European Commission’s Green Paper COM(2007)354 adopted on 29 June 2007 Adapting to climate change in Europe – options for EU action - Rosário Bento Pais.

European Commission’s

Green Paper COM(2007)354

adopted on 29 June 2007

Adapting to climate change in Europe

– options for EU action -

Rosário Bento Pais

European Commission

REC Adaptation Workshop, Budapest, 19 November 2007

A Double challenge:

1. Mitigating – reducing emission:

to avoid unmanageable impacts

2. and adapting to climate change impacts:

to manage unavoidable impacts

Climate change is happening

Europe has already warmed by 1°, faster than the global average.

Rainfall and snowfall: significantly increased in Northern Europe

Droughts : more frequent in Southern Europe

Non-linearity of climate impacts and sensitivity of ecosystems: small temperature changes can have big effects

Frequency of extreme events increases

Europe will not be spared

Sensitive sectors in Europe

Energy Financial sector and insurance

Agriculture Industry and services

Fisheries Transport

Tourism Disaster management

Water Forestry

Health Infrastructure and buildings

Ecosystems and biodiversity Migration and security

… …

In blue: areas flooded by sea level rise in the absence of dykes 1990 level

1990 level + 1 meter

The case for action: saving on future damage costs

When to adapt: early action brings clear benefits

A role for each: European, national, regional, local authorities

Multilevel governance: involving all actors

Europe must adapt – challenges for society and policy

Options for EU action: 4 pillars

1st pillar: early action in the EU

2nd pillar: external action

3rd pillar: expanding the knowledge base

4th pillar: involving civil society and stakeholders

Pillar 1 – Early action

•Climate impacts will not stop at national or regional borders.

•Climate change will affect Community policies (e.g. Common Agricultural Policy; Common Fisheries Policy; the Water Framework Directive; the Natura 200O network; cohesion Policy, etc). Need for integration of impacts of climate change in the EU policies.

•Support for development projects under existing Community funding programmes will be affect by climate impacts (e.g. structural funds, cohesion funds, rural development programme, and transeuropean networks).

Pillar 2 – The external dimension

Already by 2020 :

•Southern , Eastern and Southern-Eastern Asia – people at greatest risk from increased flooding from the sea and mega-deltas from rivers;

•Africa and Middle East – will face droughts and water shortage putting the growing population under pressure.

Europe’s foreign and security policy, neighbourhood policy and especially the development co-operation policy needs to include climate impacts and adaptation measures.

Pillar 3 – Working together to fill the knowledge gaps

Ways of filling the knowledge gaps:

•Share of information, knowledge and best practices;

•Need to develop a integrated, cross-sectoral and holistic approach.

• Stakeholders;

• Regional and local authorithies;

• Companies;

• Citizens.

Pillar 4 – Engaging European citizens, companies and authorities

Public web-based consultation on the green paper

30 July – 30 November 2007

28 questions in 21 languages

http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/consultation.htm

or

http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=Adapting

On Europa – Your Voice – Interactive Policy Making

Follow-up to the green paper - Next steps

Summary report on the public consultation by January 2008

White paper with more concrete policy measures: : November 2008

Impact assessment accompanying the white paper

Green paper in all official languages: http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm

Contact: [email protected]

Unit C1: Climate strategy, international negotiations and monitoring of EU action

More information