Within the framework of the 11th International Conference on Permafrost (ICOP 2016) organized by the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research and taking place in Potsdam from 20 to 24 June 2016, the International Arctic Science Committee (IASC), in cooperation with the Embassy of Canada and the Ecologic Institute, will hold an event on the topic of "Permafrost Research at the Science-Policy Interface". Registration for ICOP 2016 is open until 31 May 2016.

In the last few years, transformation research has gained increasing attention as means of studying socio-ecological crises and radical change towards sustainability. Especially the transformative research mode, through which research actively engages in societal change processes, is intensely debated. This workshop, organized by DRIFT with support from Ecologic Institute, aimed at self-reflection on empirical and theoretical foci, frameworks and suitable research methods in transformation research. The workshop report is available for download.

The book "Governance for Drought Resilience" presents the findings of scientists and practitioners who collaborated on the project "Benefits of Governance in Drought Adaptation" (DROP). It aims to aid regional water authorities and other relevant stakeholders interested in governance assessment. Staff members from Ecologic Institute summarized regional studies; contributed to the cross-cutting perspective chapters on nature, agriculture, freshwater and introduced European drought and water scarcity policies.

On 23 May 2016, the ELEEP Network hosted a Side Event at the May UNFCCC meeting in Bonn. The event featured guest speakers Aki Kachi (ELEEP Fellow 2015/2016) and Michael Mehling (MIT). Matthias Duwe (Head of Climate, Ecologic Institute) moderated the event. During the event, the speakers discussed existing options for the development of carbon markets post-Paris and provided a perspective on what they could mean for carbon markets in the US and the EU. A video recording of the event can be viewed on the ELEEP Network YouTube Channel.

The workshop "Rostock 2050 - Measures for a post-carbon city, was the fourth and final workshop held in Rostock as part of the project Post-Carbon Cities in Europe: A Long-Term Outlook (POCACITO). In this workshop, the results of the modelling excercise undertaken by the POCACITO team were presented to and discussed with the stakeholders of the participation process in Rostock. The modellers had quantified the decided-upon measures and the ambitious measures of the post-carbon vision elaborated in the previous workshops. The results were presented in a "business-as-usual 2050" and a "post-carbon 2050" scenario. Learing from these results the participants dicussed the gaps remaining on the trajectory to a post-carbon future and which areas should be prioritized to be successful. Furthermore, a focus was on the question, how the EU or the national level could help the city of Rostock to reach its post-carbon goals.

As part of its long-standing cooperation with Duke University, the Ecologic Institute implemented a course on Germany's energy transition (Energiewende), offered to Duke students as part of the Duke in Berlin Summer Program.

On Saturday, 23 April 2016, 15 children and young adults between the ages of 10 and 17 from different parts of the Ahrensfelde municipality met to participate in a creative workshop. The goal was to create a vision of how their community should develop sustainably until 2030. The day-long workshop was organized by Ecologic Institute in cooperation with the Hochschule Eberswalde, the youth coordinator of the community and the municipality.

What could be better than linking fun pastimes—like swimming in the Baltic Sea—with curricular activities? As part of the "Year of Science 2016/17 Seas and Oceans" students, Johanna Gronewald, Kira Paprotka and Bleona Veselaj, from the Rheingau-Gymnasium secondary school in Berlin discussed adaptation strategies to deal with climate change ef-fects at the German Baltic Sea with Dr. Grit Martinez from Ecologic Institute.

The conference "Cities and Climate Change – the deluge ahead" on the prevention, adaptation and management of heavy rainfalls took place in Münster on 7 April 2016. The conference brought together 180 participants from management, policy, science, consultancy and practice and was organized by the Ministry for Climate Protection, Environment, Agriculture, Conservation and Consumer Protection of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MKULNV) and the Ministry for Economic Affairs, Energy, Building, Housing and Transport of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia (MBWSV). The objective of the conference was to provide a platform for dialogue and exchange between the participants. The knowledge transfer was aimed at increasing the awareness of climate impacts as well as showing the need for prevention.

We are excited to announce the eighth and final webinar in our POLIMP Webinar Series, which will feature a discussion with Prof. Michael Grubb, author of the book Planetary Economics, on the topic "Are EU climate policies up to the challenge of decarbonizing Europe?". The webinar will be moderated by Ecologic Institute’s Benjamin Görlach (Head, Economics and Policy Assessment).

Christiane Gerstetter, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, participated in a dialogue TTIP organised by IFOK and funded by various German industry associations. She also contributed as an expert to a citizens' forum in Jena in December 2015 and to an expert hearing in Berlin in January 2016. Videos of the hearing in German are available online.

This webinar brings together three experts in conversation about the Arctic at COP21, its effects on the region today, and the prospects for renewable energy for both mitigation and adaptation. Arctic policymakers and residents are facing a unique opportunity to reinvent circumpolar energy development for a sustainable future.

Amory Lovins supplied the intellectual DNA for the Energy Transition, notably with his concept of "Soft Energy" and how it promotes peace and prosperity. In recognition of his many contributions, he received the German Bundesverdienstkreuz 1. Klasse (Officer's Cross of the Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany) on 17 March 2016 at the Federal Foreign Office. Ecologic Institute and the Hertie School of Governance held a reception in celebration of Amory Lovins' achievements the following day.

In the project "Scientific coordination of research projects on a sustainable economy" (Wissenschaftliche Koordination der Fördermaßnahme Nachhaltiges Wirtschaften, NaWiKo) Ecologic Institute and its partners coordinate 30 research projects, which deal with a more sustainable economy and are supported by the Federal Ministry for Education and Research (Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung, BMBF).

We are excited to announce the seventh webinar in our POLIMP Webinar Series, which will feature a discussion on the topic "Sharing the effort for 2030: main issues for future EU targets" moderated by Ecologic Institute's Head of Climate, Matthias Duwe.