The report "The Underlying Reasons for Resource (In)Efficiencies" documents the work performed in the EU-funded FP7 project DYNAMIX. This report identifies the main inefficiencies of resource use in the EU and investigates their drivers and underlying causes. While progress has been made in increasing the economic benefits of resource use in the EU, there is still significant potential to increase resource efficiency and hence to decouple economic development from resource use and environmental degradation. The report and and accompanying executive summary are available for download.

Agricultural management is a key priority area for achieving the objective of good ecological status of European waters under the Water Framework Directive (WFD). This report presents the outcome of work by the River Basin Network (RBN) on WFD and Agriculture in the period from 2010 to 2012. The RBN is a technical network established within the Expert Group on WFD and Agriculture. Comprised of 21 River Basins representing 14 Member States, the RBN mandate was to facilitate exchange of practical experiences and knowledge on good practices in support of the WFD implementation. The publication is available for download.

This collection of country reports assesses climate and energy policies in all 28 Members States of the European Union (EU). The reports were jointly produced by Ecologic Institute and eclareon to support the Directorate General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA) of the European Commission in its contributions to the European Semester. Covering the period between May 2012 and January 2013, the reports provide insight into national policy developments and progress towards the achievement of the EU’s climate and energy targets. The reports are available for download.

Drought has many different causes, features and impacts. However, it can be most efficiently tackled by societies through the application of "good governance" principles and strategies. Together with other research institutions working in the DROP project, Ecologic Institute developed a Governance Assessment Tool specifically adapted to drought purposes. This tool is available for download.

The negative external effects of profit oriented businesses on the environment and society have become increasingly visible following the financial crisis, and are most extreme in developing countries where high corruption rates often impede meaningful enforcement of existing legislation and where compensation measures for adversely affected groups rarely exist.

This monthly progress update is compiled by eclareon and Ecologic Institute and shows which policies and measures aiming at reducing greenhouse gas emissions are currently discussed, implemented or deleted in the different Member States. The update includes policies and measures in the area of environmental taxation, energy supply and in particular energy supply from renewable sources, energy networks, energy efficiency, transport as well as agriculture and waste. The updates are available for download.

The RADOST Report No. 19 deals with international case studies of climate adaptation. For each of the six RADOST focus topics (coastal protection, tourism and beach management, water management and agriculture, ports and maritime economy, conservation and land use and renewable energies) and accompanied by the topics planning and participation, three adaptation examples are presented.

Ranging from climate policies over the UN Convention on Biological Diversity to biofuels and resource efficiency policies, this paper summarizes the most important political starting points for a more sustainable land use. It has been developed within the project GLOBALANDS and presents the main results of the analysis of more than 120 policies worldwide. The analysis focuses on the policies' objectives and mechanism as well as their relevance for sustainable land use. The full report will be available in August 2013.

The Committee of the Regions (CoR) conducted a survey to assess the "Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion", a flagship initiative of the Europe 2020 Strategy between February and May 2013. The survey summarized in this report seeks to assess the effects and improvements achieved by the "Platform against Poverty and Social Exclusion" (EPAPSA) from the perspective of local and regional authorities.

This report presents the results of the survey on policy options for promoting the use of an EU-wide carbon calculator. It describes the methodology of the project, analyses the results and the strengths and weaknesses of each policy option and draws conclusions based on the results. The report is available for download.

Ecologic Institute again assumed the role of coordinator for the 2013 Indicators Report for a Sustainable San Mateo County. From September 2012 to April 2013, the team gathered data for more than 40 indicators for the 3Es: Economy, Equity, and Environment, which were further enriched by current policy developments, innovative local initiatives, and tips for more sustainable individual behaviors. The report is available for download.

Climate change will most likely impact the effectiveness and cost of measures to improve water quality. This must be taken into account in the future when selecting measures in accordance with the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Until now, the consequences of climate change have not been systematically incorporated into the economic analyses called for by the WFD. A new study in the RADOST focus topic "Water Management and Agriculture" evaluates analytical approaches used to date, thereby contributing to the necessary discussion on how existing and future programs could consider and integrate the consequences of climate change. The report is available online.

This synthesis report reflects on the four cases of alternative consumption and production niches observed in InContext. From the cross-examination of the empirical material, it distills tentative conclusions on what can be learnt from the emergence and governance patterns of these niches. The case study is available for download.

Brink, P. ten et al. 2013: The Economic benefits of the Natura 2000 Network. Synthesis Report. Institute for European Environmental Policy (IEEP), GHK, Ecologic Institut, Metroeconomica, EFTEC, Luxembourg. ISBN: 978-92-79-27588-3. The publication is available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, and Spanish.

This study investigates the importance ascribed to the actions taken by water providers to ensure the protection of water bodies and human health in current benchmarking approaches of drinking water utilities. New indicators to improve the representation of these services are also suggested. Additionally, light is shed upon the risks these measures may face should centralized economic regulation, such as that currently implemented in England and Wales, be introduced. Finally, the study summarizes the possible role benchmarking approaches can play in price oversight as well as in creating a transparent presentation of the actions taken to ensure the protection of water bodies and human health. The results of the study are available for download.