SOCLIMPACT

The warming of the climate system is unequivocal and continued emission of greenhouse gases will cause further warming and changes. Islands are particularly vulnerable to Climate Change (CC) consequences but the coarse spatial resolution of available projections makes it difficult to derive valid statements for islands. Moreover, science-based information about the economic impacts of CC in marine and maritime sectors is scarce, and current economic models lack of solid non-market assessment. Policy makers must have accurate information on potential impact chains and on the costs and benefits of possible strategies to implement effective measures.

SOCLIMPACT models downscaled CC effects and their socioeconomic impacts in European islands for 2030–2100, in the context of the EU Blue Economy sectors, and assess corresponding decarbonisation and adaptation pathways, complementing current available projections for Europe, and nourishing actual economic models with non-market assessment.

Project objectives are achieved by:

• Developing a thorough understanding on how CC will impact the EU islands located in different regions of the world.
• Contributing to the improvement of the economic valuation of climate impacts by adopting revealed and stated preference methods.
• Increasing the effectiveness of the economic modelling of climate impact chains, through the implementation of an integrated methodological framework (GINFORS, GEM-E3 and non-market indicators).
• Facilitating climate-related policy decision making for Blue Growth, by ranking and mapping the more appropriate mitigation and adaptation strategies.
• Delivering accurate information to policy makers, practitioners and other relevant stakeholders.

SOCLIMPACT provides advances in the economic valuation of climate-induced impacts, and in climate and economic models, allowing downscaled projections of complex impact chains, and facilitating the resilience capacity of these vulnerable territories.