Contents:

1. New Options for Strengthening Standards on Social and Environmental Responsibilities of Corporations and their Implementation - Study for the European Parliament
2. Protection & Preservation of Fish Populations – What is Needed? - Results Paper
3. Two Takes on Action Research for Sustainability – InContext Briefs
4. Options and Proposals for the International Governance of Climate Engineering - Presentation
5. Climate Change and Nature Conservation in Europe - Presentations
6. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Adaptation Measures in Germany - Presentation
7. Arctic Summer College 2013 - Event
8. Recommendations for a German Environmental Policy for the Arctic -Presentation
9. Indicators on Light Pollution for Policy Making - Presentation
10. ITESM at Ecologic 2013 - Summer School on Environment and Sustainability

1. New Options for Strengthening Standards on Social and Environmental Responsibilities of Corporations and their Implementation - Study for the European Parliament

   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 study provides an overview of current Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) initiatives on the international level as well as specific approaches developed by NGOs and the private sector. The strengths and weaknesses of the implementation of CSR are analyzed both in general and more specifically in a case study on the mining sector in the Democratic Republic of Congo. The study ends with suggestions for future policy action to enhance CSR as a complementary tool to legislation for a range of economic, social and environmental challenges. The study is available for download.
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2. Protection & Preservation of Fish Populations – What is Needed? - Results Paper

   The third workshop in the Forum on Fish Protection and Downstream Migration addressed the biological foundations and management strategies for the protection and preservation of fish populations. The special focus of the workshop were the challenges to protecting and preserving fish populations during their downstream migrations at dams, hydropower structures, and water extraction facilities. The workshop’s goals were to establish an open discussion surrounding fish protection and downstream migration, as well as to identify areas of conflict, to develop a basis for a common understanding, and to identify remaining questions. The results paper (in German) is available for download.
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3. Two Takes on Action Research for Sustainability – InContext Briefs

   In times of urgent economic, environmental, and societal challenges, the resilience of communities is a necessary condition for long-term prosperity. Action research, the participatory production of new knowledge, can address these real-life problems, while generating theoretical insights. Results of the InContext project have been synthesized in a range of papers: One research brief reflects on the potential advantages and challenges of action research and gives practical advice. One policy brief outlines the main characteristics of this approach and the dificulties that these pose for research funders. Further briefs are available for download.
   https://incontext-fp7.eu/download

4. Options and Proposals for the International Governance of Climate Engineering - Presentation

   The Institute for European Studies in Brussels held a Policy Forum on 28 June 2013 which presented and discussed options and proposals for developing arrangements for the international governance of climate engineering. Based on a study for the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA) led by Ecologic Institute, the proposals were presented by Dr. Ralph Bodle, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, and Prof. Dr. Sebastian Oberthür, Academic Director of the IES at the Free University of Brussels. The presentation slides are available for download.
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5. Climate Change and Nature Conservation in Europe - Presentations

   On 25 and 26 June 2013, Timo Kaphengst, McKenna Davis and Susanne Altvater spoke on various aspects regarding climate change adaptation and nature conservation in Europe. Timo Kaphengst, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, held a presentation on the ecosystem-based approach (EbA) to adaptation. McKenna Davis and Susanne Altvater, both Fellows, held presentations during a parallel session on coastal and marine ecosystems. Their topics were green infrastructure as a tool for reducing Europe's vulnerability to climate change and the development of a strategy and action plan to support the adaptive capacity of the Baltic Sea region, respectively. The presentations are available for download.
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6. Cost-Benefit Analysis of Adaptation Measures in Germany - Presentation

   Due to the changing climate, cities and local administrations in particular must decide how they will implement climate adaptation measures. One instrument to support such local and regional decision-making processes is the cost-benefit analysis. Jenny Tröltzsch presented to and discussed Ecologic Institute's recent study results with participants from the Finnish project "Climate-Proof City – Tools for Planners." The presentation slides are available for download.
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7. Arctic Summer College 2013 - Event

   On 8 July 2013, Ecologic Institute began the 2013 Arctic Summer College. Ecologic Institute's Arctic Program hosts the program alongside a number of institutional partners: the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS); the Embassy of Canada, Germany; the International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN); and the WWF Global Arctic Programme. Outcomes of the Arctic Summer College will be shared on the Fellows' blog and through the program’s Twitter account. In addition, the website will regularly feature new updates with speaker information and presentations.
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8. Recommendations for a German Environmental Policy for the Arctic -Presentation

   Dr. Ralph Bodle and his colleagues presented a report by Ecologic Institute on possible courses of action for German environmental policy with an emphasis on the Arctic in the context of the German government's Arctic Dialogue. The report offered a number of different possibilities of how Germany could work towards improving nature conservation in the Arctic.
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9. Indicators on Light Pollution for Policy Making - Presentation

   Lucas Porsch, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, was asked to comment on presentations regarding the economic costs of light pollution held during the conference "The bright side of the night." In his comments, Lucas Porsch set out the criteria for light pollution indicators to be usable in practical policy making. He explained the type of valuations of environmental damages used in the assessment tool developed for the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the Federal Environment Agency (UBA). He also summarized the potential inclusion of light pollution indicators into the work on the Environmental Pressure Index.
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10. ITESM at Ecologic 2013 - Summer School on Environment and Sustainability

    Following a successful cooperation in 2012 between Ecologic Institute and the Instituto Tecnológico y de Estudios Superiores de Monterrey (ITESM), a second edition of the Environment and Sustainability Summer School took place from 10 to 20 June 2013 in Berlin. A total of 60 students from northern Mexico participated in a series of lectures and activities designed to exhibit the direct applications of German environmental and sustainability policies.
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