The EU Adaptation Strategy

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

2. 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.

3. 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 • (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 • (3) Cooperation and facilitation • Facilitate cooperation with and between Member States, regions, cities and other relevant stakeholders • Provide guidelines for adaptation

4. 1st Objective of the strategy The knowledge objective • 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

5. 1st Objective of the strategy … feeds into …

6. 2nd Objective of the strategy The facilitation and cooperation objective • 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

7. 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

8. 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

9. 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

10. Integration / Mainstreaming of CC adaptation into EU policies: examples Environment • EU biodiversity strategy to 2020 • Water • Green infrastructures Disaster 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

11. 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

12. Roadmap Adoption of the STRATEGY START January 2012 March 2013 from 2nd half 2012 onwards EU Adaptation Strategy 1st half 2012 October 2012 Impact Assessmentto IA Board • Background studies • Consultations • Cooperation with Commission services