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Economics

Economics

Our economic model has brought prosperity to large parts of humanity – but it has also led us into a series of crises. The continuing overuse of natural resources has caused the climate crisis, an unprecedented loss of biodiversity, and damaged water, air, and soil. Therefore, we need to transform our economic system to remain within the carrying capacity of our climate and ecosystems, and to become resilient toward unfolding climate change. Through its projects and publications, Ecologic Institute develops solutions for this transformation.

Of central importance are incentives for sustainability – for consumers and investors alike. Economic instruments such as emissions trading systems, environmental taxation, or the reduction of environmentally harmful subsidies play a role here, as does a reform of the financial system. Ecologic Institute uses a suite of analytical tools to identify which incentives need to be corrected and which barriers need to be overcome.

This also includes the issue of how we measure economic progress. This concerns welfare indicators as well as the economic valuation of environmental goods and services, and the question of how such approaches can inform policy decisions.

At the same time, Ecologic Institute's team of economists investigates potential economic transformation pathways toward sustainability and climate protection. This includes analyses of the impacts of such transformations – for example, on employment and international competitiveness.

Contact

Resource Conservation + Circular Economy

Trade

Evaluation

Economics

Finance

Indicators

Digitalization

Health

Aaron Best
Coordinator Digitalization and AI
Senior Fellow

Bioeconomy

Economics

Land Use

Agriculture

Biodiversity

Holger Gerdes
Coordinator Bioeconomy
Senior Fellow

Economics

Energy

Trade

Climate

Evaluation

Finance

Education

Industry

Benjamin Görlach
Head, Economics and Policy Assessment
Senior Fellow

Economics

Climate

Agriculture

Land Use

Finance

Biodiversity

Coastal + Marine

Water

Adaptation

Evaluation

Economics

Bioeconomy

Indicators

Health

Governance

Jenny Tröltzsch
Coordinator Adaptation
Senior Fellow

Climate

Energy

Mobility

Indicators

Evaluation

Economics

Eike Karola Velten
Coordinator Energy
Senior Fellow
Selected Projects for Economics
 

© Heng kong Chen | Fotolia.com

Companies in countries with strong climate protection efforts often perceive these efforts as a competitive disadvantage. The risk, that companies lose market share due to asymmetric climate protection efforts or that new investments in ambitious countries decrease is... Read more
 
Logo des Dialogforums Wirtschaft macht Klimaschutz
The Dialogue Forum "Business mitigates climate change" aimed to increase networking within the German economy to improve climate protection. After the spring of 2017, around 100 companies from all sectors of the economy worked closer together and exchanged information.... Read more
 
| Goran.Smith2 | www.wikimedia.org | Anti-flooding barrier at the banks of Danube river, Novi Sad, Serbia
The COACCH project (CO-designing the Assessment of Climate CHange costs) is an EU funded Horizon 2020 project assessing the economic costs of climate change and climate actions. The project is coordinated by the Euro Mediterranean Centre for Climate Change (CMCC)... Read more

CO-designing the Assessment of Climate Change Costs (COACCH)

Duration
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Funding
 
| Fotolia © focus finder
The ECONADAPT project, on the Economics of Adaptation, was a research project funded by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme (FP7). Recognizing that there is an economic rationale for climate change adaptation, the ECONADAPT project set out to advance the... Read more

Economics of Climate Change Adaptation in Europe (ECONADAPT)

Duration
-
Funding
 
BRIGAID: Testen, Business Development und Marketing
Climate adaptation innovations could significantly reduce Europe's exposure to climate hazards such as droughts, floods, and extreme weather. However, many innovations fail to reach the market because innovators lack the funds and ability to turn their prototypes into... Read more

Bridging the Gap for Innovations in Disaster Resilience (BRIGAID)

Duration
-
Funding
 
©Kob|Fotolia.com
The European commission strives for carbon-neutrality in Europe by 2050. In order to achieve this goal, the energy intensive industries will have to reduce their emissions substantially. On behalf of the European Parliament, CE Delft and Ecologic Institute will... Read more
 
The EPI-Water project aims to assess the effectiveness and the efficiency of Economic Policy Instruments in achieving water policy goals and to identify the preconditions under which they complement or perform better than alternative (e.g., regulatory or voluntary)... Read more

Evaluating Economic Policy Instruments for Sustainable Water Management in Europe (EPI-Water)

Duration
-
Funding
 
|©EvgenyKuklev|iStockphoto.com
Ecologic Institute is member of the European Topic Centre on Inland, Coastal and Marine waters (ETC-ICM) which works with the European Environment Agency (EEA) under a Framework Partnership Agreement for the period from 2019 to 2021. The ETC-ICM aims to provide... Read more
 
© Fotolia: magann
Urban water use is a major pressure impacting the ecological status of European rivers. The DESSIN project promotes more sustainable, adaptive, and cost-effective urban water management through the testing and promotion of innovations. The project aims to demonstrate... Read more

Demonstrate Ecosystem Services Enabling Innovation in the Water Sector (DESSIN)

Duration
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Funding
 
Knowledge, Assessment, and Management for AQUAtic Biodiversity and Ecosystem Services aCROSS EU policies (AQUACROSS) aims to support EU efforts to protect aquatic biodiversity and ensure the provision of aquatic ecosystem services. Funded by Europe's Horizon 2020... Read more
 
Ecologic Institute supported EUREAU in its contribution on financial sustainable solutions for the water sector within the context of the 2012 World Water Forum in Marseille. One key aspect of these solutions is the promotion of the "3Ts" approach developed by the... Read more
All projects on Economics
Selected Publications for Economics
 
Climate Change 43|2019
With the adoption of the Paris Agreement, the world of climate policy has changed, with important implications for the debate on carbon leakage. This report looks at how the risk of carbon leakage changes for different constellations of climate policy targets, how the... Read more

Görlach, Benjamin and Elizabeth Zelljadt (2019): Carbon Leakage Risks in the Post-Paris World. UBA Climate Change 43/2019. Dessau-Roßlau: Umweltbundesamt

Water Economics

 
Cover

© EEA

Despite the legislation in place and the growing awareness of the need for full cost recovery and incentive pricing in the European water sector, Member States have not yet achieved the objective of integrating these key principles into their water policy. Through a... Read more

Gorm Dige, Gloria De Paoli, Pierre Strosser, Gerardo Anzaldua, Andrew Ayres, Marlene Lange, Manuel Lago, Frans Oosterhuis, Mojca Hrabar, Stale Navrud 2013: Assessment of cost recovery through water pricing. ISBN: 978-92-9213-409-9, ISSN: 1725-2237.

 
Lago, M., Mysiak, J., Gómez, C.M., Delacámara, G., Maziotis, A. (Eds.) 2015: Use of Economic Instruments in Water Policy. Insights from International Experience. Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing. ... Read more

Lago, M., Mysiak, J., Gómez, C.M., Delacámara, G., Maziotis, A. (Eds.) 2015: Use of Economic Instruments in Water Policy. Insights from International Experience. Heidelberg: Springer International Publishing.

All publications on Economics
Selected Events for Economics
 
Bundesumweltministerin Svenja Schulze | Foto: Stefan Röhl
The final event of the dialogue forum "Wirtschaft macht Klimaschutz" took place on 11 March 2020 at the Turbinenhalle in Berlin. Over the past two years, representatives from more than 100 companies have jointly developed ideas, projects and concrete steps to promote... Read more

Conference:Business Mitigates Climate Change – Final Event of the Dialogue Forum

Date
Location
Berlin, Germany

Protection of Aquatic Biodiversity

 
AQUACROSS Final Conference - © www.michaelchia.eu
On 10 and 11 October 2018, the AQUACROSS Final Conference on "Ecosystem-Based Management for the Protection of Aquatic Biodiversity – Practice and Lessons Learnt" took place in Brussels. AQUACROSS project team members presented different tools and results on aquatic... Read more

Water Economics

 
Mikael Skou Andersen, Lukasz Latala, Manuel Lago und R. Andreas Kraemer
The first conference of the EPI-Water Project, entitled "Understanding the Application of Economic Policy Instruments in Water Management", was organized and hosted by Ecologic Institute on 26 and 27 January 2012 in Berlin. EPI-Water is funded by DG Research &... Read more

Conference:First EPI-Water Conference in Berlin

Date
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Location
Berlin, Germany
All events on Economics