This new handbook was developed as part of the project RADOST (Regional Adaptation Strategies for 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.

In preparation for the Rio+20 conference, which took place in June 2012, the European Statistical Office (Eurostat) published a guide for citizens. The publication discusses trends and statistics concerning sustainable development from the viewpoint of Anne, a 17 year old student. Anne seeks answers to everyday questions and tries to find out if Europe has actually moved towards sustainable development over the past 20 years.

Ammermüller, Britta et. al. 2011: Cost-benefit assessment within the context of the EC Water Framework Directive. Method for justifying exemptions based on disproportionate costs. [Studies in Infrastructure and Resources Management, Bd. 3]. Berlin: Logos Verlag.

Ecologic Institute's lawyers Dr. Volker Hoppenbrock (Fellow) and Anke Rostankowski (Associate) have contributed to the latest commentary on the German Renewable-Energy-Law (EEG). The new issue of this practice-oriented legal standard work deals with the EEG which is one of the most important cornerstones of German environmental energy law.

The 2011 Eurostat monitoring report reviews the progress and implementation of the EU sustainable development strategy. The 2011 monitoring report was published on the Eurostat website. As partner in a consortium with the Vienna University of Economic and Business (RIMAS), INFRAS, and the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR), the Ecologic Institute played a substantial role in drafting the monitoring report on behalf of Eurostat.

This collection of essays brings together more than twenty experts with diverse professional and geographic backgrounds for a discussion of the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) and its prospective role beyond 2012. Using conceptual analyses and a series of evidence-based case studies, the authors identify important challenges and opportunities on the path towards CDM reform. Michael Mehling, President of the Ecologic Institute in Washington DC, is one of the book's editors and contributed to several chapters.

With the impending nuclear energy phase out, how can the energy system successfully adapt and rebuild? What concepts and which alliances are necessary for the transition from a fossil- nuclear world to the solar era? The Ecology Yearbook 2012 addresses these fundamental issues from economic, social, and technical perspectives. It keeps track of which options can lead to a green transformation, but also looks at unresolved environmental conflicts, which can only be addressed through innovators and new and transformative research. The Ecologic Institute is one of the institutes supporting the yearbook and has contributed a chapter to the 2012 edition.

This book presents a practical method to carry out a cost-benefit analysis in the context of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). Disproportionally high costs of measures can hinder the achievement of the "good ecological status". With the help of the presented method, the proportionality of the costs can be reviewed with low effort.

Although there are many information and data on the environmental and climate impact of consumption and production, it is difficult to evaluate their role and their connections in the overall picture. In this study, different quality requirements for environmental information are defined and compared by using the concept of the "True and Fair View."

In order to achieve the aims of the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD) in German river basin districts, comprehensive and cost-intensive measures are necessary. In the case of disproportionally high costs, exceptions regarding deadlines and environmental objectives are possible. Using the cost-benefit-analysis that is presented in this manual, these disproportionalities can be identified.

The Yearbook Ecology 2010 has been published at the beginning of September 2009. Ecologic Institute is one of the institutes supporting the yearbook and contributed three chapters on ecological transformation, water and oil to this year's edition.

Lawyer Anke Rostankowski, who works as an Associate at Ecologic Institute, contributed to the latest commentary on the German Renewable-Energy-Heat-Law. This issue of the renowned commentaries EEWärmeG: Erneuerbare-Energien-Wärmegesetz of the Beck Verlag deals with the legal and technical experiences that have been gained with the law.

At the EU level, there is great need for legal reforms concerning the liability of enterprises for violations of human rights and environmental norms abroad. This is the result of a study co-authored by Christiane Gerstetter, Fellow Ecologic Legal and pro bono lawyer for the European Center for Constitutional and Human Rights.

What is the state of sustainable development in the European Union? The 2009 Eurostat monitoring report reviews the progress and implementation of the EU Sustainable Development Strategy. The 2009 monitoring report was published on the Eurostat website.

The participation requirements (§14) of the EC Water Framework Directive (WFD) launched, for the first time, a broader discussion about participatory approaches in water management. Still, the demand for policies, which are oriented toward the public and public participation, is nothing new. Many forms of participation have been known and tested since the 70s and 80s. Most of them emerged from city and regional planning projects and discussions. In this book, the INTERREG III B project "RhineNet" presents its experiences based on its own as well as external case studies regarding the participation requirements of the WFD in the Rhine basin area.