News Archive

Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, and climate risks are threatening its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health. According to the first European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), many of these risks have already reached critical levels and could become catastrophic without urgent and decisive action.

The Adaptation Dashboard provides regions with data on climate risk and impacts. The revamped version includes new indicators like the Vulnerability Index, Soil Sealing, Water bathing quality, along with an improved interface and data visualization. Users can share feedback via an online survey template available at the top bar.

The European Climate Pact is a movement of people taking steps to build a more sustainable Europe. Their photo competition aims to showcase climate action taking place all around you, in homes, communities and cities, to raise awareness and to inspire change. It will run until Friday 28 June 2024, 12:00 PM CEST.

In September 2023, the German government adopted the draft of the climate adaptation law submitted by the Federal Environment Ministry. The law creates the first strategic framework for precautionary climate adaptation on all administrative levels in Germany. This document is now available in English.

The Regional Adaptation Support Tool (RAST), developed by the EEA under the EU Mission on adaptation to climate change, supports local and regional authorities in planning and implementing climate change adaptation plans and actions. It provides practical guidance through the six key steps of the adaptation policy cycle, supported by useful examples and additional resources.

The Climate and Environment Risk Assessment Center (CERAC) was launched against the backdrop of the Belgian Presidency of the Council of the European Union, while key findings from the European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) were discussed.

The Future Earth Research School (FERS) will provide an overview of the legal instruments and financial mechanisms aimed at regulating climate change, its risks and future consequences in Europe. This course will take place in Bertinoro (Italy) from 7-18 October 2024.

The latest report from the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change unveils the progress and priorities in the battle against climate change. The Activity Report presents the success stories, data, insights and innovative Mission Projects that aim to support regional and local authorities prepare for the impacts of climate change.

In line with the Horizon Europe 2023-2025 work programme, the European Commission has launched three new calls for proposals under the Adaptation to Climate Change & Restore our oceans and water by 2030 Horizon Europe Missions. A total of €233.7 million in EU funding is available under these calls (of which 123.97 million for adaptation to climate change calls) with deadlines of 18 September 2024.

The European Climate and Health Observatory now provides even more insights into the health impacts of climate change, with additional evidence on the specific risks to children and youth, and on the health effects of droughts, landslides, permafrost thaw and water- and foodborne diseases. With forecasts of pollen concentrations in the air and nine new case studies of implemented responses, also more actionable information is added to the Observatory portal.

The EU-funded LIFE MIDMACC project has concluded that livestock and forest management in mountain areas play a crucial role in the provision of ecosystem services to society. At the same time, it is necessary to adapt these activities to climate change to enhance its resilience.

Until 30 May 2024 you have the opportunity to vote for your favorite LIFE project. including several related to CCA (urban heat island, urban rainwater management, coastal erosion and other NbS related solutions). Winners will be announced at the LIFE Awards 2024 ceremony on May 30, 2024.

Based on research from the World Bank and the European Commission, three new reports focus on prioritizing investments in disaster and climate resilience, costing climate change adaptation, and advancing financial resilience have been developed. They provide decision-makers and practitioners with evidence, data, and tools to improve disaster and climate resilience in Europe, contributing to more effective and strategic investments in prevention, preparedness, and adaptation. Findings from these reports include that countries need to start to develop adaptation pathways by combining information on current and future climate risks with multidisciplinary expertise.

The report: 'Mapping the Governance of Sea Level Changes in Denmark, the Netherlands and the United Kingdom', commissioned by the Norwegian Environment Agency and developed by the Norwegian Institute for Water Research (NIVA), explores and documents the management of sea level change in these countries. It examines how responsibility is distributed, which knowledge tools and databases are used, which financial mechanisms exist, and general experiences that Norway can learn from.

The EU Sparks for Climate hackathon is an EU-supported initiative aimed at bringing citizens and experts together to develop innovative solutions to climate challenges. Teams of citizens and researchers will work together in series of 3 stages of EU-wide hackathons to co-create solutions that can support the EU missions on Adaptation to Climate Change and Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities.

As a result of global warming, glaciers and the Greenland and Antarctic ice sheets are losing mass and the oceans are warming, causing global sea-level rise. This poses a growing risk that coastal countries, including Norway, will have to adapt to. This report, jointly developed by Norwegian scientific organisations under the Norwegian Centre for Climate Services (NCCS) uses projections based on IPCC AR6. It provides a knowledge base for policy and decision makers working with mitigation and adaptation strategies for coastal planning in Norway.

From the beginning of 2024, the North Rhine-Westphalia Federal State Office of Nature, Environment and Consumer Protection (LANUV NRW) in Germany, runs the Climate Change Adaptation Consulting service on the platform of the Climate Atlas of North Rhine-Westphalia. With this service, the LANUV NRW specifically supports cities, municipalities and districts in North Rhine-Westphalia to actively prepare for climate change or to continue the path towards increased resilience to where they have already embarked on.

A number of European Commission (EC)-funded projects and the EU Mission Adaptation Community of Practice organized a webinar on 7 February 2024, engaging with European national and regional/transnational climate adaptation (knowledge) platforms (CAPs), to explore potential synergies, share insights and foster collaboration to advance climate adaptation initiatives.

REGREEN, an EU funded Horizon 2020 project on fostering nature-based solutions for equitable, green and healthy urban transitions, has produced 12 policy briefs, synthesizing key insights and recommendations for policy makers in cities and regions, practitioners and researchers.

The Covenant of Mayor’s Policy Support Facility has worked with cities across Europe to help them implement climate adaptation measures. The 'Building Resilience through Adaptation at the Local Level' report summarizes key lessons learned from the two-year program and dives into the experiences of cities along their journey to strengthen their climate resilience and implement adaptation measures.

The European State of the Climate 2023 report, jointly published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S) and the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), highlights the record high temperatures, heatwaves, wildfires and severe floodings that Europe experienced in 2023. Moreover, that year had the highest number of days with extreme heat stress, affecting large parts of Europe.

The ‘Blauer Kompass’ (Blue Compass) Adaptation Award is the highest state award in Germany for climate adaptation projects, organised by the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV), and the German Environment Agency (UBA). The competition aims to present solutions for preparing for and adapting to the impacts of climate change. This year’s competition has attracted a record-breaking 301 applications, of which 20 outstanding projects will be selected for nomination. One project will receive a community award, for which the online voting starts at the end of May, while four further projects will be selected by a jury. The award ceremony is set for 19 September 2024.

The EU-funded Climateurope2 project annually formulates key messages for the standardization of climate services, applicable for European standardisation bodies and relevant organizations. They aim to support the development of high-quality and easily accessible climate services, including for policy-makers.

Most Europeans live in urban areas and cities play a key role in protecting citizens and improving the resilience of European societies against the increasing impacts of climate change. The recently published European Environment Agency’s report: 'Urban adaptation in Europe: what works?' takes stock of urban adaptation in Europe, showcasing what actions cities are taking in response to increasing climate risks, and what is already working.

Under the title 'Bridging science, services and standards for a climate-resilient future', the EU-funded Climateurope2 festival was held in Venice, Italy, from March 11-13, 2024. Once session focused on how climate services support the EU Mission on Climate Change Adaptation, contributing to the efforts of EU regions, cities, and local authorities in increasing resilience against climate change impacts.