoring Extended Producer Responsibility in International Law

Potential and Options

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In order to reduce air pollution, especially in large cities, Vietnam is discussing the introduction of air quality planning and an integrated permit system as part of the revision of its Law on Environmental Protection. Together with the Independent Institute for Environmental Issues, Ecologic Institute supports the legislative process and develops guidelines for the subsequent implementation of the two instruments.

Air Quality Planning and Control of Industrial Emissions in Vietnam

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In the project "Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin.", the Ecornet Berlin research network pursued the goal of expanding Berlin's pioneering role in innovative approaches for a liveable, climate-neutral and resource-efficient city. Therefore, the research network focused on the existing strengths and diversity of Berlin, but also on the existing ecological and social challenges. The goal was to expand Berlin's pioneering role in the development of innovative approaches in an innovatively way. To this end, the associated institutes worked on several projects in the thematic fields of social climate transformation, sustainable economies and digitalization.

Knowledge. Transformation. Berlin – Transdisciplinary research for a social and ecological metropolis

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Project
 
Without a thorough transformation in the transport sector, the energy transition will not succeed. On the one hand, emissions caused by mobility must be significantly reduced. On the other hand, the two sectors of transport and energy need to be linked. Lower Saxony, where the dominance of car traffic is more pronounced than in other German regions, has initiated many sustainable mobility projects in recent years. Now it is a matter of spreading the word on new mobility concepts. To contribute to this broader goal, the WenaMoNi project carries out a comprehensive cross-sectoral analysis in the field of sustainable mobility in Lower Saxony and then identifies opportunities and obstacles.

New Approaches to Sustainable Mobility in Lower Saxony (WenaMoNi)

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Environmental law is only effective if people comply with it. In order to improve compliance assurance of (European) environmental law, an action plan has been adopted at European level. Studies show that compliance with environmental law must also be improved in Germany. Following-up on these ideas, the Ecologic Institute, in cooperation with its partners (GAF AG and Dr. Aron Buzogány), puts them into practice in the project "Legal and technical review of selected questions of compliance assurance at European and national level".

Ensuring Environmental Protection: Perspectives for improving environmental compliance assurance in Germany

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Air pollution is becoming a pressing issue, especially in Vietnam's bigger cities. The Ecologic Institute supports the Vietnamese government in its current revision of the Law on Environmental Protection by researching international experience and providing tailored solutions for the Vietnamese context.

Air Quality Management in Vietnam

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Project
 
In this project, Ecologic Institute created a 40-page overview of climate protection laws in Europe and their potential contribution to the discussion of a German climate protection law. The overview addresses the interested public through clear language with as few technical terms as possible. The overview is available for download.

Learning from Neighbours – Climate Protection Laws in Europe

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Project
 
In the current debate about a Federal Climate Change Act, people often overlook that in Germany about half of the federal states already have a climate change law as a comprehensive legal framework. On behalf of WWF Germany, Ecologic Institute compiled an overview over core elements of federal climate change laws and their impact on a potential Federal Climate Change Act.

Climate Change Laws of Germany's Federal States

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Project
 
Combating plastic litter on land and in water is one of the major challenges of global environmental protection. As part of its plastics strategy, the EU will adopt a directive to restrict the use of several disposable plastic products and fishing gear. On behalf of the German Environment Agency, Ecologic Institute and s.Pro assessed legal questions and investigated appropriate measures to implement the Extended Producer Responsibility that the Directive in the Member States for selected product groups.

The EU Directive on Disposable Plastics and Fishing Gear

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The Climate Action Plan 2050 represents Germany's long-term strategy for climate protection against the background of the Paris Agreement. Within the framework of this project, Ecologic Institute, together with the Oeko-Institut and Prof. Dr. Klinski of the HWR Berlin, supports the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in its work to implement, concretize and update the Climate Action Plan. The predominantly legal, but also partly economic and social scientific support is provided in particular for the development of the Climate Action Programme 2030 and for the legal anchoring and further development of the measures envisaged therein.

Legal Support for the Climate Action Plan and its Implementation

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Ecologic Institute is working with Öko-Institut and Prof. Dr. Klinski on a project for the Federal Environmental Agency (UBA) relating to constitutional, European law and state aid issues for the development of the European Emission Trading Directive. Ecologic Institute's contribution focusses on the interactions of the ETS Directive and further EU legislative acts with a potential Federal Climate Change Act.

Further Development of the European Emission Trading Directive

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Plastic pollution of the world's oceans is a quickly growing environmental problem. A number of international instruments and treaties are trying to address the problem, but the growing amount of plastic waste that is polluting our seas shows these are insufficient. On behalf of WWF, the project team from adelphi and Ecologic Institute thus compiled a report on gaps in global plastic governance and developed options for the design of a legally binding agreement to eliminate further marine plastic pollution.

"No more Plastics in the Oceans": Designing a legally binding global plastic convention

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In the Arctic, increasing economic activities such as shipping and tourism as well as exploration and extraction of mineral resources are meeting unique, protected nature and harsh environmental conditions. In addition, the effects of climate change are much more perceptible in the Arctic than in other regions of the world. Air and water temperatures have risen faster than the global average in recent decades. The changes in the region also have an impact on the rest of the world. For example, melting continental ice masses contributes to rising sea levels and releasing methane from thawing permafrost soils contributes to global warming.

Environmental Guidelines for a German Arctic Policy

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Project
 
<p>Journalists, like the general public, often wrestle with the complex scientific foundations, politics and economics of climate change and its solutions. The Climate Change Summer School for Journalists addressed this very challenge with the primary aim of improving media coverage around the implementation of the Paris Agreement. Seventeen journalists from Africa, Asia and Latin America and the Caribbean participated in the ten-day training course. An overview of the articles and documentaries from journalists involved is available online.</p>&#13;&#13;&#13;

Climate Change Summer School for Journalists 2017

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Soil degradation has been on the international political agenda for several years. This development is also reflected in the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) adopted in September 2015. In order to achieve these globally, international soil protection law must be further developed. Ecologic Institute will, together with its partners, develop recommendations on the basis of an analysis of existing instruments and institutions within the framework of this project.

Further Development of the International Soil Protection Law

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The objective of this project is to provide clarity on the legal nature of the allowances traded in the the EU Emission Trading System. This exludes international carbon units (e.g. assigned amount units (AAUs), certified emission reductions (CERs), emission reduction units (ERUs)) pursuant to the Kyoto Protocol to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Legal Nature of EU ETS Allowances

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Resource extraction has often significant impacts on the environment. Ecologic Institute analyses for the German Federal Environment Agency governance instruments which can foster, establish and enforce global standards for environmentally sound raw material extraction. The project assesses international treaties, international customary law and non-binding international instruments, as well as European and national instruments with extraterritorial effect. Based on this assessment, Ecologic Institute develops recommendations how existing instruments could be improved or new approaches could be developed. The study covers abiotic raw materials (metals and ore, other minerals and fossil raw materials) and their extraction, treatment, transport and processing.

International Governance for Environmentally Sound Supply of Raw Materials (InGoRo)

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From the 26 until 30 September 2016, the 17th meeting of the Conference of the Parties of the "Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species" (CITES COP 17) took place in Johannesburg South Africa. Since CITES entered into force in 1975, such meetings are held every three years to review progress in the conservation of target species and consider adopting proposals to amend this list and improve Convention effectiveness. Given the recent accession of the European Union to CITES in April 2015 and the aims noted above, Ecologic Institute was commissioned by the European Parliament under an existing framework contract to prepare a briefing to the European Parliament’s Committee on Environment, Public Health and Food Safety (ENVI). The briefing is available for download.

Briefing for the Convention on International Trade in Endangered Species (CITES)

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The research project’s objective is to provide a legal and political science perspective to the Federal Government’s efforts to anchor the protection of resources more strongly at the international level. The project analyses how public international law and other international governance mechanisms can contribute to making the utilisation of resources more efficient and reducing resource consumption.

Options Under Public International Law to Increase Resource Efficiency

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On 30 October 2016 Canada and the EU signed CETA. Ratification of the agreement will be the next step. Ecologic Institute analysed the environmental implications of regulatory cooperation under CETA. The analysis is available for download.

CETA Impacts on the Environment

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Ecologic Institute provides a legal assessment of whether German law is suitable to achieve the sustainable development goal "land degradation neutral word" (LDN) by 2030, and recommends options for improvement. The project also compiles key insights and lessons learned, in English, as a contribution to the international discussion on implementing LDN. The project results are discussed in an international workshop.

Legal Instruments for Implementing and Achieving Land and Soil-Related SDGs

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The international negotiations on the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) currently mainly focus on the design of the future climate regime. Ecologic Legal provides expert advice to the German Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Conservation, Construction and Nuclear Safety, especially on the development and assessment of German and EU positions. The project builds on the work of the earlier project "Further legal and institutional aspects of the international post-2012-climate negotiations."

Legal and Institutional Aspects of the Future Climate Regime

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The update on climate geoengineering in the relation to the Convention on Biological Diversity addresses the potential impacts of climate geoengineering and examines the regulatory framework. Chapter 6 "Policy and Regulatory Framework" of the updated report shows the regulatory status at the time of the previous Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD (2012)) and then demonstrates the recent developments of the regulatory framework in the light of the London Convention/London Protocol and OSPAR Convention. Finally, the relevant discussions in recent reports and literature are demonstrated concerning both general principles and cross-cutting issues.

Update of the Regulatory Framework for Climate-related Geoengineering Relevant to the CBD

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Ecologic Institute provides legal counsel to support the reform of the regulatory mechanism of the Trust Fund Adminsitrative Agreement by the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development. By providing scientific studies, advisory papers and expert assessments on the reform of the development policy Trust Fund of the World Bank the project is continuously assisting the reform process.

Legal Counsel on World Bank Trust Funds

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Project
 
In the summer of 2015 politicians and environmental representatives worldwide prepared themselves for the climate conference in Paris (COP21). The target was to dismiss a binding international climate protection agreement. However, the thematic complexity and conference language are often only understood by experts in detail. The Ecologic Institute organized a 9-day training course for journalists from 16 different countries, that dealt with the different dimensions of global climate change, focusing in particular on the subject of the Paris conference.

Climate Policy Training Course for Journalists in Berlin

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On behalf of the German Environment Agency, Ecologic Institute is carrying out the discussion series "Improving climate protection – for Paris and beyond." As part of the project, several expert workshops provide a platform for different stakeholder representatives to discuss and evaluate developments of the climate regime, the status of the UN climate negotiations and the outcome of the 21st Conference of the Parties (COP21) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) that will be held in Paris in December 2015.

Improving Climate Protection – for Paris and Beyond – Discussion Series

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Project
 
How can Lebanon engage more effectively in the international climate negotiations? How do the negotiations work in practice and what tips and tricks can Lebanese negotiators avail themselves to influence the outcome? These questions become especially relevant in the run up towards a new climate agreement, expected to be adopted in 2015 in Paris. In September 2014, Dr. Camilla Bausch and Lena Donat conducted a 2-days training to enhance the negotiation skills of Lebanese negotiators.

Training for Lebanese Climate Negotiators 2014

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Project
 
From 23 June to 25 August 2014, the Arctic Summer College 2014 took place. Within 10 weekly webinars, various Arctic experts presented their knowledge. Each session ended with a discussion of the daily topic amongst all participants.

Arctic Summer College Programm – 2014

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The project Legal Instruments to implement the objective "Land Degradation Neutral World" in International Law was commissioned by the German Federal Environmental Agency. It aimed to explore the legal instruments in three different case study countries which could potentially be up-scaled to the international level to implement the land degradation neutrality target. The findings were translated into a breakdown of conceptual legal approaches to land degradation prevention, remediation/offsetting, and planning.

Legal Instruments to Implement the Objective "Land Degradation Neutral World" in International Law

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The international Convention on the Conservation of Migratory Species of Wild Animals (also known as CMS or Bonn Convention) aims to conserve terrestrial, aquatic, and avian migratory species throughout their migration routes. All contracting Parties designate National Focal Points (NFP) as liaison officers between relevant government offices and the CMS Secretariats. Ecologic Institute has developed a manual for the NFPs as well as a concept for an NFP e-community platform.

Convention on Migratory Species: Manual and e-community

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In 2010, the Conference of the Parties of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) adopted the Nagoya Protocol on Access and Benefit-sharing. The Protocol sets forth rules on access to genetic resources. Among other purposes, research is a main driver of demand for genetic resources. Moreover, the protocol contains an obligation for Parties to ensure that the countries where the genetic resources are found and relevant indigenous communities in these countries are compensated for the use of genetic resources and related knowledge. Ecologic Institute is contributing to a study investigating the options for implementation of the Protocol at the EU level. The study is available for download.

Study on the Implementation of the Nagoya Protocol in the EU

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Developing countries are the main providers of genetic resources and traditional knowledge. Conversely, most intellectual property rights (IPRs) on seeds and medicines are concentrated in developed countries. This has some disadvantages for developing countries. Thus, patents on seed or pharmaceutical products sometimes make the access to such products for the poor more difficult and expensive; there are hardly any positive effects of IPRs on fighting poverty by contrast. This is the result of a study for the European Parliament that Ecologic Institute helped to write. The study and a related presentation are available for download.

Intellectual Property Rights and Fighting Poverty

Study for the European Parliament

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Ecologic Institute writes a legal commentary on the German PRTR-Act. Under this law and an EU-Regulation, operators of certain installations in Germany have to report data on pollutants for publication in a German as well as to a European pollutant release and transfer register (PRTR). The legal commentary is mainly addressed at authorities and operators to facilitate the application of the rules without in-depth knowledge on their legal background.

Commentary on the German PRTR law

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The project objective is to provide expert policy advice to the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety in the field of international climate policy. The topic areas of Ecologic are the institutional design and organisation of the international negotiation process in the context of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change and its Kyoto Protocol, as well as the further elaboration of the compliance system of the Kyoto Protocol. Furthermore the project analyse various questions relating to the future development of the international climate change regime beyond the year 2012.

Institutional Design of International Climate Policy

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The EC increasingly participates in international conferences and mixed international agreements alongside its Member States. The appearance of both EC and Member States raises questions of competences for the negotiation, conclusion and implementation of such international instruments. In particular in the field of marine environment, substantial progress is hindered by an opaque division of competences between the EC and its Member States and lack of coordination. Accordingly, the German Federal Environmental Agency commissioned Ecologic with the task of analysing the division of external competences between the EC and its Member States taking into account the OSPAR-Convention.

EC External Competences

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This study aimed at presenting options for achieving coherence between MEAs and the WTO, and was prepared with a view to influencing the 4th Ministerial Conference of the WTO, held in Doha in November 2002.

Coherence in the MEAs/WTO Relationship

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The 1997 Kyoto Protocol to protect the global climate is an incomplete agreement. Many of its provisions require a further specification in order to make the Protocol ratifiable for countries. In this project, concrete options and proposals for the elaboration of the Kyoto Protocol were developed for the German Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety.

Kyoto Mechanisms and Compliance

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This project analyses the importance of non-governmental organisations (NGOs) and the relationship between the legal basis and the practical influence of NGOs in different areas of international environmental governance.

NGOs in International Environmental Policy

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After protracted negotiations involving the highest political levels, the Kyoto Protocol to protect the global climate was adopted in 1997. Not only does it set, for the first time ever, quantitative limits for the emissions of greenhouse gases by industrialised countries, but it also introduced a number of complex and innovative mechanisms. In the project report that was published as a book, the negotiations and their result are analysed in detail. &#13;

The Kyoto Protocol

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