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Publications – Ecologic Institute EU
RADOST Handbook: Climate Change Adaptation Strategies in the Baltic Sea Region
This new handbook was developed under the project RADOST (Regional Adaptation Strategies in the German Baltic Sea Coast). It provides a concise overview of adaptation policies being planned and implemented at the national, regional and European level, including the status of National Adaptation Strategies for all Baltic Sea EU Member States. Read more ...
Integrating Resource Efficiency, Greening of Industrial Production and Green Industries – Scoping of and Recommendations for Effective Indicators
The study by Ecologic Institute develops an organising framework to summarise scientific findings concerning a diversity of indicators and assesses their potential applicability to measuring sustainable industries and sustainable industrial development. Altogether, it is suggested to apply a set of indicators in order to balance existing methodological challenges and to combine explanatory power. Read more ...
Mainstreaming Ecosystem Services through Reformed European Agricultural Policies
In this article published in Conservation Letters, members of the interdisciplinary Research Group on Ecosystem Services examine the possibilities and perspectives for a reorientation of the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP). The authors find that the current reform proposals do not take into account the knowledge generated by ecosystem research. They argue that the CAP should be reformed such that it serves as an instrument to safeguard ecosystem services from agricultural land. Read more ...
Rio+20: Sustainable Development Goals - The Environmental Pillar
Ecologic Institute and Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik (SWP) prepared a paper that gives an overview of selected sustainable development commitments, their shortcomings, and possible remedies, as discussed and agreed by relevant political fora. The paper and the summary of an expert workshop are available for download. Read more ...
RADOST Akteursanalyse - Teil II: Interessen, Nutzungsansprüche, Ziele und Konflikte relevanter Akteure der deutschen Ostseeküste vor dem Hintergrund des Klimawandels
How do relevant stakeholders on the Baltic Sea Coast perceive climate change in their region? What adaptation measures are well known and which should be implemented? Additionally, who are the relevant stakeholders? These and other questions are answered in the first part of the RADOST stakeholder analysis, which was written by staff members of Ecologic Institute. The report is available for download. Read more ...
Reform of Global Sustainable Development Institutions
The current institutional framework for sustainable development needs to be reformed, strengthened, better coordinated, and made more coherent. In a briefing paper for the conference "Green Development and Governance Innovation: Prospects on the Rio+20" on 17 and 18 April 2012 in Shanghai, Sascha Müller-Kraenner, Partner of Ecologic Institute, points out the urgency of such reforms. The briefing paper is available for download. Read more ...
Will there be More Water Conflicts as the Climate Changes? - Third CLICO Policy Brief
The recently published third policy brief of the EU-funded research project "Climate Change, Hydro-conflicts and Human Security" (CLICO) presents preliminary results on the relationship between climate change and conflicts related to water in the Mediterranean, the Middle East and the Sahel region. The policy brief, written by Christiane Gerstetter and Rodrigo Vidaurre of Ecologic Institute, is available for download. Read more ...
Evaluating Economic Policy Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in Europe: Overall Assessment Framework
The EPI-Water project aims to understand how Economic Policy Instruments (EPIs) succeed or fail in directing water resources to uses that reflect social value and priorities. The project, which runs from January 2011 to December 2013, uses a multi-faceted Assessment Framework (AF) to make ex-post evaluations of existing EPIs that have been operating in Europe and abroad, and make ex-ante evaluations of potential EPIs that may be implemented within Europe. The Review of the Assessment Framework is available for download.
Comparative Analysis Report
The EPI-Water project applies an evidence-based approach to the assessment of Economic Policy Instruments (EPIs) for water management. In this report, the 30 ex-post case study reviews undertaken in the work package 3 of the project are synthesized and cross-compared to extract a first set of common features and formulate hypotheses about the conditions under which EPIs contribute to policy options to achieve sustainable water management.
The Frontiers of Networked Governance
In this paper, researchers from the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and Ecologic Institute propose that a more decentralized governance structure is one possible solution for dealing with complex problems. The authors argue that highly complex problems, such as achieving sustainable development, are better solved by networks of diverse actors interacting and collaborating both inside and outside of government - what the authors call "governance networks". Such collaboration would make solutions more effective at the implementation stage. The report is available for download.
Effluent Tax in Germany
A policy mix consisting of regulatory and economic instruments can be very powerful in implementing and enforcing policies to address direct effluent emissions, as illustrated by this case study conducted by Ecologic Institute under WP3 of the FP7 EPI-Water project. In order to reduce point source pollution, several instruments were introduced in Germany throughout the years. In 1957, discharge permits were implemented under the Federal Water Act, followed by the effluent discharge fee of the Effluent Tax Act in 1976. In 1997, the Waste Water Ordinance introduced discharge limits and technological standards. The publication is available for download.
Water Abstraction Charges and Compensation Payments in Baden-Württemberg (Germany)
This case study conducted by Ecologic Institute analyzes the policy mix of economic and regulatory instruments introduced in the German state of Baden-Württemberg in order to address two key water management problems: excessive nitrate concentrations in groundwater and unsustainable water abstraction. Three different policy instruments have been applied: the Regulation on Protected Areas and Compensatory Payments (SchALVO) introduced in 1988 (a regulatory and economic instrument), water abstraction charges, and Market Relief and Cultural Landscape Compensation for farmers (MEKA), a voluntary instrument introduced in 1992. The publication is available for download.
Green Hydropower in Switzerland
This case study on green hydropower, conducted by Ecologic Institute, illustrates a novel application of economic policy instruments in European water management. Hydropower in Switzerland accounts for about 59% of the electricity supply. While hydropower is already considered a green energy, the sector's "green" potential has increased with the introduction of a new label certification scheme. The publication is available for download.
Zwei Schritte vor, einer zurück: Der Rebound-Effekt schränkt die Wirkung von Effizienzprogrammen ein.
An European study shows that the rebound effect repeal energy and resource savings between 10 and 30 percent. Therefore, the adverse effect should already taken into account when designing policy instruments to improve efficiency. If the measures are combined skillfully, the rebound effect can be decreased. The results of the project conducted by BIO Intelligence Service, GVSS, and Ecologic Institute are summarized in the journal articel. The article is available for download. Read more ...
The Risk of Competitive Exclusion During Evolutionary Branching: Effects of Resource Variability, Correlation and Autocorrelation
Evolutionary branching has been suggested as a mechanism to explain ecological speciation processes. In this article the authors use a mechanistic ecological model to examine the influence of demographic stochasticity and environmental fluctuations on the branching process.
Read more ...BioFresh Survey on Freshwater Biodiversity in Policy-making
Between June and August 2011, BioFresh Team members from Ecologic Institute and Oxford University School of Geography and the Environment undertook an online survey of stakeholders' opinions of the status and policy profile of freshwater biodiversity in policy-making and of various communication channels that link science and policy. The evaluation report is available for download.
Social and Economic Benefits of Enhanced Environmental Protection: Country Report Palestine
A transition to a green economy would create more social well-being and reduce environmental risks. This is the result of an analysis for European Neighbourhood Policy countries and the Russian Federation on social and economic benefits of enhanced environmental protection. The occupied Palestinian territory country report is available for download. Read more ...
Social and Economic Benefits of Enhanced Environmental Protection: Country Report Israel
A transition to a green economy would create more social well-being and reduce environmental risks. This is the result of an analysis of Socio-economic Benefits of Enhanced Environment Protection in the European Neighbourhood partner countries and the Russian Federation. The Israel country report is available for download. Read more ...
Benefit Assessment Manual for Policy Makers: Assessment of Social and Economic Benefits of Enhanced Environmental Protection in the ENPI Countries
A transition to a green economy would create more social well-being and reduce environmental risks. This is the result of an analysis for European Neighbourhood Policy countries and the Russian Federation on social and economic benefits of enhanced environmental protection. A Benefit Assessment Manual, which was developed and road-tested in this project and support policy makers who wish to conduct their own tailored benefit assessments, is available for download. Read more ...
EEWärmeG • Erneuerbare-Energien-Wärmegesetz - Kommentar
Lawyer Anke Rostankowski, who works as an Associate at Ecologic Institute, contributed to the latest commentary on the German Renewable-Energy-Heat-Law. Read more ...
