News Archive
European Commission consults citizens and stakeholders on possible EU Soil Health Law
07 Sep 2022On 1 August 2022, the European Commission launched an online public consultation on the development of a possible EU Soil Health Law. The EU Soil Strategy for 2030, adopted in 2021, announced that the Commission will table a new legislative proposal on soil health providing a comprehensive legal framework for soil protection. This proposal will complement the Nature Restoration Law and, ensure synergies with climate change mitigation and adaptation actions. Economic and societal actors and all interested parties, are invited to contribute to the consultation which is open until 25 October 2022.
European Commission consults on new EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans
07 Sep 2022On 25 August 2022, the EC launched an online public consultation on the upcoming legislative proposal for a new EU framework for forest monitoring and strategic plans. The aim is to develop an EU-wide forest observation framework to provide open access to detailed and accurate information on the condition and management of the European forests, including the support of adaptation of forests to climate change. All stakeholders are invited to share their views on this initiative via an online consultation that runs until 17 November 2022.
Nature-Based Solutions for climate change adaptation in buildings: Concepts and pilot solutions for Portugal and Spain
30 Aug 2022In the Open Access Journal 'Urban Green Spaces' the chapter 'Nature-based solutions: prototypes and pilot solutions in the study areas' provides information on the prototypes developed by the EU LIFE-myBUILDINGisGREEN project in order to contribute to improving resilience in scholar and social buildings by the use of autochthonous vegetation. These NbS prototypes (building adaptation) are applied on walls, roofs, playgrounds, and exterior surfaces of three pilot buildings in Portugal and Badajoz (Spain).
Estimation of costs resulting from climate change in Germany
24 Aug 2022A recently published study estimates the costs in Germany of the exceptionally hot and dry summers of 2018 and 2019 and the floods, in particular on the Ahr and Erft rivers, in 2021. The research, commissioned by the German Federal Ministry of Economics and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) shows that tangible losses resulting from extreme weather events amount to at least 80 billion euros since 2018.
Taking Nature-based Solutions up the policy ladder - from research to policy action, a knowledge brief
18 Aug 2022The knowledge brief, prepared by the EU funded NetworkNature project, aims to disentangle the complexities associated with the integration of research and policy with respect to Nature-based Solutions (NbS). The brief provides an overview of the NbS knowledge gaps regarding climate adaptation and mitigation measures in restoring ecosystems. This can support policy makers in better understanding the research needs which can strengthen the implementation of NbS.
Nature-based Solutions for climate adaptation measures to be implemented at Katowice Airport, Poland
17 Aug 2022One year after the start of the LIFE Archiclima project, aiming at effectively supporting property managers and owners in building resilience to the threatening effects of climate change, the project plans to convert up to around 2000 m2 of impervious paved surfaces into lawns and rain gardens located directly in front of passenger terminals of the Katowice Airport. The applied Nature-based Solutions are intended to reduce the temperature during the increasingly frequent heat waves and increase the safety of the facility and its users in the event of heavy rains and the risk of flash floods.
Brochure about Impact of Natural Hazards on Hazardous Installations
17 Aug 2022The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) has published a brochure aiming to raise awareness and listing the work and resources of international organisations which support the understanding of Natural Hazards at Hazardous Installations (Natech) risks. The brochure is intended for a broad audience, including industry, public authorities and practitioners involved in industrial safety and civil protection.
New climate change country profiles show key health risks and priority areas for action in European Region
17 Aug 2022The World Health Organization (WHO) and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) have launched the Health and Climate Change Country Profiles to give an overview of critical areas for action to combat these threats, and to provide links to available resources. Developed in collaboration with national health services, they summarize evidence of the climate hazards and health risks facing countries.
WMO State of the Global Climate in 2021 report: four key climate change indicators break records
16 Aug 2022Four key climate change indicators – greenhouse gas concentrations, sea level rise, ocean heat and ocean acidification – set new records in 2021. According to the World Meteorological Organization (WMO), this is another clear sign that human activities are causing planetary scale changes on land, in the ocean, and in the atmosphere, with harmful and long-lasting ramifications for sustainable development and ecosystems. Western Europe experienced some of its most severe flooding on record in mid-July associated with large economic losses in Germany.
Publication on transformational approach for climate adaptation
16 Aug 2022A publication from the Climate Adaptation Services (CAS) Foundation and Wageningen Environmental Research, published in the Journal Frontiers in Climate, informs about options to extend climate services to support policy makers in developing transformational adaptation strategies. Transformational adaptation strategies aim to address the underlying causes of climate risks through broader development pathways.