The EU Adaptation Strategy Joan Canton Policy officer DG Climate Action, European Commission.

The EU Adaptation Strategy

Joan Canton

Policy officer

DG Climate Action, European Commission

EU Adaptation Strategy

• The general aim

To enhance the preparedness and capacity to respond to the impacts of climatic change at EU, Member State, regional and local levels

• The basis

Commission White Paper (2009)• 4 pillar action plan: knowledge base, mainstreaming,

international cooperation, policy instruments • 33 long-term actions• implementation from 2009-2012.

The objectives

(1) Knowledge• Improve and widen the knowledge base and identify gaps• Further the understanding of vulnerabilities and adaptation options• Facilitate knowledge use and exchange

(1)(2) Policy and markets • Mainstream adaptation into policies at EU level, including revision of

legislation to include climate adaptation• Identify potential adaptation actions to make markets work more efficiently

(2)(3) Cooperation and facilitation• Facilitate cooperation with and between Member States, regions, cities and

other relevant stakeholders• Provide guidelines for adaptation

1st Objective of the strategy

• furthering the understanding of climate change vulnerability and adaptation

• addressing the issue of dealing with large array of uncertainties

• identifying knowledge gaps and defining a strategy on how to close these gaps

• outlining paths from knowledge generation to knowledge use

• enhancing access to related information

The knowledge objective

1st Objective of the strategy

… feeds into …

2nd Objective of the strategy

• facilitating exchange between and cooperating with Member States, regions, cities and all other relevant stakeholders

• providing guidelines for adaptation

• national level and

• for specific issues

The facilitation and cooperation

objective

3rd Objective of the strategy

Policy related objectives:

•reviewing existing EU instruments in place

•proposing adaptation action (e.g. supportive measures such as EU financial mechanisms (e.g. MFF, Structural funds))

•mainstreaming adaptation into policies at EU level

The policy and market objective

Relevant projects and reports

Completed• Economic instruments project involves analysis of 3 types of instruments: Market

based instruments (MBI), Risk management instruments (RMI) and Public private partnerships (PPP) in light of promoting adaptation actions and climate risk sharing. Insurance will be analysed in more detail.

• Climate-proofing: Identification of major threats and proposing policy actions to reduce the risks. It also involves estimating costs of proposed actions (i.e. implications on EU budget)

On-going• Climate-proofing Methodologies for climate proofing investments and measures under cohesion and regional

policy and CAP: provide guidance, training and capacity building for the implementation of agricultural and cohesion/regional funds – results expected in June/July 2012.

Guidelines for Project managers for climate proofing of vulnerable investments Adaptation Strategies in European Cities: Awareness raising and capacity building for preparation

of adaptation strategies & implementation of adaptation measures. Results expected in 2013

Ongoing: Adaptation Strategies for European Cities

• Awareness raising and capacity building• Coaching of 16 cities by peer cities (as of September)• Developing of training modules

Get involved• Get cities to fill out the survey until end May http://eucities-

adapt.eu/cms/news/share-your-views-through-our-survey-preparing-for-climate-change-in-cities/

• Contribute to webpage: http://eucities-adapt.eu • Participate in stakeholder dialogues• Aalborg/DK: 6 June• Ancona/IT: 29 June• Burgas/BG: 11 July

Integration / Mainstreaming of CC adaptation into EU policies: examples

Environment• EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 • Water• Green infrastructuresDisaster risk prevention• EU-wide overview of risks: cross-sectoral overview of the

major natural and man-made risks that the EU may face in the future, taking into account the impacts of climate change

Employment• Contribution of climate change adaptation to green jobs

discussed in the Employment package recently adopted

Mainstreaming adaptation into key policy areas: proposals

Cohesion Policy for 2014-2020• Member States and Commission shall ensure that mitigation and adaptation are promoted in

preparation and implementation of Partnership Contracts and programmes• Thematic objectives include shift towards low-carbon economy and promoting adaptation• EIA for major projects shall take adaptation and mitigation, and disaster resilience into account

Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2014-2020• Dedicate direct payments to practices that facilitate more sustainable use of natural resources• Preservation and restoration of ecosystems and fight against climate change/adaptation two of the

six priorities of rural development policy• Contribution to EU AFRD to climate mitigation, adaptation and land management

LIFE + programme• Dedicated, inter alia, to adaptation, increased resilience to climate change

Research agenda• Horizon 2020

Roadmap

March 2013

Adoption of the STRATEGY

Background studies Consultations Cooperation with

Commission services

1st half 2012October 2012

Impact Assessmentto IA Board

STARTJanuary 2012

from 2nd half 2012 onwards

EU Adaptation Strategy