While in the recent years the mobility in the context of everyday life has almost stagnated in Central Europe, long-distance mobility continues to grow substantially. Against this background, the study at hand presents a lay of the land with regard to current trends and future perspectives of long-distance mobility in Central Europe, with a particular focus on Germany. In speaking of long-distance mobility, the study refers to all trips of more than 100 km (one-way).The segment of long trips to very distant destinations is dominated by holiday travel which accounts for a third of the long-distance passenger mileage. However, in the last ten years little has changed in this segment with regard to the number of trips, the average trip distance, and the use of transport modes.The segments of long-distance mobility which are currently growing most substantially and will continue to do so in the mid-term future are business trips and long trips in the context of everyday life, e.g. long-distance commuting. Important driving factors for this development are the demographic development and the evolution of settlement patterns, both of which also promote multi-local lifestyles.

INFRAS supported the Office of the Environment in preparing its 6th National Communication under the UNFCCC and under the Kyoto Protocol. The report outlines the state of implementation of Liechtenstein's international commitments with regard to climate change. It describes the development of greenhouse gas emissions up to 2011 and presents expected trends up to 2030. INFRAS calculated the scenarios 2030 based on Liechtenstein's Energy Strategy 2020. Without any reduction measures the emissions were 0.26 mio. tons of CO2 equivalent, including the measures of the Energy Strategy, the emissions in 2020 are projected to reach a level of 0.16 mio. tons.

INFRAS supported the Federal Office for the Environment in developing the 6th National Communication to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. The report outlines the state of implementation of Switzerland's international commitments with regard to climate change. It describes the development of greenhouse gas emissions up to 2011 and presents expected trends up to 2030. According to that, Switzerland will presumably achieve its international commitments 2008 until 2012. The report also highlights information about activities in the area of adaptation, international cooperation, climate research and public relations.

Market based approaches are a key element in the international response to climate change. This study aims to contribute to the on-going discussions in various fora, including the Frameworks for Various Approaches (FVA) and New Market Mechanisms (NMM), on how market based mechanisms need to be designed to deliver cost-effective, real, measureable, additional and permanent emission reductions. The study focuses on crediting mechanisms.
Part I of the study discusses blueprints for baseline setting and additionality determination in the absence of any mitigation pledges in the host country, drawing upon key lessons learned from existing crediting mechanisms, in particular the Clean Development Mechanism (CDM) . 
Part II lays out the novel aspects that come into play for countries with mitigation pledges. Here, the pledges inform baseline setting and additionality determination in order to maintain consistency and prevent double claiming.

INFRAS supported the Swiss Government in the allocation process, where energy intensive industries receive a limited number of emission rights in the new Emission Trading Scheme (ETS). Following the new ETS rules, which for a large part copy the relevant provisions of the ETS of the European Union, INFRAS calculated for each installation the free allocation of emission rights and validated the allocation calcuation of others. In a related consulting mandate, INFRAS supported the government in complex questions related to the ETS and developed options for solutions.