<p>&#13; In an explorative study commissioned by the Federal Ministry of Finance, the Ecologic Institute is currently analysing the long-term impacts of climate change on Germany’s financial budget. On 26 November 2008, Ingo Bräuer presented first results to the Ministry’s Working Group on Public Finance and discussed methodological questions with the experts in the audience.</p>&#13;

R. Andreas Kraemer of Ecologic Institute gave a keynote presentation on "Threats and Opportunities in a Changing Arctic: Policy Challenges and Transatlantic Relations" at the John H. Chafee Center for International Business of Bryant University in Smithfield, Rhode Island, on 14 November 2008. The presentation draws on the transatlnatic Arctic Transform dialogue.

<p>&#13; Since the Security Council debated the security implications of climate change in April 2007, security aspects of climate change rank high on the political agenda of the UN. In a presentation at Haus Rissen Hamburg, Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf discussed the contribution of the UN to environmental security.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; Border Adjustment Measures (BAM) have been discussed as a tool to equalize costs that industries with stringent greenhouse gas requirements have to bear, as some international competitors do not face these costs and allegedly enjoy a free ride. At a workshop of the German Federal Environment Agency (UBA), Nils Meyer-Ohlendorf and Michael Mehling discussed whether BAM are an adequate tool to address competitiveness concerns arising from the EU's ambitious climate change policies.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; This workshop from 28-29 August 2008 in Rio de Janeiro (Brazil) aimed towards a common understanding between representatives of Latin America, Asia, Europe and the US on future biofuel development. Timo Kaphengst outlined in his presentation the renewable energy policy of the European Union, more specifically the main controversies within decision-making bodies of the EU on biofuel targets and sustainability standards.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; The meeting, which took place at COPA-COGECA in Brussels, was attended by representatives from different agricultural unions of the EU. Thomas Dworak focused his lecture on the main links between the Water Framework Directive (WFD) and the Common Agricultural Policy.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; On 23 January 2008 the European Commission put forth an integrated proposal for Climate and Renewable Energy Action. The Commission’s ambitious objective to achieve an overall binding target for the European Union of 20% renewable energy by 2020 and a 10% minimum target for the market share of biofuels by 2020, has received much attention around the world.  At the ACG’s dinner discussion “Renewable Energy: A Boom for Germany and Europe?” Stephanie Schlegel, Fellow at Ecologic Institute, gave a presentation on the current policies and developments of renewable energy in the European Union.</p>&#13;

<p> Chaired by Madeleine Albright, the Aspen Atlantic Group (AAG) is an initiative of former serving North American and European foreign ministers, from across the political spectrum.&nbsp; The AAG dedicated ist 8th Meeting on 6 to 9 March 2008 in Copenhagen, Denmark, to the Political Implications of Climate Change, and invited R. Andreas Kraemer to speak on European and American Approaches to Climate Change: Prospects for a Common Transatlantic Agenda. Deliberations at the meeting covered a range of topics, including U.S. movement to address climate change, the integration of emerging countries, the national security implications of a climate shift, the prospects of a global deal during the Copenhagen 2009 summit, and European and American approaches for dealing with this issue.</p>

<p>&#13; At a panel discussion, Stephanie Schlegel, Fellow at Ecologic, gave a presentation on the current achievements and crucial discussion points of renewable energy politics in Europe. The presentation focused on the developments in the context of the "Climate action and renewable energy package" - the recently published legislative proposal of the European Commission.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; As part of a series of European conferences on human dimensions research, the Berlin conference this year focused on governance of social-ecological change. Timo Kaphengst showed in his presentation, how the current debate on sustainable standards for biofuels could be used to create an international standard-setting scheme for the sustainable use of all natural resources.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; Integrated sustainability assessment is a key element for advancing sustainable development by assessing the economic, environmental and social impacts of policy proposals. While the EU Commission has committed to producing high quality impact assessment, Anneke von Raggamby evaluates the availability and actual use in EU Commission Impact Assessment practice at the OECD workshop on Sustainable Assessment Methodologies.</p>&#13;

<p>&#13; Invited by the German Federal Agency for Nature Conservation, Ingo Bräuer, Senior Fellow with Ecologic Institute, gave a lecture on the cost-benefit ratio of strategies. The objective of the symposium was to identify the current scenarios of climate change as well as the expected impacts on the ecosystems of rivers and floodplains. Further focus lied on the adaptation strategies of different user groups – navigation, agriculture, forestry and water management - and on the potential contribution of nature conservation. The symposium addressed professionals from the sciences, authorities and associations.</p>&#13;