Best, Aaron, Stefan Giljum, Craig Simmons, Daniel Blobel, Kevin Lewis, Mark Hammer, Sandra Cavalieri, Stephan Lutter and Cathy Maguire. 2008. Potential of the Ecological Footprint for monitoring environmental impacts from natural resource use: Analysis of the potential of the Ecological Footprint and related assessment tools for use in the EU's Thematic Strategy on the Sustainable Use of Natural Resources. Report to the European Commission, DG Environment.

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

The Environmental Performance Index (EPI) identifies targets for several core environmental policy categories and measures how close countries come to meet them. Ecologic compiled and analysed the data sources of the EPI for Germany, and assessed the methodologies of the Index. Based on this assessment, both the scientific and political relevance of the index for German environmental policy performance were determined. The report was published by the German Federal Environment Agency in UBA-Texte 09/08.

Impacts of climate change include increasing water scarcity and flood risk, along with decline in water quality. This study explores which ecosystems will be most impacted and analyses how the effects of climate change act as causes of additional emissions, thereby reinforcing global warming in a positive feedback loop. The paper was prepared for the European Parliament by Ecologic jointly with the Institute for European Environmental Policies (IEEP) and the Finnish Environment Institute (SYKE).

The objective of this study is to identify, describe and evaluate the measures already taken by Member States under the Water Framework Directive (WFD), Cross- Compliance (CC) and the United Nations Convention to Combat Desertification (UNCCD) to combat and mitigate the soil threats identified and their potential contribution to the soil conservation objectives as outlined in the EC Communication ‘Towards a Thematic Strategy for Soil Protection’ (COM (2006) 231 and 232).

The article analyses current European climate policy at three different levels: efforts undertaken by European actors at the international level (G8 summit), the domestic climate protection targets agreed at European level (Council Conclusions), and the challenges their implementation is faced with.

2007: Auswirkungen der Klimaänderung auf die Schweizer Volkswirtschaft (internationale Einflüsse). INFRAS/Ecologic/Rütter + Partner. Berlin/Rüschlikon/Bern.

Dworak, Thomas; Maria Berglund; Cornelius Laaser 2007: EU Water saving potential (Part 1 –Report). ENV.D.2/ETU/2007/0001r. Berlin.

Both the USA and Germany are currently engaged in a battle over the respective rights of the federal government vs. the states in determining environmental standards and regulations. In the United States, California and a number of other states are endeavoring to introduce emissions regulations, either singly or in regional partnerships. In Germany, reform of federalism could lead to exceptions from country-wide environmental regulations. In both instances, this tug of war could lead to disparate environmental regulations and standards from region to region, an outcome that could pose significant challenges for industry. An AICGS Policy Report focuses on the federalism debate as it relates to environmental regulation in Germany and the United States and its implications for business. This contribution of R. Andreas Kraemer focuses on federalism and environmental regulation in Germany and the EU.

Ecologic led a study examining the potential contributions that trade policy could make to combating climate change. The objective of the study was to provide Members of the European Parliament with an assessment of the relationships between international trade and climate change, and to identify possible means of using trade policy options to combat the problem. The study examined the economic, policy and legal aspects of the issue and included a quantitative evaluation of carbon dioxide emissions associated with specific traded and EU-produced goods. The study is available for download.

Schlegel, Stephanie; Camilla Bausch 2007: Akzeptanz und Strategien für den Ausbau Erneuerbarer Energien auf kommunaler und regionaler Ebene. Berlin.

Dworak, Thomas; Eleftheria Kampa; Colette de Roo et al. 2007: Simplification of European Water Policies. Brussels.

The book "Water and Liberalisation. European water scenarios" presents the results of the EUROMARKET project that analysed the organisation of the water supply and sanitation (WSS) sector in Europe. At the heart of the project was the development of possible scenarios for the future of the European WSS sector. Ecologic contributed one chapter to the book and analysed the environmental implications of the different scenarios.

The Regional Greenhouse Gas Initiative (RGGI) initiated the first regional greenhouse gas emissions trading system in the United States. This cap-and-trade program will begin on 1 January 2009 and will include sources from the electricity generating sector. The article by Camilla Bausch and Sandra Cavalieri analyses the implementation design of the RGGI trading scheme and its significance for the evolution of the international carbon market.

The transport sector has significant environmental impacts and subsidies are a significant piece of the policy framework that influences public and private decisions about transport. This report, which was published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) and co-authored by Ecologic, provides a comprehensive picture of transport subsidies, classifying them by subsidy type and transport mode.