Ecologic Institute

 The goal of this project is to identify threshold phenomena that are relevant for EU environmental policy (e.g., water quality, natural resource use) using the available literature and data as well as to develop appropriate indicators for their monitoring. Read more ...

Ecologic Institute provides a case study on regulation and lessons learnt pertaining to the implementation of small-scale hydropower in Germany. The case study is one building block of a project funded by the Environmeng Agency of England and Wales allowing the EA to benefit from the experience of other EU Member States in complying with the regulation of environmental issues as part of hydropower project development. Read more ...

Electric vehicles can potentially make significant contributions towards achieving the EU’s climate protection goals in the transport sector. However, the environmental impacts of a large scale introduction of electric vehicles are still unknown. This project develops scenarios for the increased dissemination of electric vehicles in the EU until 2050 and will formulate policy recommendations from these findings. Read more ...

The goal of the study “Expanding the evidence base for consumer policies” is to contribute to the understanding of consumer behaviour and to how policies might best be designed to influence choice regarding environmental products and services. The study draws on knowledge from the field of behavioural economics and develops a series of hypotheses relating to consumer choice in regard to environmental goods and services. In addition, a blueprint to assess consumer policies is established. Read more ...

As part of the Transatlantic Climate Bridge, an informational trip for a group of political decision makers and entrepreneurs from the southern United States took place from 6 to 12 June 2010. The programme informed the participants about job creation in a “green” economy by using Germany as an example. In so doing, the main challenges and opportunities of a progressive climate and energy policy were presented. In addition to the focus on law making and political factors, other important aspects of the programme were the information exchange with experts in this field and the identification of best practice examples. The tour was organized and implemented by the Ecologic Institute. Read more ...

From 16 to 22 May 2010, a visitors programme on climate and renewable energy took place in Berlin, Dresden and Leipzig. The programme was organised by the Ecologic Institute in co-operation with the German Federal Foreign Office, addressing policy-makers at the state, regional and municipal level as well as journalists. The programme included appointments with experts from ministries, think tanks and NGOs as well as field trips to companies in the field of renewable energies (biomass, solar and windpower). Read more ...

Ecologic held the second Johns Hopkins Summer School on European environmental politics from the 17th to the 28th of May 2010. Experts from Ecologic Institute and other guest speakers held seminars on subjects ranging from European integration to European water policies. Johns Hopkins students also met with a variety of stakeholders in Berlin and Brussels to discuss European environmental policy. Read more ...

Environmental technologies are key for an environmentally friendly and sustainable world economy. International trade and private investment will play a critical role in promoting the widespread use of environmental technologies. Within this context, Ecologic Institute analyzed the relationship between environmental protection, trade and development. This study is available for download. Read more ...

The Arctic is often referred to as the bellwether of global climate change. According to the Arctic Climate Impact Assessment and the most recent assessment from IPCC, the warming rate is twice that of the global average, with predictions of further increases leading to substantial loss of Arctic sea ice and large-scale thawing of the permafrost. The Arctic has also been a bellwether for the impact of long-range transboundary air pollution, both regarding human health and how pollutants affect wildlife. Persistent organic pollutants (POPs) and heavy metals (e.g. mercury) are transported long distances through air and water, are deposited in the Arctic and bioaccumulate through the food chain. Some indigenous peoples have a high exposure to these pollutants, primarily through their diet. The goal of this project is to improve the effectiveness of EU environmental policies with respect to the Arctic region. Read more ...

The committees of the European Parliament play a critical role in ensuring the effectiveness of EU policy both during the development of legislation and policy and its subsequent implementation. The Committee on Foreign Affairs (called AFET for 'Affaires étrangères') is one of the 20 Committees of the European Parliament and is, among others, responsible for the Common Foreign Security Policy (CFSP) and the European Security and Defence Policy (ESDP). Ecologic Institute is leading a consortium of six institutes given a framework contract to provide the European Parliament’s Foreign Policy Committees with independent expert advice on a range of issues relating to developmental and environmental policy. During the course of this project, standard briefings, ad-hoc briefings, studies and workshops will be conducted. Read more ...

The research project LEDDRA deals with the socio-environmental fit of responses to land and ecosystem degradation and desertification (LEDD). It aspires to generate new knowledge on the theory of responses to LEDD, integrated methodologies to assess the fit of responses, and carries out applications adapting the ecosystem approach, and suitable policy guidance of future interventions. In this way, LEDDRA will provide support to sustainable land management and to responsive policy making at national, EU and international level. The Ecologic Institute analyses the policy context and develops policy recommendations as regards diverse responses to LEDD and response assemblages at the different spatial levels. Read more ...

Ecologic Institute provides a legal opinion on financial support for modernised small hydropower under the feed-in tariff scheme of the revised German Renewable Energy Act (EEG 2009). The costs for modernisation fulfilling the requirements of the feed-in tariff are frequently so high that they cannot be recovered by the feed-in tariff for one small hydropower installation alone. In its legal opinion for the environmental organisation Deutsche Umwelthilfe and the association "Buero am Fluss e.V., Ecologic Institute analyses whether each operator participating in joint measures could be entitled to claim the feed-in tariff even if the joint measures were not implemented at each and every installation. Read more ...

The project’s objective is to confer legal capacity on the Adaptation Fund Board in Germany. The Adaptation Fund Board (AFB) is the operating entity of the Adaptation Fund, a financial mechanism under the Kyoto Protocol. The Meeting of the Parties to the Kyoto Protocol decided in 2008 that the Adaptation Fund Board be conferred such legal capacity as necessary for the discharge of certain functions. Ecologic Institute provides legal expertise to the Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) regarding the German offer to host the Adaptation Fund Board and the preparation of German legislation to confer legal capacity on it. Read more ...

In this project, Ecologic Institute provides legal expertise and support to the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety on current issues of international environmental law. Ecologic’s input includes legal opinions and drafting as well as developing and assessing options for and during international negotiations. The project’s objective is to enhance the implementation of the Ministry’s positions at the multilateral and bilateral level. Read more ...