Ecologic Institute

The United Nations declared 2010 to be the International Year of Biodiversity. The European Commission is currently discussing a new target to halt the loss of biodiversity in Europe and the rest of the world. The Ecologic Institute is well positioned to contribute with a wide range of projects to developing meaningful steps towards a more effective policy for conserving biodiversity and ecosystems. Read more ...

The project aims to further refine estimations of costs and benefits associated with Natura 2000 network and to collect information and recommendations on methodologies for these estimations as applied at EU Member State level. Ecologic Institute and its partners have interviewed representatives from different ministries and key stakeholders in all 27 EU Member States to gather insights on costs and benefits associated with the network. Read more ...

The debates on the benefits and threats of genetically modified crops are highly controversial and often misleading due to insufficient information and varying interpretations of existing data. In addition, it has not clearly been shown whether farmers benefit economically over time from growing genetically modified crops in relation to growing conventional crops. The project aims at analysing the direct monetary and income effects for farmers growing genetically modified crops, as well as the decisive factors behind them.   Read more ...

Sustainability of biofuel policies is a largely debated issue, particularly with regards to environmental impacts. To address these issues, European and national legislative initiatives have been designed that aim to ensure the sustainability of biofuels. Germany has been among the top runners in trying to implement sustainability criteria for biofuels. In August 2009 the German government set up the Biomass-electricity-sustainability ordinance (“Biomassestrom-Nachhaltigkeitsverordnung”, abbreviated “BioSt-NachV”). The background paper written by the Ecologic Institute in October 2009 provides an overview for plant operators who will need to proof their compliance with the new ordinance. Read more ...

German water policy-making, analysed in this article by Wolfgang Rüdig and R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute, defies easy categorisation. Policy processes are highly complex, fragmented, and diverse. In the areas of drinking water supply and water pollution, the most important feature is the enormous importance of regional and local government in both policy formulation and implementation. Read more ...

The Lisbon Strategy for growth and jobs, launched by the European Council in 2000, has at its core the aim of creating a knowledgeable society and a European social model as well as innovative measures. It was relaunched by the 2005 Spring Council after only mixed results had been obtained up to that time. In 2007 and 2008, Member States were given specific recommendations on the actions to be taken concerning the objectives of the Lisbon Strategy. While these recommendations are directed primarily at the national governments of member states, regions and cities are also important actors and areas for sustainable growth. In order to reap the full benefits of regional programmes and their significant contribution to achieving the Lisbon objectives, the potential role of regional and local authorities in a new strategy for sustainable growth and better jobs will be investigated by the Ecologic Institute in this project. Read more ...

16 November 2009, Brussels - R. Andreas Kraemer
Since 2007, on initiative by the European Parliament, the European Commission (DG Relex) has sponsored transatlantic dialogues with a view to developing new approaches for handling global challenges.  A conference in Brussels on 16 November 2009 reviewed the results of the first 5 pilot projects.  R. Andreas Kraemer presented the outcomes of the Arctic Transform dialogue initiated by Ecologic Institute. Read more ...

Freshwater biodiversity patterns and the processes that maintain them at European and global scale are poorly understood for most freshwater organisms. The BioFresh FP7 project will build a public biodiversity information platform to bring together the vast amount of information on freshwater biodiversity currently scattered among a wide range of databases. This portal will allow scientists and planners to evaluate and examine how freshwater biodiversity responds to environmental pressures for more effective conservation planning. Read more ...

In a consortium of five research institutes, Ecologic Institut evaluates the effects of the national climate protection initiative (NKI). With an annual volume of 280 million Euro, this initiative represents a cornerstone of Germany's efforts at climate protection. In the course of the evaluation, the consortium will assess in what way the supported projects have contributed to the Germany's climate policy targets. Ecologic Institute covers a range of projects, including the fields of low-carbon transport, industrial transformation and biomass use. Read more ...

Under the title "Setting the Course for the Future, not Nursing a Hangover – After the Copenhagen Debacle, Europe Needs an Effective Strategy for Climate Negotiations", Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Senior Policy Advisor at the Ecologic Institute, suggests options for the future external climate policy of the European Union. The article (in German) is available exclusively online from Internationale Politik, Germany's leading foreign policy magazine. Read more ...

This project highlights case studies of best practices in car and bike sharing programs in the US and the EU. It assesses the challenges and promises of these programs. Max Grünig and Dominic Marcellino, the authors of the report, conclude that well-designed car and bike sharing programs should be integrated with public transportation to move toward sustainable transportation systems. Read more ...

29 September 2009, Ottawa - R. Andreas Kraemer
As the Cold War ends and the ice is melting in the Arctic, security and arms control, climate change and energy, present a new situation for the relations among nations and the joint management of the region.  On 29 September 2009, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation and the Rideau Institute convened an expert meeting in Ottawa to take stock of "The Arctic Today and Finding Common Transatlantic Ground".  R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute acted as discussant and moderated a session on energy and the environment. Read more ...

28 September 2009, Ottawa - R. Andreas Kraemer
Successive policy challenges and EU enlargement have added layers of policy, legislation, and institutions to create the current system for addressing environment, climate, energy, and sustainable development. R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute was invited to speak on "European Environmental Governance: Options for Cooperation" at the Centre for European Studies of Carleton University, Ottawa, ON, on 28 September 2009. Read more ...

18 June 2009, Prague - R. Andreas Kraemer
"Options and Opportunities for the future EU Sustainable Development Strategy" was the theme of the ESDN Conference 2009 in Prague on 17-19 June 2009, hosted by the Czech EU Presidency in cooperation with the Swedish EU Presidency.  Ecologic Institute contributed a background paper, and R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute was invited to speak on "Economic Stimulus Packages in Europe", and comment on the coherence of policy strategies in Europe and the challenges of policy integration. Read more ...