As a part of the UN climate change negotiations in Bonn, Ecologic Institute has organized an official side event covering European Union climate and energy policy. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) convenes at least twice each year, with the midpoint meeting taking place in the former German capital. The event will offer an opportunity to discuss tradeoffs and synergies in current EU policy, in light of recent research and political debates.

On 5 June 2014, the one-day conference "Climate Mitigation Requires Initiative – Conference on the Strategic Development of the NKI" took place in Berlin under the scope of the project "Strategic Development of the National Climate Initiative (NKI)". 150 participants from policy, business, scientific institutions, and civil society discussed and exchanged their views on the main focal points for the further development of the NKI. The presentation slides are available for download.

Which invasive species can be found in Berlin and Brandenburg? Have you ever wondered what they taste like? Come try it out at our final event of the series Biodiversity - local/global and learn more about these organisms from Prof. Dr. Jasmin Joschi from Potsdam University and Peter Becker from NewTritionInk. 
 

At the European Maritime Day in Bremen (EMD) on 20 May Dr. Grit Martinez, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute presented the first results of a multidisciplinary research endeavor on socio-cultural aspects regarding resilience, preparedness and action to risks at European coast. The research is part of the EU FP7 Collaborative project RISC-KIT (Resilience-Increasing Strategies for Coasts-Toolkit, duration 2013-2017).

As a new element in the Ecologic Institute's long-standing cooperation with the Duke University in North Carolina, the Institute hosts a course on the German Energiewende. For the second time, the Ecologic Institute organizes this course as part of the 2014 Summer in Berlin program jointly organized by Duke University and Rutgers.

During the European Maritime Day (EMD) more than 1000 participants from politics, economy, science, and NGOs, the seventh EMD centered on the question of sustainable use of seas and oceans. Ecologic Institute, presented by Dr. Grit Martinez, Susanne Altvater, and Dr. Nico Stelljes presented research results and discussed the results with locals from Bremen and the surrounding region.

In many regions, the non-native introduction of animal- and plant species is increasing and is one of the greatest threats to biodiversity. Why is this so and what can be done about it? In this 8th event of the series Biodiversity - local/global, Katrin Schneider, from KORINA - UfU e.V. Halle, took a closer look at this problem.

 


On 7 May 2013, Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, took part in a discussion in Berlin on the energy transition in Germany (Energiewende) organized by the Friedrich Naumann Foundation. The other contributors were Herrmann-Otto Solms (FDP) and Georg Zachmann (Breughel Institut, Brussels). Steffen Hentrich (Liberal Institut) moderated the discussion. About 60 participants attended the event.

What shape will the future governance framework of European climate and energy policy take? The proposal submitted by the European Commission at the beginning of this year raises more questions than it answers in this regard. Dr. Camilla Bausch and Christine Lucha of the Ecologic Institute invited experts to a workshop to discuss the meaning of the commission's suggestions with a particular view toward electricity infrastructure. All presentation slides are available for download.