On 3 September 2024, Dr Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, held a presentation on ‘Legislation between Climate Action and Security of Supply - Challenges of the Energy Transition’ as part of a visit by a delegation from the Legislative Affairs Commission (LAC) of the Standing Committee of the National People's Congress of the People's Republic of China to the Federal Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Action. In addition to two further presentations by representatives of the Ministry, there was an exchange of views with the Chinese delegation.

In 2023, the EU adopted regulations defining under which conditions green hydrogen is considered as fully renewable and the methodology to determine the GHG intensity of hydrogen and other PtX products. To discuss these requirements with stakeholders from third countries considering to export renewable hydrogen or derivates to the EU, the International PtX Hub organized a workshop series in 2023. Raffaele Piria coordinated the conception of these workshops and gave a presentation on the climate and energy policy context for the EU's hydrogen strategies and policies.

At the invitation of the Italian Institute for International Political Studies (ISPI), Dr. Camilla Bausch held a "Lectio Magistralis". At this Lectio, leading experts such as Jean-Claude Trichet (Former President of the European Central Bank) and Sergei Guriev (Professor of Economics at Sciences Po in Paris) discuss key political and scientific insights with master's students of the ISPI School. Dr. Bausch's lecture focused on dynamics, setbacks and breakthroughs in international climate policy – including an outlook on 2023 and identifying opportunities for the students themselves to take action.

In this podcast's episode, Benjamin Görlach of the Ecologic Institute, describes how pricing and policy interact to foster a faster energy transition. Interviewed by Michael LaBelle, episode 66 covers everything from the EU's emission trading system, the dominance of electricity for transport and the 4i-TRACTION project – standing for innovation, investment, infrastructure and sector integration.

As the war in Ukraine escalates, the climate crisis continues. But environmental policy in particular could build important bridges, reminds Dr. Camilla Bausch Scientific & Executive Director of Ecologic Institute. In an interview with Elisabeth von Thadden, she discusses, among other things, the environmental impact of the war and the dichotomy over Ukraine's demand to the secretariats of thirteen major international environmental agreements to exclude Russia from relevant decision-making bodies and suspend Russian membership in the agreements.

R. Andreas Kraemer, founder of the Ecologic Institute and co-chair of the investment committee of the Ökovision Fund, puts it in a nutshell: "Neither nuclear power nor coal can replace gas or oil from Russia, and right now it is becoming clear how important energy efficiency and renewable energies are. We at Ökovision are counting on this and see no reason to reconsider our strict criteria". The article in the magazine "Finanztest" also shows that there are large grey areas in sustainable investment because criteria are formulated and applied differently. Especially with index funds or ETFs, investors cannot be sure how their money is invested.

Delivering for "People, Planet, Prosperity" is the proclaimed aim of the Italian G20 Presidency. The question as to how the G20 should work towards this aim was discussed at the Think 20 (T20) Summit in Milan in early October. The T20 Summit brought together 51 speakers, over 800 in-person participants and 16,000 online attendees from all over the world, reaching over 1 million people through social media.

The role of think tanks in a world of transitions and turbulences was the overarching topic of the 2019 Global Think Tank Summit in Rio de Janeiro. One of the prominent topics discussed was the climate crisis. In this context, an international panel chaired by Dr. Camilla Bausch examined new policies, paradigms and public engagement strategies around the world.

With future climate neutrality in view green activists from Berlin's city districts discussed local climate action at the "#FromVisionToAction!" conference. In her introductory keynote, Dr. Camilla Bausch elaborated on the current global political trends as well as the meaning of "climate neutrality", and discussed options for local action in the subsequent panel discussion with Regine Günther (Berlin Senator), Sascha Müller-Kraenner (DUH), and Clara Herrmann (District Councilor).

Whether and how to pursue “geo-engineering” as part of climate policy is a controversial and complex issue. The generic term describes a range of concepts that spans decreasing radiative forcing to removing CO2 from the atmosphere. Dr. Camilla Bausch moderated a two-day international workshop on the governance of geo-engineering in Brussels during which Dr. Ralph Bodle outlined the structure and criteria for addressing governance.

The aim of this EUSEW 2019 session was to launch the EEA report 'Adaptation challenges and opportunities for the European energy system: Ensuring a climate-resilient clean energy transition' and to discuss its key findings with relevant stakeholders. The report was presented by Eva Jensen (Head of Programme, Climate Change, Energy and Transport, EEA). Her presentation followed reflections from senior stakeholders from the European Commission (DG CLIMA and DG ENERGY), the International Energy Agency and a sector organisation (ENTSO-E), and a discussion with the audience. Matthias Duwe (Head, Climate, Ecologic Institute) moderated the session.

Ecologic Institute was asked by IASS to give a lecture on "Legal aspects of big data in the energy sector" at the ENavi Summer School 2019 on Digitalisation in the Energy Transition. Its participants consisted of persons with a strong interest in sustainability and energy topics at the beginning of their professional careers. The lecture presented the legal issues arising from the use of Big Data technologies in the context of energy supply.

Is it possible to modernize apartment buildings to net zero within just a few days? The innovators at ecoworks claim just this and were awarded with the jury’s prize at this year’s DENEFF annual conference. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute headed the jury for the third consecutive year to choose the winner of the competition. The innovation by ecoworks was only one of many exciting projects in the running for the 2019 PERPETUUM Energy Efficiency Prize.

How do policymakers balance future climate and energy security issues in light of a rapidly changing world? Dr. Camilla Bausch addressed the dynamic geopolitical energy landscape and some associated security concerns for Germany and Europe in a controversial debate with a group of transatlantic Parliamentarians from across the aisle. This was part of the 16th Annual Congress-Bundestag Forum by the German Marshall Fund.

Senator Bernie Sanders invited some of the most prominent voices in America to the US Congress to discuss how to handle the increasing threat of climate change. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute reflected on global trends in the field of energy, climate policy, and business.

How is the Paris Agreement relevant for people active in the building sector? What can and should architects, energy consultants, or installers contribute to achieving the goals of this international climate agreement? Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute tried to bridge the gap between the international and the local level before 500 experts in her Keynote Address at the 20th annual conference "Herbstforum Altbau" in Stuttgart (Germany).

In the first BSEC (Berlin Seminar on Energy and Climate) after the summer break, possible functions and roles of a German climate protection law for the transformation in sectors with the highest emissions will be presented and discussed. Matthias Duwe, from Ecologic Institute, will talk about the design and effectiveness of climate change legislation in international comparison. The seminar will take place on 15 October 2018 in Berlin.

If and how Germany can afford the coal phase-out was the subject of the presentation by Prof. Dr. Claudia Kemfert at an event, which took place on the heels of the first meeting of the new German task force for phasing out coal power. Co-hosted by the DIW Berlin and the OECD Berlin, Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute discussed with Prof. Kemfert and the audience the broad range of relevant questions.

Ecologic Institute's Elizabeth Zelljadt explained emissions trading systems (ETS) at a workshop on carbon pricing in Latin America and the Caribbean hosted by the environmental advocacy group World Wildlife Fund (WWF). As several Latin American countries are implementing carbon pricing policies – from carbon taxes applied to fossil fuels to carbon markets similar to the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) – Latin American WWF leaders brought their members together with external carbon pricing experts for a workshop on measures to price carbon around the world. The international group of participants, which included officials from the Mexican government and the United Nations, also addressed the status of global negotiations around this issue.

On 1 and 2 June 2018, Ecologic Institute's Lina Röschel, Hugh McDonald, and Philipp Voß participated in the European Parliament's European Youth Event as invited expert panelists. The event was attended by more than 8000 Europeans aged between 16 and 30, who gathered to learn, discuss, and generate ideas for change in Europe. Philipp Voß, Hugh McDonald and Lina Roeschel drew on their research at Ecologic Institute and spoke on three different panels under the topic of "Protecting our Planet", discussing oceans, fresh water, and climate change.

How can the German government's planned "gradual reduction and end of coal-fired electricity generation" succeed – and what are the concrete implications of it for the state of Brandenburg? This was the focus of discussion at a Berlin Energy Days event hosted by the German Advisory Council on the Environment (SRU). Panelists included the SRU's Professor Kemfert and Undersecretary Fischer of Brandenburg's Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute contributed conceptually.

Directly after the German government's Berlin Energy Transition Dialogue, the think tank Agora Energiewende invited influential think tanks from all over the world to discuss "system security in an electricity sector based on renewable energies". Participating think tanks discussed their role in the energy transition in a panel discussion chaired by Ecologic Institute's Director Dr. Camilla Bausch.

Imagine a ceiling panel offering lighting, efficient cooling and improved acoustics all in one. Or an app that calculates the energy use of single appliances in your home as well as the cost of their power consumption at any given moment. And how about an environmentally-friendly process to insulate buildings using digitalization and robotics? These were among the innovations in the running for the PERPETUUM Energy Efficiency Prize. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute headed the jury to choose the winner of the competition.

At a time of turbulence and change in the EU, the Tönissteiner Kreis discussed options for "Building green bridges for Europe" at its annual conference. As part of this broad subject, Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute discussed the energy transition, its prospects and international dimensions with Graeme Maxton (General Secretary of the Club of Rome), Martin Kaiser (Executive Director at Greenpeace Germany) and Dr. Markus Hartwig, a green energy entrepreneur.

On 4 December 2017, Matthias Duwe presented insights on national climate laws to inform Spanish debate gained from a joint research effort on long-term climate frameworks at a roundtable discussion organized by the renowned thing tank Elcano Royal Institute. He joined Valvanera Ulargui, head of the Spanish Climate Change Office at the national Environment Ministry and Jesús Fidel González Rouco from the Geosciences Institute (IGEO) of the Complutense University of Madrid and a contributor to the IPCC.

Donald Trump's announcement that the USA will pull out of the Paris Climate Agreement triggered the German Federal Agency for Civic Education to put American climate policy on stage in its popular series "What's Up America". Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute, Prof. Dr. Ottmar Edenhofer of PIK Potsdam and the New York Times Berlin correspondent Melissa Eddy addressed the reasoning behind this controversial decision and possible consequences.

George Mason University's "German Campus Weeks" program, sponsored by the German embassy, featured a presentation on climate and energy policy by Ecologic Institute's Elizabeth Zelljadt. She explained Germany's energy transition (Energiewende) and the country's role in the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to about 40 undergraduates.

The World Resources Forum 2017 entitled "Accelerating the Resource Revolution" was held in Geneva from 24 to 25 October 2017. Ecologic Institute's Mandy Hinzmann presented the TRAFIS project with a lecture on "Transforming infrastructures towards sustainability - lessons learnt from ICT-based peer-to-peer carsharing service Drivy in Germany". The presentation slides are available for download.

Despite President Trump's skepticism regarding the Paris Agreement and his focus on fossil fuels, the interest in the German Energiewende and the role of renewables remains high in transatlantic exchange. Dr. Camilla Bausch, Director of Ecologic Institute, was invited to speak at two high-level events with US policy makers.

In the wake of the German elections in 2017, the lead candidate of the Green Party, Cem Özdemir, presented his foreign policy concept. Dr. Camilla Bausch of Ecologic Institute and Thomas Kleine-Brockhoff of the German Marshall Fund were invited to comment on his approach, which he framed as "value-based realism".

<p>The US withdrawal from the Paris Agreement, the upcoming climate negotiations and global trends in the energy sector – these topics were discussed during a panel discussion on "Current Challenges in Climate and Energy Policy" at the Foreign Office in Berlin.</p>&#13;

On 5 July 2016, Dr. Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, held a presentation on "The Energy Transition in Germany and the Renewable Energy Sources Act: Context, Legal and Procedural Aspects" for a delegation from the National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC) of the People's Republic of China. The presentation was part of a study tour on European and German Climate Change Legislation organized by the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Building and Nuclear Safety. The presentation slides are available for download.

On invitation of the Rock Environment and Energy Institute Susanne Langsdorf, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, took part in an "Energy Transformation Roundtable Discussion" in Beijing on November 3rd 2015. At the roundtable a group of international experts presented and discussed different "roadmaps" to an energy transition. Susanne Langsdorf presented the energy transition ("Energiewende") in Germany.

"Opportunities for and barriers to German-French contributions to the Climate Conference in Paris" was the topic of a panel discussion on 16 October 2015. The German-French association Gerhard Kiersch Verein / AGKV organized the event. The discussion addressed the question of how Germany and France could contribute to the success of the global climate conference and which obstacles still need to be overcome.

Stephan Sina, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, joined Bettina Kampman from CE Delft on 2 July 2015 to present and discuss a mid-term evaluation of the Renewable Energy Directive at Directorate-General for Energy (DG Energy) in Brussels (Belgium). The study had been carried out by a consortium of CE Delft, Ricardo-AEA, Ecologic Institute, E-Bridge and REKK, and been published recently on DG Energy's website. The presentation is available for download.

In the debates about the new climate and energy framework for 2030 and the proposed Energy Union, the European Commission and the Council call for increased regional cooperation between Member States. In addition to strengthening the internal market, this cooperation is meant to facilitate the implementation of the EU 2030 energy efficiency and renewable targets. Both are defined for the Union as a whole, but not for single Memeber States. On 17 June 2015, Katharina Umpfenbach presented the working paper "Regional cooperation in the context of the new 2030 energy governance" in Berlin that takes a closer look at the existing landscape of regional institutions in the European electricity sector to explore their potential contribution to an effective furture governance framework. The presentation is available for download.

The Energy Union is a central project of the European Union. The aim is to build an integrated energy market that provides secure, affordable and sustainable energy to all European citizens. On 10 June 2015, Katharina Umpfenbach discussed options for implementing the Energy Union with stakeholders from central and eastern Europe at a conference jointly organised by the Prague Institute for Global Policy (glopolis), the Delegation of the European Commission to the Czech Republic and the Heinrich Böll Foundation Prague. In her contribution, Katharina Umpfenbach emphasised the opportunities of putting decarbonisation at the heart of the Energy Union. Renewable energies and energy efficiency have enormous potential to replace costly energy imports and drive innovation in the EU.

On 6 June 2015 around 30 representatives and citizens of the municipality of Ahrensfelde joined the Workshop on the Future of Ahrensfelde. The municipality on the periphery of Berlin successfully participated in the "City of the Future" contest funded by the German Ministry of Education and Research and is one of 52 German cities that will build a vision of its future this year. The Ecologic Institute and the University of Applied Sciences in Eberswalde are supporting the vision building process and a potentially following reality lab. Doris Knoblauch moderated the kick-off workshop.

Energy security was the topic of a lively dialogue during the 30th German Canadian Conference in Brussels (Belgium). Representing countries with very different energy and climate policy, Michael Keenan, Associate Deputy Minister of National Resources Canada, and Dr. Camilla Bausch, Director of Ecologic Institute, outlined important aspects of their respective national debate before engaging in an exchange with the high-level participants.

The compatibility of national measures to support renewable energy schemes with international trade and investment law was the topic of a presentation by Christiane Gerstetter, Senior Fellow, Ecologic Legal. The presentation was part of the Annual Conference on European Environmental Law of the Academy of European Law at Trier (Germany). The presentation slides are available for download.

On 11 and 12 November 2014, stakeholders and decision-makers, including municipalities, businesses, and scientists, met at the congress "100% Renewable Energy Regions" in Kassel to exchange best practices for the energy transition. In a forum on the "Masterplan 100% Climate Protection" chaired by Arne Riedel (Ecologic Institute), three participants from counties Osnabrück and Steinfurt as well as the municipality Neumarkt discussed their approaches providing insights into the ongoing process of implementation.

This public lecture on the energy crisis in Ukraine was the major event during Adam Pearson's (Transatlantic Fellow at Ecologic Institute) five-week-stay at Dartmouth College. Over the extended visit, he also participated in and led discussions on related climate, energy, and arctic topics with academic groups and research initiatives on campus. The visit at Dartmouth College's John Sloan Dickey Center for International Understanding in Hanover, New Hampshire was supported by a grant from the Konrad von Moltke Fund.

On 11 September 2014, nineteen top Arctic institutes in Europe proposed the establishment of an EU Arctic Information Centre as a network undertaking in the final seminar of the project "EU in the Arctic, The Arctic in the EU" in Brussels, Belgium. Arne Riedel presented Ecologic Institute's work on a Gap Analysis Report within that project, providing insights into Arctic stakeholders' needs to fill information and communication gaps.

A study of leading city and community-level energy transitions demonstrates behavioral changes across personal, social, and external dimensions. Giovanni Caiati (Laboratory of Citizenship Sciences) and Adam Pearson, Transatlantic Fellow at Ecologic Institute presented research that shows social and behavioral aspects contribute strongly to energy transition processes.

Under the title "Wellbeing and Equity within planetary boundaries" the biannual conference of the International Society of Ecological Economics (ISEE) took place in Reykjavik (Iceland) from 13 to 15 August 2014. Timo Kaphengst from Ecologic Institute presented a report on "Energy transition and behavioural change in rural areas." In total, Ecologic Institute contributed three official inputs to the ISEE conference. The presentation slides and the report are available for download.

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.

During the 20th Cairo Climate Talk Dr. Camilla Bausch from Ecologic Institute discussed the results of climate negotiations in Poland, the future international climate regime, and policy options for Egypt. Environment Minister Dr. Leila Rashed Iskander Kamel pointed to promising debates in the ministerial cabinet regarding renewable energy support, as well as the controversial debate over increasing the use of coal.

The course Energy and Climate Finance introduces students to environmental markets and the policies that create them, focusing mainly on emissions trading systems (ETS) to mitigate climate change. The course also provides an introduction to attributes of the financial sector through its analysis of markets for environmental commodities. Ecologic Fellow Elizabeth Zelljadt has taught this course in summer 2014.

During the 7th Biomass Forum Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Senior Analyst at Ecologic Institute, presented experiences with the EEG 2012. He outlined the political objectives and guidelines for the further development of the Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG). He also gave an overview of initial position, objectives, and procedures for an EEG reform, the current status of these discussions, and the prospects and challenges arising from this for bioenergy. The presentation slides are available for download.

Success in the battle against climate change will depend on the ability to find new and innovative solutions for a variety of emission-producing activities: from energy supply to industrial production, to housing, food and transport. At the UN Climate Conference in Warsaw, a joint side event of the two EU-funded research projects CECILIA2050 and ENTRACTE discussed to what extent climate policies deployed in the EU have been able to trigger low-carbon innovations, and how the future EU climate policy framework can become more conducive to such innovations. Ecologic Institute's Benjamin Görlach moderated the discussion.

What can be learnt from current experience on EU climate policy? How can the future instrument mix be improved, looking at the transformation that needs to take place to achieve deep emission cuts? Speakers at a side event seminar at the COP19 UN climate conference in Warsaw addressed these and other questions around policy instrumentation and discussed relevant recent research results. All presentation slides are available for download.

Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, spoke at the 7th VDI conference "Biogas 2013." He informed about the objectives and guidelines as well as the current status of discussions on the funding framework for renewable energies. He also discussed the possible contribution of bioenergies to future energy supply and future challenges. The presentation slides are available for download.

As part of Energy Efficiency Global 2013 (EE Global 2013), a leading global forum on energy efficiency, Ecologic Institute Fellow, Dominic Marcellino, spoke about the European Union's policy initiatives to become the world’s most energy efficient economy.

During this 6th Biogas workshop Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented the current state, objectives, and procedures on the way to the revised Renewable Energy Sources Act (EEG 2.0). He described the challenges within the energy transition process and possible prospects of bioenergies. The presentation slides are available for download.

Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, hold a presentation at the fourth expert dialogue "Gas Infrastructure for the Future", organized by the Technologiestiftung Berlin (TSB). He described the current state of the energy transition process in Germany – the so-called Energiewende - and explained the further steps of the German Federal Government. Additionally, he exemplified the challenges in the energy market namely flexibility options, wind and solar energy in the transformation process as well as the role of natural gas infrastructure and natural gas as energy source. The presentation is available for download.

As part of a VDI Conference dealing with demand-driven electricity generation from biogas and biomethane, Ecologic Institute's Dr. Wolfgang Urban gave a speech about the political expansion goals in the field of renewable energies and the prospect of biogas from the Federal Government's point of view. He especially presented the Energy Concept 2010 and related challenges, e.g. the demand for a flexible electricity supply. The presentation slides are available for download.

During the International VDI Conference-Biomethane 2013, major issues for the biogas and biomethane markets in technical, political and business areas, drawing on leading experiences from all over Europe, Russia and China were discussed. Dr. Wolfgang Urban, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, presented German political targets and utilization priorities for biomethane. Furthermore he spoke on the current legal framework and incentive scheme as well as the challenges and future perspectives and conclusions from amendment of legal framework. The presentation slides are available for download.

In his presentation, Dr. Wolfgang Urban, picked out the future expansion of renewable energies. He presented, from the perspective of the German federal government, the challenges and prospects for biogas. After the placement of bioenergy in the "orchestra of renewable energies" he examined the contribution of biogas and biomethane in order to achieve the policy objectives. He ended his remarks with a presentation of the latest developments and the conveyor frame. The presentation slides are available for download.

Fifteen participants from different parts of Mexico who are spending a year in Germany with support from the "International Leadership Training (ILT)" programme in order to learn conceptual, holistic and anticipatory thought for sustainable business development, took part in the course, carried out at the International Education Center (IBZ) in Mannheim from 7 to 9 December 2012. Michael Mehling, President of the Ecologic Institute in Washington DC, delivered the course contents, drawing on training material developed previously for a project commissioned by the Academy of International Cooperation (AIZ).

In his presentation, Dr. Wolfgang Urban, picked out the future expansion of renewable energies. He presented, from the perspective of the German federal government, the challenges and prospects for biogas. After the placement of bioenergy in the "orchestra of renewable energies" he examined the contribution of biogas and biomethane in order to achieve the policy objectives. He ended his remarks with a presentation of the latest developments and the conveyor frame. The presentation slides are available for download.

On 27 August 2012, Dr. Hans-Joachim Ziesing, together with Doris Knoblauch of Ecologic Institute, presented the results of an evaluation of the German directive regarding the funding of climate mitigation projects in social, cultural, and public institutions within the framework of the National Climate Initiative ("Richtlinie zur Förderung von Klimaschutzprojekten in sozialen, kulturellen und öffentlichen Einrichtungen im Rahmen der Klimaschutzinitiative", short: Kommunalrichtlinie) on the occasion of the final conference of the project "Evaluation of the National Climate Protection Initiative" in Berlin. Both presentations are available for download.

"To the Point", a daily radio program of KCRW in Santa Monica, CA, produced a segment called "The Consequences of Climate Change and the Cost of Denial" on 14 August 2012.&#13; &#13; The host, Warran Olney, led a discussion with his guests about the current state of climate science, the political and cultural impediments to meeting the challenge in the United States, the need for action, and also the example that Germany’s climate change and renewable energy policies may hold for the United States.

During the 2nd VDI conference on biogas Dr. Wolfgang Urban from Ecologic Institute presented technical options for a grid-compatible biogas feed such as conditioning of liquefied natural gas, the formation of heating value districts, computational heating value tracking and additional gas supply. He classified the different options and discussed the economic aspects. The presentation slides are available for download.

<p>On 26 March 2012, the Danish Embassy in Washington, DC hosted an event called "The Renewable Energy Island" as part of the DC Greening Embassies Forum. The Forum is a collaboration of the US State Department, the government of Washington, DC, and the foreign embassies in the city; the intention of the forum is for the embassies and the city to share best practices and to work together to make the city greener and more sustainable. This event highlighted the work of Søren Hermansen and the island of Samsø in Denmark.</p>

At the largest annual event for family farmers, ranchers and rural communities in the United States, Michael Mehling, President of Ecologic Institute in Washington DC, described European experiences with renewable energy in agriculture.

As part of the BiogasWorld, an international fair for biogas technology, Ecologic Institute's Wolfgang Urban gave a lecture on the further development of the German Renewable Energies Law (EEG) in 2012 and its implications for biogas and biomethane. Additionally he presented results of the monitoring process the EEG has undergone. The presentation slides are available for download.

As part of the German Energy Agency's Annual Conference of Biogas Partnerships, Dr. Wolfgang Urban (Ecologic Institute) informed the participants about the role of biogas in the Renewable Energies Act (EEG). He explained the political guidelines of the Germany Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety, and presented monitoring results as well as principal changes in the new EEG. The presentation slides are available for download.

In October 2011, delegates from Norway's Statsbygg visited Ecologic Institute to gain new perspectives on European and German approaches to sustainable renewable energy solutions, smart grid implementation and smart buildings.

On Thursday, 13 October 2011 the Yale Center for Environmental Law &amp; Policy (YCELP), in partnership with the World Resources Institute (WRI) and the Environmental Defense Fund (EDF), presented R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute in a web-based seminar on The Nuclear Phase-out and Green Power Shift in Germany. A recording of the presentation is now online available.

The international conference on Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency (RESS), a relatively new scientific field, took place from 14 to 16 September in Freiburg. Organised by the University of Freiburg, the conference attracted scientists and academically interested practitioners from a wide variety of disciplines who are working towards comprehensive strategies to increase the proportion of renewable energies in energy systems. Timo Kaphengst, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute, was invited for a key note speech on some of the fundamental questions related to Renewable Energy Self-Sufficiency. The presentation is available for download.

At the International Water Association's Symposium on Anaerobic Digestion of Solid Waste and Energy Crops, Dr. Wolfgang Urban (Ecologic Institute) shared insights into "Experience and Future Perspectives of Biomethane in the Natural Gas Grid in Germany". After presenting the legal framework and economic circumstances of biogas feed-in, he outlined future challenges and introduced selected biogas feed-in projects in Germany. The presentation slides are available for download.

<p>On 11 July 2011, Max Grünig, Fellow at the Ecologic Institute, delivered a presentation on the transportation sector: possibilities for substitution and elasticity of demand in mineral oil consumption at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP).</p>&#13;

During the VDI conference "Biogas 2011" Dominik Müller and Dr. Wolfgang Urban of the Ecologic Institute spoke on the experiences with the German law to promote renewable energies (EEG) and its imminent revision. They presented the premises of the German Ministry of Environment, Nature Conservation and Nuclear Safety (BMU) and the planned substantial changes in the EEG. They also reported on the monitoring results. The presentation slides and script are available for download.

At the 2011 Alumni Conference of Lund University’s Master’s Program of International Environmental Science (LUMES) in Lund (Sweden), Elena von Sperber presented and discussed the results of the CALAMAR project, a transatlantic dialogue on marine governance lead by Ecologic Institute, which was concluded in June 2011.

During the European Biomass Conference 2011, Dr. Wolfgang Urban (Ecologic Institut) delivered a presentation on biomethane. From the German government's perspective, he described political goals, especially the Energy Concept 2050. In addition he explained how biomethane could contribute to achieving these aims and to climate protection in general. The presentation slides are available for download.

As part of the workshop "Biogas Feed-In", organized by Fraunhofer UMSICHT, Ecologic Institute's Wolfgang Urban gave a speech about "The Legal Framework - Instruments for the Efficient Use of Biomethan". The presentation dealt with political aims regarding renewable energies, results of the monitoring of the Renewable Energies Act and marketing prospects of biomethan. The presentation slides are available for download.

<p>&#13; At an Ecoscholars event hosted by First Solar, GmbH, David Wortmann, the company's Vice President of Policy and Public Affairs provided an overview of the company and discussed the key role of policy in the continued promotion and expansion of the renewable energy industry and fostering the market for renewable energy technologies.  The dialogue was initiated by Loni Gardner of Ecologic Institute, who coordinates Ecoscholars.  Ecoscholars is a discussion and networking group for Berlin-based international scholars and experts who are involved in climate change, energy, sustainability, and other environmental topics.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; Germans fear that climate change harms political stability in other countries and thus affect trade, induce migration, and ultimately causes conflict. Talking to a delegation from China, R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute describes Germany's new energy solutions, effective domestic policies, and promotion of good climate policy abroad.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; The Green Group marked World Water Day on 22 March 2011, highlighting the importance of water and energy security in international relations. Samuel Zbogar, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Slovenia, initiated an expert discussion, the results of which were delivered to UN Ambassadors meeting in New York.  R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute moderated the event.</p>&#13;

Fukushima has been a painful reminder that each energy source has its drawbacks, and none comes without side effects. To realise our ambitious climate objectives, we must above all stop wasting energy and use energy in a much smarter and more efficient way. This is not a new insight, but turning this insight into action has proven remarkably difficult. How the existing obstacles to energy efficiency can be overcome, and which initiatives have worked successfully for Germany and the UK so far, was the topic of a discussion event at the UK Embassy in Berlin, moderated by Benjamin Görlach, Senior Fellow at Ecologic Institute.