Publication:Report

This report identifies and characterises systemic environmental risks, explores how they interact across societal systems, and analyses governance approaches that can respond to them. It introduces risk constellations as a practical way to discuss complex risk interactions. This approach allows experts and policymakers to map drivers, magnifiers and impacts at a manageable scale while still keeping sight of the wider system in which risks unfold.

Systemic and Complex Risk Governance for Europe’s Preparedness and Sustainability

Environmental risk drivers and transformative governance responses in Europe

Year 2026

Publication:Policy Brief

ECNO’s 2026 update provides the first comprehensive assessment of all 27 final National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs). It evaluates whether Member States’ contributions and policy frameworks are sufficient to meet the EU’s 2030 climate and energy targets. The results show a clearer and more complete picture than previous assessments. However, the overall conclusion remains unchanged: despite some progress, the EU is still not fully on track to meet its 2030 targets.

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

Year 2025

Publication:Report

The EU is making promising progress on the road to climate neutrality but needs to keep up the pace to achieve the goal. This is the result of the third progress report by the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO), which has analysed developments in over 150 indicators across all areas of society. The weak points identified provide crucial information for the work of the EU institutions.

State of EU Progress to Climate Neutrality

2025 Flagship Report

A new analysis of 22 updated National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) shows that many EU Member States are falling short of the bloc’s 2030 climate targets. The study, led by Ecologic Institute in collaboration with the New Climate Institute and Reform Institute, identifies critical gaps in both ambition and implementation across key areas.

Delivering the EU's 2030 Climate and Energy Targets: Gaps in National Contributions and Policies

Year 2025

Publication:Report

Cover of the report with colorful tiles showing photos of agricultural scenes in the background

The bioeconomy concept presents an attractive framework for policymakers in Europe, as it holds the potential to foster innovations that match specific community needs with regionally available resources. The SCALE-UP project aims to enhance the capacity and expertise of multi-actor partnerships to accelerate the development of market-ready bio-based products and services while facilitating their successful market deployment. Additionally, SCALE-UP strengthens collaboration among primary producers, SMEs, industry clusters, social actors, and policymakers, promoting a cohesive approach to innovation.

12 Small-scale Business Models Explored in the SCALE-UP Regions

Year 2025

Publication:Report

The Report on Regional Biomass Availabilities, Nutrient Balances and Ecological Boundaries was produced under the EU‐funded SCALE-UP project, which seeks to accelerate community‐driven bioeconomy development across six European regions: Northern Sweden, Mazovia (Poland), the French Atlantic Arc, Upper Austria, Andalusia (Spain), and Strumica (North Macedonia).

Regional Biomass Availabilities, Nutrient Balances and Ecological Boundaries

Year 2025

Publication:Report

This report summarizes the results of the research project "Scientific support for the design of an EU Carbon Removal Certification Framework" (CRCF) that provided support to national policy makers during the negotiation process and pursued the following objectives.

Scientific Support for the Design of a Certification Framework for Carbon Dioxide Removals in the EU

Year 2025

Publication:Book

Focusing on cities in the European Arctic, this book consolidates research on sustainable development, local and urban governance, and transnational cooperation in the region. It examines to what extent there is transnational cooperation between urban areas in remote locations and how it can be enhanced to better align with global sustainable development policies to successfully implement goals set for example by the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development and the Paris Agreement on climate change.

Sustainable Urban Development in the European Arctic

Year 2025

Publication:Report

A new research report by the Ecologic Institute and Oeko-Institut discusses the implementation of the EU's new 2040 climate target. It identifies building blocks and measures particularly relevant for cutting the EU's emissions by net 90% in 2040.

Implementing the EU 2040 Climate Target: Building blocks and measures

Year 2025

Publication:Case Study

With the European Green Deal, the European Climate Law, and the Governance Regulation the EU has built a strong governance framework for climate policy-making. These policies have been effective in linking national and EU-wide actions and enhancing a harmonized approach across EU Member States. They legally enshrine the binding goal of EU-wide climate neutrality by 2050 and embed five-year national policy planning cycles in line with the UNFCCC Global Stocktake.

European Union

Case study: Aligning short-term plans with long-term ambition

Year 2024

Publication:Report

The report ‘From Ideas to Action’ presents the strategy papers of the seven INTERLACE partner cities, which were developed in close cooperation with local stakeholders in Europe and Latin America. These papers highlight tailor-made strategies for nature-based solutions (NbS), including the revitalisation of urban parks in Chemnitz and the development of a search engine for green infrastructure projects in Kraków. The aim is to effectively address the unique challenges of each city, such as climate change, biodiversity loss and social inequality.

From Ideas to Action

INTERLACE impulses for successfully implementing NbS in cities

Publication:Article

The INTERLACE project, funded by Horizon 2020, exemplifies innovative transdisciplinary approaches to tackling urban challenges through nature-based solutions (NBS). By fostering stakeholder engagement, developing practical tools, and supporting ecosystem restoration, the project empowers cities across Europe and Latin America to implement sustainable NBS. McKenna Davis and Benedict Buebfrom Ecologic Institute provided key insights into the project's progress and outcomes.

This study assesses the progress of EU Member States in embedding participatory governance processes to foster transformative climate governance. Through comprehensive criteria-based analysis and in-depth interviews across several nations, this publication unveils the current state of MLCED implementation, challenges in stakeholder engagement, and the adequacy of mechanisms designed to steer us towards a climate-neutral future.

Fostering Transformative Climate Governance? The potential of multilevel climate and energy dialogues

A criteria-based assessment of Member States reports under Article 11

Year 2024

Publication:Podcast

In this 4th episode, together with investment and finance experts Julie Evain (I4CE) and Thomas Pellerin-Carlin (I4CE), we unpack the regulatory framework for mobilizing green investments that are needed for a climate-neutral future. Can current EU financial policies provide predictability to economic actors? Which policies do we need to ensure long-term vision toward climate neutrality? We also explore the role of the banking sector and the use of banks' transition plans to ensure banks consider climate-related risks and direct investments properly.

Regulatory Leverage: How Can the EU Foster a Green Investment Shift?

Fourth episode of the podcast "CLIMATE ON AIR – Discussing the future of EU climate policy"

Year 2024

Publication:Report

This report provides an independent, systematic analysis of the structures, activities, and impacts of Germany’s Energy, Climate, Development, and Raw Materials Partnerships (ECDRPs). A particular focus lies on the partnerships with countries of the Global South. Based on the analysis, the report provides recommendations for the development of Germany’s partnerships by answering the central question: How can Germany's ECDRPs be made as impactful as possible and more transformative for a resilient transition towards climate neutrality in Germany and its partner countries?

Developing Germany's Partnerships for Transformation

Year 2023

Publication:Policy Brief

This paper makes a proposal for how future EU agricultural policy and particularly funding structures should evolve to better reflect sustainability challenges whilst supporting farmers and other land managers in a transition that also ensures viable businesses and vibrant rural areas. This is intended as a contribution to a wider debate on the future of EU food systems.

Transforming EU Land Use and the CAP: A post-2024 vision

Year 2023

Publication:Report

Landscape of climate framework laws in Europe - Status update - cover

National climate framework laws have become a common approach for establishing the governance machinery required to tackle the transition to a climate neutral society. This memo serves as a brief update on the status and substance of such laws in Europe as of summer 2023, with a focus on framework laws aimed at achieving long-term transformational change.

The Landscape of National Climate Framework Laws in Europe

A Status Update – Summer 2023

Year 2023

Publication:Report

Der Bericht wurde im Rahmen des EU‐geförderten SCALE‐UP‐Projekts erstellt, um zwölf innovative biobasierte Vorhaben zu identifizieren, die in sechs ländlichen Regionen Europas wirtschaftliche, ökologische und soziale Vorteile bieten können: Nordschweden; Masowien (Polen); der französische Atlantikbogen; Oberösterreich; Andalusien (Spanien); und Strumica (Nordmazedonien).

Overview of Regionally Suitable Solutions

Year 2023

Publication:Report

This document outlines the development and structure of the EU Procedural Governance Inventory created within the scope of Work Package 5.2 of the 4i-TRACTION project. The inventory's objective is to present a list of the most important frameworks, institutions, and instruments that are relevant to procedural climate governance in the EU.

Inventory of Key EU Governance Frameworks

Year 2023

Publication:Report

Cover of the report Progress on the implementation of national Multilievel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States Owen Reporting

This paper examines to what extent and how Member States have met the obligation to carry out multilevel climate and energy dialogues. It does so on the basis of national reporting on the mandatory implementation of multilevel climate and energy dialogues (MLCEDs) against the requirements set out in Article 11 of the Governance Regulation.

Progress on the Implementation of National Multilevel Climate and Energy Dialogues: Assessing Member States' own reporting

Year 2023

Publication:Report

This policy paper serves as a German translation of a memo on the 'Landscape of climate framework laws in Europe'. It provides a brief overview of the current status of national climate laws in Europe. It focuses in detail on the pending revisions to the German Climate Protection Law passed in 2019 and amended in 2021.

Good Practice in europäischen nationalen Klimaschutzgesetzen

Input für den WWF Deutschland

Year 2023

Publication:Report

Cover Forum Fischschutz Abschlussbericht 2023

The issue of fish protection and downstream fish migration is discussed intensively - even controversially - between and within the individual disciplines and areas of competence, both from a technical and an environmental policy perspective. The German Participatory Forum on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration has been dedicated to this discussion since 2012. This report, which concludes the German Participatory Forum on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration summarizes a selection of key issues from the forum's workshops across six central topics.

Forum Fischschutz und Fischabstieg: Ergebnisse und Ausblick

Abschlussbericht

Year 2023

Publication:Report

A coherent German foreign climate policy is essential for the success of the national and European energy transition, as well as for the effective support of ambitious climate policies outside the European Union. This Ariadne background paper provides cornerstones and discusses options for the elaboration and further development of Germany's foreign climate policy. To this end, it distinguishes four categories of relevant goals: traditional climate policy goals, industrial policy goals, security and trade policy goals, and broader foreign policy goals. For each goal, it is necessary to identify appropriate means by which it can be achieved and barriers that stand in its way and need to be considered accordingly.

Eckpunkte zur Entwicklung einer Klimaaußenpolitikstrategie Deutschlands

Ariadne-Hintergrund

Year 2023

Publication:Report

This report presents an approach to studying the EU’s procedural climate governance, namely the frameworks, instruments and institutions that shape and support the climate-related decision-making process of the EU.

Transformative Procedural Climate Governance

Mechanisms, functions, and assessment criteria

Year 2023

Publication:Report

This report investigates how public procurement can be used as a strategic policy instrument to accelerate the transformation to climate neutrality.

Year 2023

Publication:Article

The discussion on the certification of carbon removals seems technical, but it is one of the central debates in EU climate policy. It is primarily intended to pave the way for the integration of CO₂ removals into emissions trading. In doing so, the EU risks to build its most important climate policy instrument on sand, writes Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf of Ecologic Institute in the Tagesspiegel Background Energie & Klima. He makes suggestions how to mitigate this risk.

Emissionshandel droht mit Kohlenstoffzertifikaten auf Sand zu bauen

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2023

Publication:Web Application

The INTERLACE Urban Governance Atlas was officially launched on 11 May 2023 at the INTERLACE Cities Talk Nature Conference in Chemnitz. The first of its kind, the online database showcases 250 policy instruments from 41 countries supporting nature-based solutions and ecosystem restoration. The interactive design invites policymakers, urban planners, researchers, civil society organizations, and others to explore and learn more about what made the instruments successful, lessons learned in their design and implementation, and their approaches to governance.

This document drafts a concept of the information architecture and user interface of the European Climate Neutrality Observatory (ECNO) website. It served to develop a common vision of the website and its data structure within the project team.

ECNO Website Concept

Planning the user interface and information architecture of the European Climate Neutrality Observatory's website

Year 2023

Publication:Article

The Commission's proposal to certify carbon removals is a climate policy milestone, but it steers EU climate policy towards dangerous shoals. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf – together with Anne Siemons and Hannes Böttcher from Öko-Institut – discusses how to circumnavigate them in the Tagesspiegel.

Zertifizierung von Kohlestoffentnahme – viele Fragen, wenige Antworten

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2023

Publication:Article

This article written by Dr. Ulf Stein and Benedict Bueb from Ecologic Institute together with researchers of the French National Institute of Agricultural Research (INRAE) presents insights of two case studies, in Paris and Berlin, which investigated the potential of two mobile applications to make urban water management visible to the public and thus increase awareness about certain water management aspects.

Making Urban Water Management Tangible for the Public by Means of Digital Solutions

Year 2023

Publication:Report

The report summarises the results of a ReFoPlan project that dealt with interactions between the three agendas, possibilities of their integrated implementation and the development of Sustainable Adaptation Pathways. It provides an overview of the background and objectives, work packages, analysis results and the events held as part of the project.

This article written by several researchers from Ecologic Institute provides a review of different digital tools and resources available to support related decision-making processes in the search for solutions for Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM). Furthermore, it introduces the Diagnostic Water Governance Tool (DWGT) that builds on a clear diagnosis-therapy-logic.

This open access book by Dr. Luana Martin-Russu of Ecologic Institute presents an actor-centered analysis on Europeanization based on the presumption that EU-driven reforms are strongly dependent on the actions and interests of the key domestic actors. It demonstrates that the European Union's policy of conditionality, however assertive or extensive, cannot guarantee compliance with its rules unless domestic political elites are committed to reform.

Deforming the Reform

The Impact of Elites on Romania's Post-accession Europeanization

Year 2022

Publication:Report

Kemper, Melanie, Ilka Merbold 2022: Konzept finale Website forum-fischschutz.de. Umwandlung des dynamischen Portals in eine statische Archiv-Website. Berlin, October 2022, unpublished.

Konzept finale Website forum-fischschutz.de

Umwandlung des dynamischen Portals in eine statische Archiv-Website

Year 2022

Publication:Policy Brief

This policy brief summarizes the results of 17 case studies of non-EU countries. It presents the main lessons and takeaways for the EU along the four challenges that define the 4i-TRACTION project: facilitating integration across sectors, shifting investments, rolling out infrastructure and fostering innovation for a climate-neutral economy.

What Can the EU Learn from Non-EU Countries on its Path to Climate Neutrality?

Year 2022

Publication:Article

The EU Effort Sharing Regulation is of great importance for EU climate policy, but its revision hardly gets public attention. This is a problem. Without a public debate, important structural issues of EU climate policy could be set wrong. In the Tagesspiegel Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf makes proposals for a good outcome of the trialogue negotiations.

Falsche Weichenstellungen drohen

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2022

Publication:Report

This research report presents case study results of selected climate policies in non-EU countries. Based on the analysis, it develops recommendations how the experience of other countries can inform EU policymaking.

What Can the EU Learn from Non-EU Countries on its Path to Climate Neutrality?

Year 2022

Publication:Article

The Commission's proposal on the certification of Carbon Dioxide Removals (CDR) could be a milestone of EU climate policy making. It can put the EU on the right track – with a watertight CDR definition, and a firewall between removals and reductions; or the wrong track – dubious low-impact carbon removal schemes that pretend to offset what cannot be offset. As the integrity of EU climate policy is at stake, the EU cannot afford to take the wrong turn, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the EU Observer.

This article explores approaches applied by transregional organisations and cooperation programmes that constitute the governance system in the European Arctic. Specifically, it scrutinises governing interactions developed by the Barents Regional Council and the Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme to overcome the normative trap of the Arctic development paradox. The article answers two questions: First, how do the transregional actors approach the Arctic development paradox in their cooperation strategies and programmes, and to what extent do these approaches differ? Second, what kind of recommendations do they provide to overcome the Arctic development paradox?

Governability of Regional Challenges: The Arctic Development Paradox

Year 2022

Publication:Document

On 9 May 2022, Europe Day, the Conference on the Future of Europe (CFE) closed – with the adoption of 49 recommendations. This is not the end of the process, but the beginning of new political action. With the Russian invasion of Ukraine, the role of the CFE as a starting point for renewed discussions on important topics such as climate, energy policy and EU democracy has been reiterated. Indeed, many recommendations from the CFE address EU climate policies – especially the ones prepared by its third citizens' panel on climate change, the environment and health. In this Ecologic Institute paper, Deyana Spasova questions how the panel's recommendations can improve EU climate policy? Where do the recommendations merely reiterate what is already in place? And how could the EU best translate the suggestions into policy action? The paper is available for download.

Conference on the Future of Europe

What is next for EU climate policies?

Year 2022

Publication:Report

Report Cover "Global Rules in a New Global Treaty"

In March 2022, at the resumed fifth meeting of the United Nations Environment Assembly, UN Member States adopted the historic decision to start negotiating a global treaty to combat plastic pollution. As national delegations and relevant stakeholders in Asia start preparing for the upcoming negotiations, this report by Linda Mederake and Doris Knoblauch (both Ecologic Institute), aims to provide an analysis of the region’s opportunities to end single-use plastics (SUPs) pollution through the development of this new global treaty.

Global Rules in a New Global Treaty: Asia's opportunity to end single-use plastic pollution

Year 2022

Publication:Article

Citizen assemblies are in high demand – also in the EU. The European Commission wants citizen assemblies to draft future recommendations for key EU legislative projects. The European Parliament is pushing in the same direction. It seems likely that citizen assemblies will become an integral part of the EU decision-making. Dr. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf asks if this is a good idea and what lessons can be learned from the EU Citizen Assemblies?

The People Have not Spoken

Year 2022

Publication:Report

In this Ariadne publication, experts from Ecologic Institute, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Stiftung Umweltenergierecht, ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research and IER Stuttgart analyzed various options for the relief and level of the CO2 price – and identified advantages and disadvantages as well as implementation requirements of different design options. The focus is on two key political points of contention, where scientific findings can prevent an impending hardening of the position and thus promote a consensus that is conducive to climate protection.

A Fair and Solidarity-based EU Emissions Trading System for Buildings and Road Transport

Ariadne Report

Year 2022

Publication:Report

Experts from Ecologic Institute, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research, RWI – Leibniz Institute for Economic Research, Mercator Research Institute on Global Commons and Climate Change, Stiftung Umweltenergierecht, ZEW – Leibniz Centre for European Economic Research and IER Stuttgart analyzed various options for the relief and level of the CO2 price – and identified advantages and disadvantages as well as implementation requirements of different design options. The focus is on two key political points of contention, where scientific findings can prevent an impending hardening of the position and thus promote a consensus that is conducive to climate protection. This German-language abridged version summarizes the findings.

Ein fairer und solidarischer EU-Emissionshandel für Gebäude und Straßenverkehr

Zusammenfassung

Year 2022

Publication:Article

Not democratically elected, but popular: Citizen councils can strengthen public participation in the EU, but they must not be overrated. Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discusses in the IPG Journal how citizen councils can be involved in EU decision-making in the future.

Year 2022

Publication:Policy Brief

Cober of the summary "The use of auctioning revenues from the EU ETS for climate action"

This study analysed if and how EU Member States used their auctioning revenues from the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) for climate action. For this purpose, we selected eight case study countries, namely Czech, Germany, Greece, France, Italy, the Netherlands, Poland, and Portugal. As part of these case studies, we examined the reporting, the legal provisions and the political narrative around auctioning revenues through desk research and expert interviews.

The Use of Auctioning Revenues from the EU ETS for Climate Action – Summary

An analysis based on eight selected case studies

Year 2022

Publication:Report

The central objective of the work presented in this report was to assess the European Commission's Strategic Long-Term Vision and supplementary materials and reflect on them in light of state-of-the-art sector analyses.

The European Commission's 2050 Vision "A clean planet for all"

Implications for Sector Strategies and Climate Governance

Publication:Article

The article reflects on the 59th Tutzing Symposion entitled "Polymers for a better life and circular economy" that took place as an online event in October 2021. Based on the presentations at the symposium, the contribution provides an overview of current debates on the circular plastics economy, as well as insights into existing political regulations, present challenges, and possible future developments with regard to this major societal project.

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Year 2022

Publication:Podcast

This podcast of the European network of think tanks "Think Sustainable Europe" is discussing the main outcomes of the climate negotiations at COP26 in Glasgow. The climate conference and its outcomes were received with a range between careful optimism and disapppointment on the little progress. Following the invitation of the Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), one of Ecologic Institute's climate negotiation experts, Arne Riedel, joined Michael Nicholson (IEEP) and Philip Glas (IISD) for the exchange.

COP26: Overview and Main Outcomes

A Think Sustainable Europe Podcast

Year 2021

Publication:Website

4i-TRACTION: innovation · investment · infrastructure · integration

Year 2021 - 2024

Publication:Report

The report "Governance Analysis for Planning and Implementation of Urban NBS" presents insights from a governance analysis conducted in the six INTERLACE partner cities: CBIMA (Costa Rica), Chemnitz (Germany), Envigado (Colombia), Granollers (Spain), Metropolia Krakowska (Poland), and Portoviejo (Ecuador). The analysis examines existing governance structures, policymaking and implementation practices, as well as challenges and enabling factors for advancing Nature-based Solutions (NbS) in urban areas.

Governance Analysis for Planning and Implementation of Urban NBS

Governance Practices, Challenges and Needs of INTERLACE Cities

Year 2021

Publication:Policy Brief

From sector coupling to hydrogen, from the implementation of the Climate Protection Legislation to the European Green Deal: Achieving climate neutrality requires coordinated and effective policy management across individual departments. Climate policy is a cross-cutting task, because all sectors, from power generation to industry, buildings, transport and agriculture, must become greenhouse gas neutral without delay. Experts from the Ariadne Copernicus project, which is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), have examined central problems of government control of German climate policy and presented options for solutions. The paper was also sent to negotiators of the coalition talks in the run-up to publication.

Year 2021

Publication:Article

The Conference on the Future of Europe is now in full swing. This political process could become a milestone in EU climate policy making – provided that its recommendations are specific and focus on the EU's ability to act, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the EU Observer. He makes three proposals how the conference could become a success for EU climate policies. The article is available online.

Could 'Future Europe' Conference Actually Help Fix Climate Change?

Year 2021

Publication:Report

The number of scientific climate advisory bodies is growing rapidly across European countries, including the establishment of one at the EU-level. Under the right conditions, such expert councils can help governments not only make the right climate policy decisions but also hold them accountable by boosting transparency and tracking the success (or failures) of national actions.

Climate Governance Systems in Europe: the role of national advisory bodies

Year 2021

Publication:Policy Brief

In a decision published in May 2021, the German Constitutional Court held that the Federal Climate Change Act is partly unconstitutional and has to be amended by the end of 2022. This policy brief explains the court's key arguments and findings.

The German Federal Constitutional Court's Decision on the Climate Change Act

Order of 24 March 2021 - 1 BvR 2656/18 and others

Year 2021

Publication:Document

The Conference on the Future of Europe begins on 9 May 2021. The conference has great importance for EU climate policies. As a contribution to the start of the conference, think tanks from Bulgaria, the Czech Republic, Estonia, Germany, Hungary, Italy, Romania, and Poland make recommendations on how EU climate policy and the Conference on the Future of Europe can be mutually beneficial.

Based on a stocktake, we present options to improve international soil governance in the short, medium and long term. The stocktake includes existing international instruments and institutions that are relevant for soil protection and its governance at the international level. It assesses the actual and potential steering effect of, inter alia, the Desertification Convention, the Biodiversity Convention, the Paris Agreement and climate regime, regional treaties, FAO, UNEP, IPBES and IPCC.

The Future of International Soil Governance

Year 2021

Publication:Document

To deliver its climate targets for 2030 and 2050, the EU is starting to reform its climate policies. Extending emission trading to road transport and buildings is among the most consequential proposals for implementing the new targets. This proposal promises stronger economic incentives to reduce emissions, considerable certainties for target achievement and additional revenues to support Europe's decarbonization.

Implementing New EU Climate Targets for 2030 and 2050

Preliminary considerations on ETS extension

Year 2021

Publication:Web Application

Ecologic Institute has recently launched the Diagnostic Water Governance Tool, which is aimed at both water governance practitioners and researchers around the world. The tool provides a diagnosis of case-specific water governance as well as recommendations for appropriate instruments, with a focus on coordination and cooperation improvement.

The STEER Diagnostic Water Governance Tool

Year 2020 - 2025

Publication:Video

This video gives a short introduction to the Diagnostic Water Governance Tool, a comprehensive diagnostic tool to support an integrated management approach in watersheds. Based on the data users enter for their particular case, they not only receive a diagnosis, but also case-specific recommendations for instruments to improve coordination in water management. Practitioners from water administration and management as well as development cooperation and consultancy, but also researchers are the target group of the tool and are invited to try it out.

Introducing the Diagnostic Water Governance Tool

Year 2020

Publication:Article

Kraemer, R. Andreas; Benjamin Görlach 2020: After the Pandemic: Global Overheating to Take Centre Stage at T20 and G20. Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI): Milano.

After the Pandemic: Global Overheating to Take Centre Stage at T20 and G20

Year 2020

Publication:Article

Bioeconomy currently enjoys a high political priority; at the same time, the concept, which last received a boost in 2018 in the form of the updated EU Bioeconomy Strategy, is not without controversy and contains many conflicting goals. This is where the article by Zoritza Kiresiewa (Ecologic Institute), Franziska Wolff and Martin Möller (both Öko-Institut e.V.) comes in. The authors argue that bioeconomy can only contribute to the achievement of sustainability goals if the political framework is appropriate. Whether or not strategies will have an impact depends on each individual case. Bioeconomy pathways should be designed and tested accordingly.

Handlungsoptionen einer nachhaltigen Bioökonomiepolitik

Wo ein Wille ist, ist auch ein Weg

Year 2020

Publication:Policy Brief

2020: Green refuges for enabling cities' preparedness for future pandemics and global change. ENABLE Policy Brief 3.

Green Refuges for Enabling Cities' Preparedness for Future Pandemics and Global Change

ENABLE Policy Brief 3

Year 2020

Publication:Policy Brief

On 17 September 2020, the European Commission proposed to raise the EU climate target for 2030, so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 55% compared to 1990. In this policy brief, CLIMACT and Ecologic Institute unpack the Commission's impact assessment for the new target. The brief analyses key policy options and analytical results and compares them to recent studies, in particular CLIMACT's 2030 modelling results. Within the framework of the tightened target, the EU Commission proposes to extend the EU Emissions Trading Scheme to buildings and road transport – a major change to the EU's current climate policy architecture. The team discusses potential implications and provides context to the sectoral developments and policies. The briefing highlights key points where the Commission diverges from other studies, identifying climate mitigation potentials that merit more attention in future analysis.

Analysing the Impact Assessment on Raising the EU 2030 Climate Target

How does the European Commission's approach compare with other existing studies?

Year 2020

Publication:Website

The Ecologic Institute developed the INTERLACE project website. It provides information and materials to strengthen urban ecosystem restoration in the European Union and Latin America. INTERLACE aims to strengthen cooperation, learning and peer-to-peer interactions on the local, regional and global scales through the Cities Talk Nature mechanism. The six partner cities are central to this process, providing and sharing experiences with other cities globally and building technical and procedural capacities. A web-based Innovation Hub will support these efforts by disseminating INTERLACE's results and the hands-on tools for urban decision-makers and planners created by the project.

INTERLACE – Restoring Urban Ecosystems

Year 2020 - 2024

Publication:Article

The danger of a rebound in greenhouse gas emissions after the coronavirus crisis is looming on the horizon. Michał Dorociak and Michał Kamiński of 300Gospodarka, and Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discuss in an OpEd for the EU Observer how the EU recovery programmes can avoid post-crisis emission increases.

How to Recover from Corona without Choking the Planet

Year 2020

Publication:Document

In July 2020, the European Council agreed on an unprecedented EU recovery package – dubbed Next Generation EU. This agreement contains elements that will advance EU climate policies. However, if it is to pave the way to climate neutrality by 2050, it needs to improve.

Europe's Economic Recovery – How can the Recovery and Resilience Facility support achieving climate neutrality?

Year 2020

Publication:Article

In this paper the authors, among them Ecologic Institute's Ulf Stein, focus on the governmental bottlenecks in the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive. The lack of horizontal, inter-sectoral communication; the insufficient land reserves; human resources and; the lack of financing were the areas that emerged as the most pressing issues. Further evidence suggests that the interaction of the WFD with other policy areas regulated at the European level might require closer inspection.

Perception of Bottlenecks in the Implementation of the European Water Framework Directive

Year 2020

Publication:Report

This background paper provides an overview of existing and new laws and initiatives regarding plastics in Germany and the EU. Despite the multitude of approaches, guidelines and laws, regulatory gaps remain. The greatest need for action exists in the areas of strengthening recycling and the use of recycled plastics as well as waste prevention. Waste prevention remains the unwanted child in the resource discourse, although it almost always represents the best option in terms of environmental policy.

Hintergrundpapier: Plastikpolitik in Deutschland und der EU

Aktuelle Gesetze und Initiativen

Year 2020

Publication:Report

In this publication, Doris Knoblauch (Ecologic Institute), Lorenzo Felicetti, and Ulf Stein (Ecologic Institute) shed light on the untapped potential of ICT solutions in water management across Berlin, Milan, Copenhagen, Paris and Sofia, the five cities analysed in the project digital-water.city. In the analysis, the cross-cutting nature of digital water governance and, thereby, its multifunctionality in terms of policy goals became evident.

Policy Matrix – Screening of Digital, Data and Water Policies

Starting points for untapped potential of ICT solutions in water management

Year 2020

Publication:Podcast

This podcast explores different aspects of urban nature through stories of innovators from across Europe who use their passion and creativity to make cities green.

All Hands on Deck: Governing Urban Green

3rd episode of the podcast "Creating Green Cities"

Year 2020

Publication:Policy Brief

2020: Local Action for Green and Blue Infrastructure – Lessons learned from transdisciplinary and cocreation processes in cities. ENABLE Policy Brief 2.

Local Action for Green and Blue Infrastructure – Lessons learned from transdisciplinary and cocreation processes in cities

ENABLE Policy Brief 2

Year 2020

Publication:Policy Brief

2020: Operationalising EU Policies for Urban Green and Blue Infrastructure. ENABLE Policy Brief 1.

Operationalising EU Policies for Urban Green and Blue Infrastructure

ENABLE Policy Brief 1

Year 2020

Publication:Article

This article (written in German) examines various policies and approaches that are currently being implemented or planned as solutions to the plastics crisis. It becomes clear that in national and international policies plastics are mainly described as a problem of waste management and that solutions are oriented accordingly. As a consequence, there are numerous regulations for the recycling of plastic waste in Germany, while waste prevention is rarely addressed. The perception of the plastics crisis as a problem of waste management also leads to a transfer of responsibility to individuals, who, however, have only limited room for manoeuvre compared to industry and politics.

Mehr Kohärenz bitte!

Plastikpolitik in Deutschland, Europa und weltweit

Year 2020

Publication:Article

Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf comments on the EU corona aid package in Tagesspiegel Background. He calls for the EU Parliament to have a greater say in the matter and criticises that the aid programme is not sufficiently linked to the goal of climate neutrality by 2050.

EU-Coronamilliarden noch ohne feste Klimakriterien

Year 2020

Publication:Report

This research report by Ecologic Institute identifies ways in which Germany can improve international soil governance in the short, medium and long term. It begins with an inventory of existing international instruments and institutions relevant to soil governance at the international level. It assesses the actual and potential steering effects of international treaties such as the Convention to Combat Desertification, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the Paris Agreement on Climate Change and the climate regime as well as regional agreements. It also analyses the activities of FAO, UNEP, IPBES and the activities of the IPCC.

Publication:Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast

The seventh episode of the environmental podcast "Knowledge for Future" is about transdisciplinary research. The focus is primarily on cooperation between research and private sector companies. What does this cooperation look like in practice? What advantages can be gained and what challenges need to be overcome?

Transdisziplinäre Forschung: Und in der Praxis?

7th episode of "Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast"

Year 2020

Publication:Article

Public opinion seems to have settled on the conviction that the climate crisis is Europe's latest political divide - after migration, the Euro and conflicts over the rule of law. But there is another story that needs to be told. Climate policies have always been contentious. They are bound to be. But contrary to the growing perception of climate policies as Europe's new political divide, climate is a policy field where Europe works together, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the Tagesspiegel.

Klimapolitik trennt Europa nicht

Year 2020

Publication:Article

Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Legal, has published an article on the Federal Climate Protection Act in the first edition of this year's Neue Zeitschrift für Verwaltungsrecht (NVwZ). The contribution is a joint effort by several authors, two of them officials at the Federal Ministry of the Environment, Nature Protection and Nuclear Safety (BMU) who have worked on the Climate Protection Act. The article presents the main elements of the new law and discusses its legal and practical impact. It can be obtained via the website of the NVwZ.

Das Bundes-Klimaschutzgesetz

Year 2020

Publication:Document

The European Commission will propose a European Climate Law in early March 2020. This 'Law' is a critical step to make Europe climate neutral. It can close gaps in existing EU climate rules. These gaps will impede the EU from becoming climate neutral before 2050. A new Ecologic paper presents a draft European Climate Law. The paper is available for download.

A European Climate Law – Draft

Year 2020

Publication:Book Section

In this chapter Ewa Iwaszuk, Linda Mederake and Doris Knoblauch (all Ecologic Institute) analyse the extent to which municipal long-term climate strategies contain formulations and measures aimed at promoting urban transformative change (defined as non-linear change for sustainability that profoundly transforms cities and the systems they form part of). The methodology is applied to the strategies of three cities from around the world (Austin, Texas, USA; Berlin, Germany; Melbourne, Australia) to understand the extent to which the visions outlined in these local-level strategies can be said to be transformative.

The Transformative Potential of Local Climate Change Strategies

Year 2019

Publication:Report

Ursula von der Leyen, the new President of the European Commission, took office today, on 1 December 2019. As one of her first proposals, she promised to propose a European Climate Law in the first 100 days of her term in office. This 'Law' is a critical step to make Europe climate neutral. It can close gaps in existing EU climate rules. These gaps will impede the EU from becoming climate neutral before 2050. A new paper by Ecologic Institute discusses what a European Climate Law should look like, and how it could close existing gaps. The paper is available for download.

Discussion paper

Year 2019

Publication:Article

Democracies need a compass, writes Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf in the ipg-journal. To find their way in the haze of polarised debate, the compass must offer four things. First, it must help to understand pluralism – it must help to endure and respect different opinions. Conversely, it must recognise that some positions are outside the democratic spectrum. Thirdly, it must ensure precise language. And fourth, it must identify trends in democracies. The article is available online.

Dr. Jekyll und Mr. Hyde?

Die Grenzen zwischen Demokratie und Autoritarismus sind keineswegs fließend. Es gibt Mittel gegen westliche Selbstzweifel.

Year 2019

Publication:Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast

As Germany is debating the introduction of a national climate law, it can build on the experiences that already exist at many levels. Several fellow EU Member States have already adopted such framework laws, for example, to help them manage the achievement of their climate targets. But what do the existing climate protection framework laws actually look like at European level? This is the question addressed in the sixth episode of the environmental podcast "Knowledge for Future".

Klimaschutzgesetze in Europa – Von anderen lernen

6th episode of "Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast"

Year 2019

Publication:Report

This report by Ecologic Institute explores the extent to which current policy frameworks support sustainable urban development and nature-based solutions (NBS). It reveals that a variety of different terms are used across countries in policies and discourses in support of sustainable urban development, with green (and blue) infrastructure being the most frequently used. However, while many policies were shown to have strong explicit support for sustainable urban development, these often lack mandatory policy instruments.

Multi-level Policy Framework for Sustainable Urban Development and Nature-based Solutions – Status quo, gaps and opportunities

CLEVER Cities Deliverable 1.2

Year 2019

Publication:Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast

The German government has stated its intention to implement a climate protection law this year. Half of the German federal states already have such laws, and a good third of the EU's Member States, do too. So what does such a framework climate law actually do? And what has to be included in such a law in order for it to be effective? These are the questions addressed in the fifth episode of the environmental podcast "Knowledge for Future". It draws on the background information of several related publications produced by Ecologic Institute.

Klimaschutzgesetze in Deutschland – In guter Gesellschaft

5th episode of "Knowledge for Future – The Environment Podcast"

Year 2019

Publication:Book Section

While hardly anyone would argue against the importance of cities and local governments in the implementation of climate policies, what remains contested is their role in the international climate regime. This analysis by Ecologic Institute uncovers how the activities of cities and transnational city networks, which have been evolving over the years, have gradually broadened the international climate regime, although cities are not subjects of international law. The analysis is available for download.

The Evolving Role of Cities as Non-state Actors in the International Climate Regime

Year 2019

Publication:Report

Since 2012, more than 200 experts from various fields of water management and nature conservation, the federal states and the federal government, the federal waterway administration, the energy industry, hydraulic engineering, fisheries biology, nature conservation, fishing and fishing associations and university science have been involved in the German Participatory Forum on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration. In the second cycle of the Forum, from 2015 to 2018, the productive dialogue was continued and a better understanding or various aspects of fish protection and downstream fish migration was compiled. This report documents the project work of the 2nd cycle and is available for download.

Forum Fischschutz und Fischabstieg – 2. Zyklus

Abschlussbericht

Publication:Policy Brief

A report by Ecologic Institute and Climact shows that the draft National Energy and Climate Plans presented by governments at the start of 2019 are in acute need of improvement. They suffer from inadequate targets and insufficient details on the policies and financing needed to move towards net-zero emission economies in Europe. Member States also need to do better in involving their national stakeholders in providing input to the plans, to benefit from their expertise and to get them on board for future policies. The report is available for download.

Planning for Net-zero: Assessing the Draft National Energy and Climate Plans

Year 2019

Publication:Article

The Energiewende means a transition from the old, nuclear-and-coal based, to a sustainable and digitalized energy system. This is a complex endeavor: the number of actors involved increases and their functions overlap. While digital technologies bring automation and potential for relief, they are an ambivalent phenomenon: with no comprehensive laws on data protection, it is unclear what is going to happen to the tremendous amount of data collected by digital appliances. Besides, technologies like blockchain are often so energy-intensive that they eat up the amount of resources that they are trying to save. Therefore, political design must actively shape a digital and ecologically sustainable energy transition – it will not happen by itself.

How Can We Make the Energiewende Digital and Sustainable?

Year 2019

Publication:Conference Paper

The conference proceedings for the status conference of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment – Sources • Sinks • Solutions", presenting the joint research projects and cross-cutting topics, are available for download.

Plastik in der Umwelt – Conference Proceedings of the Status Conference

Year 2019

Publication:Poster

How is a topic such as microplastics socially problematised? How can consumers use plastics more sustainably? And what role do the interests and perceptions of different actors play in international plastics regulation? These and other questions are posed by social scientists in a number of joint research projects funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research within the framework of the research focus "Plastics in the Environment". In this poster series, social science research from ten joint research projects is presented and first interim results are briefly and concisely summarised.

Plastics in the Environment: Social Science Research – Poster Series

Year 2019

Publication:Infographic

This infographic illustrates the research objects of the joint research projects with a social science component in the research focus "Plastics in the Environment" along the value chain and with a view to the addressed societal sectors. In addition, the graph indicates the target groups to which the project results are directed and whether these are mainly options for action or risk assessments.

Plastik in der Umwelt: Sozialwissenschaftliche Forschung – Infographic

Year 2019

Publication:Report

The 2030 targets for decarbonising the EU economy have been agreed, but what does this mean concretely for the European energy and transport systems? In a new publication, Agora Energiewende is providing exactly this "Big Picture" of the EU energy transformation up until 2030. Based on an analysis of where we are today and where we need to be in 2030, the authors propose ten priorities and four flagship initiatives to make the European energy transition a success. Ecologic Institute supported Agora Energiewende in developing the publication, which is available for download.

European Energy Transition 2030: The Big Picture

Ten Priorities for the next European Commission to meet the EU's 2030 targets and accelerate towards 2050

Year 2019

Publication:Report

Marine plastic pollution is a fast growing problem and it is not yet possible to estimate how severe the impacts currently are. Between 4.8 and 12.7 Mt of plastics ends up in the ocean each year, adding to the uncontrolled plastic waste already floating around the world’s seas. Despite many good initiatives and action plans, the world is about to lose the overall battle. There is an urgent need to vibrantly address the plastic pollution crisis of the oceans on a global level. This report by adelphi and Ecologic Institute provides suggestions in this regard. The report is available for download.

No More Plastics in the Ocean

Gaps in Global Plastic Governance and Options for a Legally Binding Agreement to Eliminate Marine Plastic Pollution

Year 2018

Publication:Article

Plastic in the environment is a global problem that is particularly visible in a growing volume of plastic waste in the sea. The German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) has set up a major research focus to investigate the extent of the problem in more detail and to develop approaches to reducing it. Until 2021, a total of 18 joint projects with more than 100 institutions from science, industry, and practice will be funded with 35 million euros in one of the world's largest research programmes on plastics to date. In addition to the main areas of work, the authors of the Ecologic Institute examines the research projects in more detail.

Dem Plastik auf der Spur

Year 2018

Publication:Document

screen shot of the briefing note's first page

This Briefing Note presents the first insights from Climate Recon 2050 – a project aiming to facilitate intra-EU exchange and foster the creation of know-how and networks essential to develop effective and ambitious national long-term climate strategies as a tool to guide a successful transition to a low-carbon economy. The Briefing Note brings together insights from the project’s activities – including a day of discussions on long-term climate planning held among policymakers from 10 EU Member States – and builds on related research by project partners.

2050 Climate Strategies in EU Countries: State of Play

Briefing Note 01

Year 2018

Publication:Video

Since industrialisation, the average air temperature worldwide has risen by one degree, whereas in the Arctic by five degrees. This leads to rapid changes with serious consequences. This animated explanatory video by the UBA explains what this has to do with us in Germany, 2000 kilometers away. It outlines the federal government's commitment to the Arctic and what each individual can do to protect the Arctic.

Spuren in der Arktis

Deutsches Engagement zum Schutz der arktischen Region

Year 2018

Publication:Flyer

In this flyer, the Federal Environment Agency summarises the essential information on the focal points of the environmental guidelines for a German Arctic policy. Ecologic Institute was responsible for creating the flyer based on the Federal Environment Agency's design.

Für den Erhalt der Arktis – Flyer

Wie kann Deutschland dazu beitragen?

Year 2018

Publication:Article

The term illiberal democracy is used often. This is a problem. The term "illiberal democracy" makes it invisible that democracy is dismantled in so-called "illiberal democracies". Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf, Head of International and European Governance at Ecologic Institute, and Michael Meyer-Resende, both co-founders of Democracy Reporting International, argue in the Süddeutsche Zeitung that the appropriate terms are undemocratic or authoritarian.

Nicht "illiberal", sondern undemokratisch

Framing-Check: "Illiberale Demokratie"

Year 2018

Publication:Report

Strong national climate governance frameworks are crucial to establish and maintain political support for the low-carbon transition and facilitate the implementation of policies. The truly robust governance frameworks combine key elements such as legally binding targets reached with high level of political support, broad stakeholder participation and review mechanisms that allow for adjustments over time. Creation of dedicated institutions with clearly assigned responsibilities and powers is essential to ensure the robustness and effectiveness of the framework. The study, co-authored by Ecologic Institute's Matthias Duwe, is available for download.

Towards Paris-compatible Climate Governance Frameworks

An overview of findings from recent research into 2050 climate laws and strategies

Year 2018

Publication:Article

While diffusion patterns are quite well understood in the context of the Global North, diffusion research has only been applied to a limited extent to investigate how policies spread across developing countries. Ecologic Institute's Doris Knoblauch, Linda Mederake and Ulf Stein therefore analyze the diffusion patterns of plastic bag bans and taxes in the Global South and Global North to contribute to the further refinement of diffusion theory by specifically addressing the under-researched Global South. The article is available for download.

Developing Countries in the Lead – What Drives the Diffusion of Plastic Bag Policies?

Year 2018

Publication:Report

This summary pocket book presents key recommendations gathered in the project RECREATE regarding future research and innovation needs in "Societal Challenge 5: Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials". The results include very concrete recommendations on selected topics, overarching recommendations which shall help integrating the different research areas better and recommendations regarding the use of various methodologies. The summary pocket book is available for download.

EU's Future R&I Needs in the Fields of 'Climate Action, Environment, Resource Efficiency and Raw Materials'

Recommendations from the RECREATE project

Year 2018

Publication:Article

Diffuse Water Pollution from Agriculture (DWPA) and its governance has received increased attention as a policy concern across the globe. Mitigation of DWPA is a complex problem that requires a mix of policy instruments and a multi-agency, broad societal response. In this article - to which Dr. Grit Martinez and Dr. Nico Stelljes of Ecologic Institute contributed as co-authors - opportunities and barriers for developing co-governance, defined as collaborative societal involvement in the functions of government, and its suitability for mitigation of DWPA, are reviewed using seven case studies in Europe, Australia and North America. The article is available for download.

Stakeholder and public engagement are key elements of EU policy development, as well as of responsible research and innovation. Over a period of three years, BioSTEP has designed and implemented a wide range of citizen and stakeholder engagement activities regarding the development of Europe's bioeconomy. This paper, edited by Ecologic Institute's Holger Gerdes and Zoritza Kiresiewa, presents a set of research recommendations, which builds on the lessons learned from the application of BioSTEP's participatory tools. The BioSTEP research recommendations are available for download.

Engaging Stakeholders and Citizens in the Bioeconomy

BioSTEP Research Recommendations

Year 2018

Publication:Report

Kosten und Nutzen einer europäischen Bodenrahmen-Richtlinie für Deutschland

Year 2018

Publication:Report

This report presents the key concepts, definitions, and implementation approaches for SDG 15.3 on "Land Degradation Neutrality" (LDN). It discusses options for implementing LDN in Germany and suggests a proxy indicator based on land use changes. For this purpose, the core ideas, definitions and implementation approaches of the LDN concept are presented at the international level and a seven-stage procedure for national implementation is developed. This report by Ecologic Institute is available for download.

Land Degradation Neutrality

Handlungsempfehlungen zur Implementierung des SDG-Ziels 15.3 und Entwicklung eines bodenbezogenen Indikators

Year 2018

Publication:Report

This report by Ecologic Institute deals in particular with the European discussion on the implementation of the Land Degradation Neutrality (LDN) concept. It deals with the European peculiarities of implementation and develops an indicator based on land-use changes. The report is available for download.

Implementing SDG Target 15.3 on "Land Degradation Neutrality"

Development of an Indicator Based on Land Use Changes and Soil Values

Year 2018

Publication:Report

Building on the idea - namely that an open and informed dialogue on complex topics such as the bioeconomy and engaging with variety of stakeholders and the general public may bring the concept of the bioeconomy closer to the society - BioSTEP experimented with different participatory tools including workshops, living lab activities, and exhibitions. This report describes the lessons learned from BioSTEP’s engagement activities and provides recommendations for future EU research.

Engaging Stakeholders and Citizens in the Bioeconomy

Lessons learned from BioSTEP and recommendations for future research

Year 2018

Publication:Document

Kemper, Melanie 2018: Website-Konzept für die Einbindung der Plastikpiraten in die Website der Fördermaßnahme "Plastik in der Umwelt" www.bmbf-plastik.de. Berlin, unpublished.

Website-Konzept für die Einbindung der Plastikpiraten in die Website der Fördermaßnahme "Plastik in der Umwelt"

Year 2018

Publication:Website

The Ecologic Institute designed and developed the bilingual project website "Plastic in the Environment". It contains an interactive map, which gives an overview of all funded projects. Furthermore the website provides detailed information on the projects and related events as well as publications for download. User can also directly subscribe for the newsletter.

Plastic in the Environment

Year 2018

Publication:Book Section

Edenhofer, Ottmar; Christian Flachsland and Lisa Katharina Schmid 2018: Decarbonization and EU ETS Reform: Introducing a Price Floor to Drive Low-carbon Investments. In: 12 Years of European Emissions Trading in German Stocktaking and perspectives for effective climate protection, 1. ed. Marburg: Michael Angrick, Christoph Kühleis, Jürgen Landgrebe, Jan Weiß.

Decarbonization and EU ETS Reform: Introducing a Price Floor to Drive Low-carbon Investments

Year 2018

Publication:Document

Stelljes, N., McGlade, K., Martinez, G., BONUS SOILS2SEA Deliverable 6.4. Results from stakeholder workshops on governance concepts. Ecologic Institute, Berlin, December 2017, www.soils2sea.eu

Results from Stakeholder Workshops on Governance Concepts

Year 2017

Publication:Report

Ecologic Institute analysed how three key elements of the Paris Agreement are being taken up in the EU: the long-term objectives, the 5-year pledge & review process and the planning instrument "long-term strategies".

Happy Birthday, Paris Agreement! Here is how the EU will be celebrating

State of play on the negotiations on the Energy Union Governance Regulation on three core elements of the Paris Agreement

Year 2017

Publication:Report

The study analyses the coverage of environmental impacts in EU impact assessments and identifies lessons for Germany and the European Union. The focus is on how environmental effects – qualitatively, quantitatively and in monetary terms – are taken into account in the EU impact assessment process, especially in comparison to economic and social impacts. The study is available for download.

Coverage of Environmental Impacts in EU Impact Assessments

Year 2017

Publication:Book Section

With this contribution Doris Knoblauch and Susanne Langsdorf from Ecologic Institute offer an easy-to-use three-step process that allows for a meaningful assessment of projects' sustainability. The process has already been tested by two digitization projects. The article is available online in the "Monitor Nachhaltige Kommune. Report 2017" published by the Bertelsmann Stiftung.

Nachhaltige Kommunen durch Digitalisierung?!

Ein Verfahren zur Einschätzung der Auswirkungen kommunaler Digitalisierungsprojekte auf eine nachhaltige Entwicklung

Year 2017

Publication:Report

13 case studies from different parts of the world are presented in this report as examples for policy-makers and stakeholders interested in developing long-term climate policy frameworks that are compatible with the Paris Agreement.

"Paris Compatible" Governance: long-term policy frameworks to drive transformational change

A comparative analysis of national & sub-national case studies

Year 2017

Publication:Report

The EU is currently negotiating a comprehensive reorientation of energy and climate policy for the decade 2020-2030. In this strategy brief, Katharina Umpfenbach discusses how the next German federal government can shape the EU negotiations so as to create an EU electricity market regulation that is conducive to the German energy transition. Four central elements are identified: raising the ambition of energy targets and introducing long-term targets, developing effective oversight instruments to ensure compliance, adjusting the electricity market to the needs of wind and solar power, and initiating an exit strategy for coal firing. The strategy brief is available for download.

Nach der Bundestagswahl: Worauf es für die deutsche Politik beim Energiepaket der EU ankommt

Year 2017

Publication:Report

Introduction to the RISC-KIT Web Based Management Guide for DRR in European Coastal Zones

Year 2017

Publication:Document

'Protecting the natural environment is part of our responsibility for future generations' – this is the environmental policy guiding principle of the coalition agreement of Merkel's third cabinet. Has the Federal Government made environmental protection its guiding principle in the last four years? The answer: there is light and shadow. More light in international environmental policy and more shade at home. There have been some important achievements, but in the last four years none of the negative environmental trends have been stopped or even reversed. All in all far too little – as Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf finds in this opinion paper.

Merkels Umweltpolitik: außen hui, innen pfui? – Meinungsbeitrag

Year 2017

Publication:Report

How can we improve policy monitoring of national implementation to further protect the Arctic environment and its inhabitants? With the WWF Arctic Council Scorecards, Ecologic Institute and WWF International Arctic Programme undertook the effort to provide a first overview of the implementation status of specific recommendations by the Arctic Council with a particular focus on maritime activities, climate change and biodiversity protection as well as ecosystem-based management.

WWF Arctic Council Conservation Scorecard

Assessment Report

Year 2017

Publication:Book Section

The text book on "Regions and Regionalism in the International Relations" offers a theoretical and conceptual overview as well as comparative insights into a range of regional regulatory models, norms and institutions in Europe, Asia, Africa and the Americas. In a new publication, Arne Riedel, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, outlines the actors and cooperative efforts in the Arctic region and discusses actual regulatory developments, new actors as well as new political challenges.

Energie- und Umweltgovernance in der Arktis

Year 2017

Publication:Book

Ecologic Institute co-authored the guideline "Relevance of Indicators for Policy Making" which is the third and final publication in the Eurostat's series. This guideline takes a closer look at how indicators, which take up an increasingly prominent role in the political sphere, can improve policy making by providing examples from theory and practice. It also puts forward recommendations for researchers and experts on how to create indicators that are relevant, and points out the potential stumbling blocks of using indicators to guide political processes. The guideline is available for download.

Towards a Harmonised Methodology for Statistical Indicators – 2017 Edition

Part 3 – Relevance of Indicators for Policy Making

Year 2017

Publication:Report

Stelljes, N, Albrecht, S, Martinez, G., McGlade, K. BONUS SOILS2SEA Deliverable 6.2. Proposals for new governance concepts and policy options. Ecologic Institute, Berlin, May 2017, www.Soils2Sea.eu

Proposals for New Governance Concepts and Policy Options

Publication:Article

Participation in the adaptation processes of river basin planning is necessary for sustainable water management. The article supports this statement by providing an overview of the work carried out within the framework of the BeWater project. We illustrate the methodology applied in the project, which resulted in four river basin adaptation plans for catchments in Cyprus, Tunisia, Spain and Slovenia. Furthermore, the project's case studies are presented as well as the challenges that stakeholders identified within their respective river basins. We show how the project was initiated in the case study basins and how it influenced their river basin management processes. An overview of the prioritized measures is given as well as a summary of BeWater's contributions to future river basin management undertakings. We end the overview with an outlook on how stakeholder participation can improve river basin adaptation.

Supporting Stakeholder Participation in Adaptive River Basin Management

Year 2017

Publication:Document

A new note by the Ecologic Institute summarizes why a quantitative, binding and ambitious EU long-term climate target is essential for the EU to meet its obligations under the Paris Agreement. This long term target should be supported by a robust review mechanism. The note is available for download.

EU Climate Policies for the 21st Century

The Case for a Strong EU Long-term Target and a Robust Review

Year 2017

Publication:Book Section

The book, "Germany's New Responsibility" (Deutschlands Neue Verantwortung), contains contributions from 144 key political, practical and scientific thinkers, whose joint message underlines the challenges to and necessity of a new German foreign policy. In his article, R. Andreas Kraemer, founder and director emeritus of Ecologic Institute, explains how Germany, Europe and other western powers should react in the face of withdrawal and isolationist foreign policy by the USA. His contribution emphasizes the opportunities that arise through enhanced cooperation with countries in the South Atlantic and demonstrates how Germany can do justice to its global responsibility.

Koordinierte Weltinnenpolitik: Zusammendenken im atlantischen Raum

Year 2017

Publication:Report

This paper analyzes the proposal of the European Commission for a new regulation on the "Governance of the Energy Union". The analysis is framed around two questions: Is the proposed system adequate for supporting the implementation of the 2030 targets? Will it help Europe to get on a long-term pathway to a zero carbon economy? The paper focuses on the National Energy and Climate Plans (NECPs) as well as compliance and contains concrete proposals in legal language on how to improve the Commission's proposal. This paper builds on related papers by the Ecologic Institute and takes inspiration from intense discussions with colleagues in the ECF Governance cluster.

Governance of the Energy Union

Assessment of the Commission Proposal for a Governance Regulation

Year 2017

Publication:Report

Afman, Maarten et. al. 2017: EU Energy Market Policy: Local and Regional Experience and Policy Recommendations. European Committee of the Regions: Brussels.

EU Energy Market Policy

Local and Regional Experience and Policy Recommendations

Year 2017

Publication:Video

This movie gives an overview of the five tools developed within the EU-funded collaborative FP7 project RISC-KIT: 1) a Storm Impact Database, 2) a Coastal Risk Assessment Framework, 3) a Web-based Management Guide, 4) a Hotspot tool and Early Warning System and 5) a Multi-Criteria Analysis Guide. These products will enhance forecasting, prediction and early warning capabilities, improve the assessment of long-term coastal risk and optimize the mix of prevention, mitigation and preparedness measures. The movie, animated by Ecologic Institute's visual designer Beáta Vargová, is available via Ecologic Institute's YouTube channel.

An Introduction to RISC-KIT

Year 2016

Publication:Document

As the EU considers early ratification of the Paris Agreement, this paper explains the related key legal questions that arise should the EU push to ratify without its internal burden sharing in place and without all Member States ratifying simultaneously. The paper is available for download.

Stein, Ulf; Gül Özerol; Jenny Tröltzsch et. al. 2016: "European Drought and Water Scarcity Policies", in: Bressers, Hans; Nanny Bressers; Corinne Larrue (eds.): Governance for Drought Resilience. Land and Water Drought Management in Europe. Heidelberg: SpringerOpen, 17-43.

European Drought and Water Scarcity Policies

Year 2016

Publication:Book Section

Vidaurre, Rodrigo; Ulf Stein; Alison Browne et. al. 2016: "Eifel-Rur: Old Water Rights and Fixed Frameworks for Action", in: Bressers, Hans; Nanny Bressers; Corinne Larrue (eds.): Governance for Drought Resilience. Land and Water Drought Management in Europe. Heidelberg: SpringerOpen, 67-82.

Eifel-Rur: Old Water Rights and Fixed Frameworks for Action

Year 2016

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Adaptation
Agriculture
Arctic
Biodiversity
Bioeconomy
Cities
Climate
Climate Foreign Policy
Coastal + Marine
Communication
Consumer Policy
Culture + Ecology
Digitalization
EU
Economics
Education
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Evaluation
Events
Finance
Food
Foreign Policy
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Publications

Environmental risk drivers and transformative governance responses in Europe

Gaps in national contributions and policies

A Systematic Literature Review From a Sustainability Transition Perspective

Clean Industrial Transition Monitor

Risks, opportunities and policy design choices

Assessment of the draft law of 11 November

Debunking the "unmanageable liability" claim

Enhancing climate policy management through simplification

Resource efficiency, nature-based solutions, and systemic transformation as responses to the complexity of the triple planetary crisis

2025 Flagship Report

Lessons from EU multilevel climate and energy dialogues

A practical guide for public authorities

A practical guide for public authorities

A snapshot of the transparency and policy information gaps of Member States' NECPs

UBA topic page

Functions and Options

Case study: Aligning short-term plans with long-term ambition

INTERLACE impulses for successfully implementing NbS in cities

Ariadne-Analyse

Options for using certified removal units and funding mitigation activities

Towards better implementation of ecological flows and water allocation in Europe

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MOOC

GOVAQUA policy matrix Part A

GOVAQUA policy matrix Part B

GOVAQUA policy matrix Part C

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Abschlussbericht

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Article in the Tagesspiegel

Article in the Tagesspiegel

Evaluation of the Commission Proposal

Ergebnisse der UBA Workshopreihe

Post-2030 crunch issues for the move to a net zero economy

Planning the user interface and information architecture of the European Climate Neutrality Observatory's website

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Abschlussbericht

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The Impact of Elites on Romania's Post-accession Europeanization

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Opinion

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Article in the Tagesspiegel

National frameworks for Carbon Dioxide Removals: State of play and how to improve it