Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on Adapting to climate change in Europe — Options for EU actions
Date: 2007-11-28
Institutions: European Committee of the Regions
Subjects: EU action, EU environmental policy, climate change, international cooperation, prevention of pollution

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Official Journal of the European Union

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Opinion of the Committee of the Regions on ‘Adapting to climate change in Europe — Options for
EU actions’

(2008/C 53/04)

THE THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

— urges the Commission to recognise the importance of local and regional authorities in developing and
delivering climate change adaptation measures, and to recognise the need to provide them with the
powers and support to enable them to develop adaptation strategies;

— agrees with the assessment of the impact of climate change on physical geography and ecosystems
worldwide; however it believes that equal consideration needs to be applied to the economic and
social aspects of climate change adaptation as has been applied to the environmental aspects within
the Green Paper;

— acknowledges the threat which climate change poses to our citizens and environment, but believes
that tackling adaptation early presents an opportunity to create sustainable communities as well as
competitive local and regional economies through the creation of new areas of expertise and employ-
ment opportunities, and making the most efficient use of our resources by ensuring their sustainable
use;

— supports the Commission in its call for early action, particularly in areas where the known impact has
greater certainty or where failure to act or adopt a precautionary principle would pose a significant
risk to society, the economy and the environment of Member States. Adaptation to climate change
will be costly but the Stern Review shows that to do nothing is the most expensive option. The
Committee of the Regions feels that it is incumbent on local, regional and national politicians to take
responsibility for taking the lead in making climate change adaptation a priority;

— considers that one of the key challenges is likely to be large scale population migration, both from
external countries into the EU, between Member States and also between and within regions. Manage-
ment of the housing, infrastructure, health and public service needs which will arise from this migra-
tion will have to be planned for and managed by local and regional authorities;

— calls for EU budget, programmes, policies and especially key legislation to be revised in the light of
the changing parameters that climate change will bring; in particular, the Committee calls for adapta-
tion to climate change to be considered as part of the 2008 Budget Review.

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Rapporteur: Kay TWITCHEN, Member of Essex County Council (UK/EPP)

Reference document

Green Paper from the Commission to the Council, the European Parliament, the European Economic and
Social Committee and the Committee of the Regions — Adapting to climate change in Europe —
Options for EU action

COM(2007) 354 final — {SEC(2007) 849}

Policy recommendations

THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

1.
welcomes this paper, and the acceptance that the European
Union has to take on the challenge of adaptation, working with
all partners involved, in particular Member States and partners
at the sub-national level, and globally with partner countries. It
also welcomes the recognition that a European approach is
necessary and that adaptation actions must be consistent with
mitigation actions and vice versa;

agrees with the assessment of

2.
the impact of climate
change on physical geography and ecosystems worldwide;
however it believes that equal consideration needs to be applied
to the economic and social aspects as has been applied to the
environmental aspects;

acknowledges the threat which climate change poses to
3.
our citizens and environment, but believes that tackling adapta-
tion early presents an opportunity to create sustainable commu-
nities as well as competitive local and regional economies
through the creation of new areas of expertise and employment
opportunities, and making the most efficient use of our
resources by ensuring their sustainable use.

Regarding the adverse effects of climate change

4.
considers that one of the key challenges is likely to be
large scale population migration, both from external countries
into the EU, between Member States and also between and
within regions. Management of
infrastructure,
health and public service needs which will arise from this migra-
tion will have to be planned for and managed by local and
regional authorities;

the housing,

5.
reinforces the message that climate change will place
significant burdens on healthcare and local social services as the
lessons of recent heat waves in Europe have taught. With ageing
populations in most EU Member States, the social effects of
climate change need to be seriously considered;

6.
considers that the item of shade in the public space is
missing (see question 3). Providing shade by means of trees,
parks, green roofs, a different way of building etc is an impor-
tant factor in reducing heat deaths and demand for air condi-
tioning and increasing quality of living in an urban area;

7.
in addition, believes that the adaptation of the world's
population to a reduction of the use of limited natural resources
will prove to be a great challenge requiring a significant change

in mindsets. Therefore believes that education, communication
programmes as well as market-based instruments (such as the
European Emissions Trading scheme) will be necessary to
encourage the change of individuals' behaviour in relation to
such issues as water use, energy use, recycling and resource
conservation.

Regarding the case for early action

8.
supports the Commission in its call for early action, parti-
cularly in areas where the known impact has greater certainty or
where failure to act or adopt a precautionary principle would
pose a significant risk to society, the economy and the environ-
ment of Member States. Adaptation to climate change will be
costly but the Stern Review shows that to do nothing is the
most expensive option. We have enough information to start
acting now. The Committee of the Regions feels that it is incum-
bent on local, regional and national politicians to take responsi-
bility for taking the lead in making climate change adaptation a
priority.

Regarding the role of Regional and Local Authorities

9.
believes that their participation is fundamental to devel-
oping and delivering adaptation measures. Local and regional
authorities are key delivery agents in managing the effects of
climate change and its impact on citizens' lives. The social and
economic costs of dealing with extreme weather conditions are
often picked up by local and regional authorities. Therefore they
must be supported to develop and deliver adaptation strategies
which will need to be integrated into everything they do. The
Committee of the Regions considers that there should be greater
universal recognition of the vital role local and regional authori-
ties play in safeguarding the future of our communities and
protecting vulnerable citizens such as the young, poor and
elderly;

10.
acknowledges furthermore that local and regional autho-
rities are at the forefront when dealing with the consequences of
climate change, and in particular when the actions to mitigate
in one area have a negative effect elsewhere, for example where
coastal defences and flood barriers
in moving the
problem to neighbouring or cross border areas. Therefore there
is a need for co-ordination of strategies and policies between
local and regional authorities to adapt to the consequences of
climate change. This could take a multitude of forms such as
river basin groupings etc.

result

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Regarding the development of adaptation strategies

border authorities. This particularly applies to such issues as effi-
cient use of water and other natural resources;

believes that

local and regional authorities are in a
11.
unique position to help mainstream adaptation strategies
through their responsibilities for areas such as spatial planning,
land use planning, building and development regulation, public
transport, agriculture, forestry, energy use and production, water
and waste management and procurement. The challenge is to
ensure that current and future service delivery,
infrastructure
and buildings are sustainable. Local and regional authorities will
need to work in co-operation with others to develop robust stra-
tegic and local disaster management plans and to develop and
expand existing capacity to respond to extreme weather events
as they occur more frequently and on an increasing scale.

16.
calls for research and front-line monitoring which will
help anticipate extreme meteorological phenomena to assist
developing countries, in particular those at risk from desertifica-
tion;

17.
would also encourage further support for research and
development with a view to its role in stimulating innovation
and the development of innovative adaptation technologies and
products.
In this way businesses dealing with the effects of
climate change have an immense opportunity to develop inno-
vative products and services.

Regarding the role of the EU

Regarding the inclusion of European Society, business and public sector

believes that an integrated approach between EU Member
12.
States is essential. This will reduce costs through the sharing of
experience and expertise to enable best practice to be developed
and adopted across Member States. The Committee of
the
in helping local and regional
Regions could be instrumental
authorities to organise the exchange of experiences having in
mind the importance of developing an integrated approach.

believes that through private and public sector partner-
18.
ships and inter-Member State networks such as INTERREG
(RFEC), local and regional authorities will play a vital role in the
facilitation of access to and the dissemination of information,
expertise, and best practice. These partnerships and networks
to enable co-operation
will become increasingly important
between sectors,
states and external
partner countries;

regions and member

Regarding the integration of action into existing policy and legislation

considers that adaptation must be mainstreamed into all
13.
existing EU policy frameworks as an explicit objective, such as
EU agricultural and rural development policies, and funding
programmes such as Cohesion policy, so that they are able to
change to be more in line with the adaptation needs that fall
under the responsibility of local and regional authorities. Their
continuing flexibility is important because adaptation will be an
ongoing process and local and regional needs will continue to
change as time goes by;

19.
supports co-operation with developing countries to assist
them with adaptation strategies and suggests that EU external
actions support this, and believes that local and regional autho-
rities can play a key role in sharing good practice and knowl-
and
edge with developing countries using existing links
networks. The amount that the EU will reserve for that aim
should be in proportion with the need of developing countries
and with the responsibility of the EU.

Regarding the next steps

14.
considers that some existing legislation is in conflict with
the need to adapt to climate change. The Habitats Directive for
example will need to be modified in the light of the likely
changes to existing designated habitats modified as a conse-
quence of climate change and the Water Framework Directive
will need to be adapted as water quality will be adversely
affected in certain areas due to a decline in rainfall. A broad
range of existing legislation will need to be revised to ensure
appropriate and successful adaptation to climate change.

20.
believes that these issues must be tackled urgently, and
that the need for local and regional authorities, in co-operation
with the wide group of social and economic partners with
whom they already work to manage adaptation to climate
change, must be integrated into all future EU communications
and directives;

21.
appreciates that work on these issues has already begun,
and urges the Commission to continue to regard it as a priority;

Regarding the expansion of integrated climate research

15.
supports the need for further research to establish what
will be the impacts on one region of measures taken in another
region, or possibly in another Member State. Such research is
essential to make sure that planning decisions by one local
authority will not impact negatively on neighbouring or cross

22.
urges the Commission to recognise the importance of
local and regional authorities in developing and delivering
climate change adaptation measures, and to recognise the need
to provide them with the powers and financial support
to
enable them to develop and implement adaptation strategies;

23.
urges the Commission to address not only environmental
considerations in the follow-up work to this Green Paper but
the social and economic impacts of climate change;

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24.
believes that the sharing of best practice between local
and regional authorities and Member States is absolutely crucial
to successful
and
considers that the EU has a role to play in ensuring that this
exchange of
information and sharing of best practice takes
place, both within the EU and externally;

adaptation measures being developed,

considers that the EU has a strategic role to play in plan-

25.
ning for and managing migration of population;

that climate change will bring;

26.
calls for EU budget, programmes, policies and especially
key legislation to be revised in the light of the changing para-
the
meters
Committee calls for adaptation to climate change to be consid-
ered as a specific ringfenced budget line within all key budget
items (CAP, Cohesion, Research etc) as part of the 2008 Budget
Review;

in particular,

Brussels, 28 November 2007

27.
considers that it is important that the EU focuses more
of its existing support for research into finding solutions to the
problems caused by climate change as well as innovative adapta-
tion measures. Such research can provide innovative solutions
to maintain European competitiveness. Research activity must
be better coordinated. It is crucial to bridge the biggest informa-
tion gaps and also to prevent duplication of research activity;

is concerned at the potential impact on one region or
28.
Member State of adaptation measures taken in another region
or Member State, and considers that the EU is the appropriate
body for establishing strategic frameworks for dealing with
these potential problems;

29.
calls for education and communication programmes to
encourage the change of individuals' behaviour in relation to
such issues as water use, energy use, recycling and resource
conservation.

The President

of the Committee of the Regions

Michel DELEBARRE