Adaptation to climate change

Adaptation to climate change

Why, given other challenges, should adapting to climate change be considered? According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), warming of the climate system is unequivocal with human activities as the dominant cause since the mid-20th century. This relates to warming of the atmosphere and the ocean, changes in the global water cycle, reductions in snow and ice, in global mean sea level rise, and to changes in some climate extremes. The effects of global warming are already seen and will continue to do so for many years to come. Adaptation strategies are needed at all levels of administration: at local, regional, national, EU and international level. Due to the varying severity and nature of climate impacts between regions in Europe, most adaptation initiatives will be taken at the regional or local levels. The ability to cope and adapt differs across populations, economic sectors and regions within Europe. Adaptation is therefore crucial to deal with the current climate variability and unavoidable impacts of climate change. It will also help to take advantage of any opportunities that arise.

The European Climate Law writes into law the goal set out in the European Green Deal for Europe’s economy and society to become climate-neutral by 2050. The European Climate Law calls in the field of adaptation for the following actions (Article 5):

1. The relevant Union institutions and the Member States shall ensure continuous progress in enhancing adaptive capacity, strengthening resilience and reducing vulnerability to climate change in accordance with Article 7 of the Paris Agreement.
2. The Commission shall adopt a Union strategy on adaptation to climate change in line with the Paris Agreement and shall regularly review it in the context of the review provided for in point (b) of Article 6(2) of this Regulation.
3. The relevant Union institutions and the Member States shall also ensure that policies on adaptation in the Union and in Member States are coherent, mutually supportive, provide co-benefits for sectoral policies, and work towards better integration of adaptation to climate change in a consistent manner in all policy areas, including relevant socioeconomic and environmental policies and actions, where appropriate, as well as in the Union’s external action. They shall focus, in particular, on the most vulnerable and impacted populations and sectors, and identify shortcomings in this regard in consultation with civil society.
4. Member States shall adopt and implement national adaptation strategies and plans, taking into consideration the Union strategy on adaptation to climate change referred to in paragraph 2 of this Article and based on robust climate change and vulnerability analyses, progress assessments and indicators, and guided by the best available and most recent scientific evidence. In their national adaptation strategies, Member States shall take into account the particular vulnerability of the relevant sectors, inter alia, agriculture, and of water and food systems, as well as food security, and promote nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation. Member States shall regularly update the strategies and include the related updated information in the reports to be submitted under Article 19(1) of Regulation (EU) 2018/1999.
5. By 30 July 2022, the Commission shall adopt guidelines setting out common principles and practices for the identification, classification and prudential management of material physical climate risks when planning, developing, executing and monitoring projects and programmes for projects.

In the Political Guidelines 2024-2029 for the European Commission, President Ursula von der Leyen announced the European Climate Adaptation Plan (ECAP) to support the Member States on preparedness and resilience planning.

Due to the varying severity and nature of climate impacts between regions in Europe, most adaptation initiatives will be taken at the regional or local levels. The ability to cope and adapt differs across populations, economic sectors, and regions within Europe. Adaptation is therefore crucial to deal with the current climate variability and unavoidable impacts of climate change as well as with specific vulnerabilities in terms of age, health, place of residence, socio-economic status and other aspects. The concept of ‘leaving no one behind’ in climate change, also called ‘justice in adaptation’ or ‘just resilience’, thus needs to be properly considered in implementing just, transformative and long-term climate adaptation policies and measures to avoid maladaptive practices, redistributing risk or reinforcing existing inequalities, and avoid creating “winners” and “losers”. It will also help to make sure the benefits of the adaptation policies and measures are distributed fairly.

The EEA report 4/2025 Social fairness in preparing for climate change: how just resilience can benefit communities across Europe presents the latest available evidence on just resilience and provides an update on its current status in policy and planning at the EU, national and subnational levels as well as priorities for action. It explores how just resilience is addressed and implemented in four key systems: the built environment, agriculture and food, water and transport. It offers actionable guidance for policymakers and practitioners, shedding light on where adaptation measures may inadvertently make existing inequalities worse within these systems, with inspirational examples provided of practical approaches that are being used to ensure that no one is left behind.