COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Forging a climate-resilient Europe - the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change
Date: 2021-02-24
Institutions: Directorate-General for Climate Action, European Commission
Subjects: adaptation to climate change, climate change, environmental cooperation, environmental impact, environmental risk prevention, international cooperation, natural disaster, reduction of gas emissions, water protection

EN 

  EN 

   EUROPEAN COMMISSION  Brussels, 24.2.2021  COM(2021) 82 final  COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS Forging a climate-resilient Europe - the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change {SEC(2021) 89 final} - {SWD(2021) 25 final} - {SWD(2021) 26 final}  
 
 
 1. THE REALITY OF CLIMATE CHANGE IMPACTS – THE NEED TO ACT NOW 

Climate change is happening today, so we have to build a more resilient tomorrow. The 
world has just concluded  the  hottest decade on  record during which the  title for the  hottest 
year was beaten eight times. People, planet and prosperity are vulnerable to climate change, 
so we need to prevent the un-adaptable and adapt to the un-preventable1. And we must do it 
faster,  and  in  a  smarter  and  more  systemic  way.  The  severe  effects  of  the  COVID-19 
pandemic on our health and socio-economic wellbeing are a stark warning of the dangers of 
insufficient preparation. The choices we make today must create a better world. 

Halting all greenhouse gas emissions would still not prevent the climate impacts that are 
already occurring. These will continue for decades, even if global and European efforts to 
cut greenhouse gas emissions prove effective. Even drastic temporary decreases of emissions, 
like those caused by the 2008 financial crisis or the economic disruption from the COVID-19 
pandemic, have little effect on the overall trajectory of global warming. Major international 
commitments to reach climate neutrality are increasing the likelihood of a best-case scenario, 
but even in that case, substantial adaptation efforts would still be required.  
The  frequency  and  severity  of  climate  and  weather  extremes  is  increasing2.  This  has 
caused  a  surge  in  the  number  of,  and  damages  from,  disasters  over  the  last  two  decades3. 
These extremes range from unprecedented forest fires and heatwaves right above the Arctic 
Circle to devastating droughts in the Mediterranean region; and from hurricanes ravaging EU 
outermost regions to forests decimated by unprecedented bark beetle outbreaks in Central and 
Eastern  Europe.  Slow  onset  events,  such  as  desertification,  loss  of  biodiversity,  land  and 
ecosystem degradation, ocean acidification or sea level rise are equally destructive over the 
long term.  

Climate  change  impacts  are  having  far-reaching  effects  inside  and  outside  the  Union. 
Water  shortages  in  the  EU  have  affected  economic  activities  as  diverse  as  agriculture, 
aquaculture,  tourism,  power  plant  cooling,  and  cargo  shipping  on  rivers.  It  affects  not  only 
the economy, but also the health and well-being of Europeans, who increasingly suffer from 
heat  waves  (globally,  the  deadliest  disaster  of  2019  was  the  European  heatwave  with  2500 
deaths). It also poses risks to food security, worsens existing social inequalities and threatens 
cultural  heritage.  The  EU  already  is,  and  will  increasingly  be,  affected  by  climate  impacts 
outside  Europe  through  cascading  and  spillover  effects  on  trade  or  migration.  This  makes 
international  climate  resilience4 not  only  a  matter  of  solidarity,  but  also  of  open  strategic 
autonomy and self-interest for the EU and its Member States.  

Economic  losses  from  more  frequent  climate-related  extreme  events  are  increasing.  In 
the  EU,  these  losses  already  average  over  EUR  12  billion  per  year.  Conservative,  lower 
bound estimates show  that  exposing today’s EU  economy  to  global warming of 3°C  above 
pre-industrial levels would result in an annual loss of at least EUR 170 billion (1.36% of EU 
GDP5). Slow onset sea level rise is also an increasing worry for coastal areas, which produce 

1 Adaptation  is  the  process  of  adjustment  to  actual  or  expected  climate  and  its  effects  (IPCC  AR5).  It  is  not  a  one-time 
emergency  response,  but  a  series  of  proactive  measures  to  deal  with  the  nexus  of  hazard  (e.g.  drought,  sea  level  rise), 
exposure  (e.g.  less  water  in  the  South),  and  vulnerability  (e.g.  poverty  or  lack  of  education).  Complications  (and  danger) 
arise from tipping points (i.e. thresholds in the rate of climate change) like permafrost melting, sea-ice loss, or massive forest 
dieback. 
2 https://www.eea.europa.eu/highlights/soer2020-europes-environment-state-and-outlook-report  
3 https://www.undrr.org/news/drrday-un-report-charts-huge-rise-climate-disasters   
4 For a discussion on the articulation between adaptation and resilience, see IPCC.  
5 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/peseta-iv/economic-impacts  

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~  40%  of  the  EU  GDP  and  are  home  to  ~40%  of  its  population.  Losses  are  distributed 
unevenly,  harming  regions  that  may  already  face  challenges  like  low  growth  or  high  youth 
unemployment. 

Europe is rising to meet the climate challenge. The EU committed to climate neutrality by 
2050 and a more ambitious emissions reduction target of at least 55% by 2030, compared to 
1990.  A  climate  emergency  has  been  recognised  by  the  European  Parliament,  by  several 
Member  States,  and  by  over  300  cities.  The  European  Council  has  concluded  that  climate 
change is “an existential threat”. The EU endorsed the 2020 Leaders’ Pledge for Nature6, to 
tackle  jointly  the  climate  and  biodiversity  crises.  The  focus  on  the  green  transition  in  the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility  and  the  next  generation  Cohesion  Policy  programmes 
provides an opportunity to frontload investments and reforms that can help increase resilience 
to climate shocks  as  well  as  accelerate  the  decarbonisation of the  economy.  For  the private 
sector,  the  EU  taxonomy  for  sustainable  activities  will  provide  the  framework  to  facilitate 
climate-resilient  investments.  At  individual  level,  over  93%  of  Europeans  consider  that 
climate  change  is  a  serious  problem,  and  70%  agree  that  adapting  to  climate  change  is 
positive. 

The  importance  of  adaptation  is  increasingly  recognised  globally  – but multiple reports 
highlight the lack of preparedness7. Extreme weather events and their impacts have an almost 
constant  presence  in  the  media,  and  their  increased  intensity  and  frequency  due  to  climate 
change  features  at  the  top  of  the  global  public  agenda.  The  Global  Commission  on 
Adaptation  highlighted  adaptation  solutions  as  often  being  “no  regret”,  i.e.  worth  pursuing 
regardless of the ultimate climate path. This is due to their multiple co-benefits, particularly 
for  nature-based  solutions  and  disaster  risk  prevention,  and  the  “triple  dividend”  of 
adaptation: avoiding future human, natural and material losses; generating economic benefits 
by  reducing  risks,  increasing  productivity,  and  stimulating  innovation;  and  the  social, 
environmental and cultural benefits.  

Box 1: The example of droughts  

Due  to  the  changing  climate,  many  European  regions  are  already  facing  more  frequent, 
severe, and longer lasting droughts. Droughts8 can have cascading effects; for example, they 
reduce  water  levels  in  rivers  and  ground  water,  stunt  tree  and  crop  growth,  increase  pest 
attacks  and  fuel  wildfires.  In  Europe,  most  of  the  losses  caused  by  drought  (~EUR  9 
billion/year)  affect  agriculture,  the  energy  sector  and  the  public  water  supply.  Extreme 
droughts  in  western  and  central  Europe  in  2018,  2019  and  2020  caused  considerable 
damage.  In  2018  alone,  agricultural  damages  amounted  to  some  EUR  2  billion  in  France, 
EUR 1.4 billion in the Netherlands, and EUR 770 million in Germany. With global warming 
at  3°C,  droughts  would  happen  twice  as  often  and  the  absolute  annual  drought  losses  in 
Europe  would  increase  to  EUR  40  billion/year,  with  the  most  severe  impacts  in  the 
Mediterranean and Atlantic Regions9. 

The EU may respond to droughts with short-term emergency measures under the Union Civil 
Protection Mechanism, and EU-wide early warning systems are in place. Member States are 
implementing  integrated  river  basin  management  through  the  Water  Framework  Directive, 
and some have adopted Drought Management Plans for vulnerable river basins. Given that 

6 https://www.leaderspledgefornature.org/  
7 Adaptation  Gap  Report  2020,  Global  Commission  on  Adaptation  reports  Adapt  Now  and  State  and  trends  in  adaptation 
2020. 
8 A drought is an unusual and temporary deficit in water availability, whether atmospheric, surface water or ground water. 
9 PESETA IV report https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/peseta-iv/droughts  

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in  the  longer  term,  almost  all  river  basins  could  be  exposed,  organisational  and  technical 
adaptation  solutions  are  required.  This  includes  in  agriculture  the  sustainable  (re-)use  of 
water,  soil  management and  vegetation  cover,  drought  resistant  crops,  vertical  farming,  or 
even  land  use  planning  and  restoration  of  damaged  areas.  In  energy  and  transport,  this 
includes  preparing  for  disruptions  on  particular  waterways  with  freight  transport, 
hydropower and cooling for power plants10. For drinking water, promoting residential water 
saving, or additional supply and storage infrastructure. 

 2. FORGING A CLIMATE-RESILIENT UNION 

The  European  Green  Deal,  the  EU’s  growth  strategy  for  a  sustainable  future,  is 
predicated on the realisation that the green transformation is an opportunity and that 
failure  to  act  has  a  huge  cost.  It  shows  EU  leadership  in  preventing  the  worst,  by 
committing  to  climate  neutrality,  and  in  preparing  better,  by  pointing  to  more  ambitious 
adaptation action that builds on the 2013 EU Adaptation Strategy11.  

The  long-term  vision  is  that  in  2050,  the  EU  will  be  a  climate-resilient  society,  fully 
adapted to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. This means that by 2050, when we 
aim  to  have  reached  climate  neutrality,  we  will  have  reinforced  adaptive  capacity  and 
minimised  vulnerability  to  climate  impacts,  in  line  with  the  Paris  Agreement  and  the 
proposed European Climate Law12. 

The  European  Climate  Law  proposal  provides  the  foundation  for  increased  ambition 
and  policy  coherence  on  adaptation.  It  sets  both  the  framework  for  achieving  climate 
neutrality  and  the  ambition  on  adaptation  by  2050  by  integrating  the  internationally-shared 
vision  for  action  into  EU  law  (i.e.  the  global  goal  on  adaptation  in  Article  7  of  the  Paris 
Agreement  and  Sustainable  Development  Goal  13).  The  proposal  commits  the  EU  and  its 
Member States to make continuous progress to boost adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience 
and reduce vulnerability to climate change. The new adaptation strategy is showing the way 
and providing the solutions to help make this progress a reality. Given the systemic nature of 
adaptation policy, adaptation action will be implemented in an integrated manner with other 
European Green Deal initiatives such as the Biodiversity Strategy, Renovation Wave, Farm 
to  Fork  Strategy,  the  Circular  Economy  and  Zero  Pollution  Action  Plans,  Forest  Strategy, 
Soil  Strategy,  Smart  and  Sustainable  Mobility  Strategy,  and  Renewed  Sustainable  Finance 
Strategy. 

The  EU  has  already  taken  action  to  boost  its  resilience  over  the  past  years  under  the 
2013 Adaptation Strategy13. All Member States now have a national adaptation strategy or 
plan; adaptation has been mainstreamed into the EU’s policies and long-term budget; and the 
Climate-ADAPT  platform14 has  become  a  key  reference  for  knowledge  on  adaptation.  The 
Global  Commission  on  Adaptation  recognised  the  EU  as  a  pioneer  in  integrating 
considerations  of  climate  risk  into  decision-making 15 .  This  new  strategy  builds  on  that 
experience, increases ambition, and expands to cover new areas and priorities.  

Member  States  will  continue  to  be  the  main  implementation  partners  -  and  more 
ambitious  and  more  proactive  EU-level  action  will  help  them  meet  their  adaptation 
needs.  The  need  for  more  EU-level  support  is  substantiated  by  the  accompanying  impact 

10 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/publication/eur-scientific-and-technical-research-reports/water-energy-nexus-europe  
11 An EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change COM(2013)216 final. 
12 European Climate Law COM/2020/80 final  
13 Evaluation of the EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change, SWD/2018/461 final 
14 https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/  
15 https://gca.org/reports/adapt-now-a-global-call-for-leadership-on-climate-resilience/  

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assessment16. Even if adaptation challenges are local and specific, solutions are often widely 
transferable  and  applicable  on  a  regional,  national  or  transnational  scale.  Many  climate 
change  impacts  have  a  strong  cross-border  dimension  (e.g.  in  the  Arctic  region,  macro-
regions,  or  river  basins),  or  international  dimension  (EU  outermost  regions  and  Overseas 
Countries and Territories) and there are EU-specific impacts on the Single Market. Solidarity 
across  and within  Member States is  essential to  achieving resilience in  a just and  fair  way. 
The  Commission  will  work  closely  with  Member  States  on  the  implementation  of  this 
strategy, and to better align international and EU adaptation action. Regional and local-level 
adaptation  will  also  benefit,  while  the  European  Climate  Pact17 will  empower  individual 
citizens, who will play a key role in the success of the adaptation strategy18. 

The gravity of the adaptation challenge makes it a whole-government and whole-society 
endeavour.  It  is  vital  for  the  private  and  public  sectors  to  work  together  more  closely,  in 
particular on financing adaptation. The strategy, with the focus and the tools it provides, will 
support the private sector to identify risks and steer investment towards action on adaptation 
and  resilience  (and  avoid  maladaptation).  By  offering  solutions  to  help  meet  the  rising 
awareness  of  climate  impacts  (such  as  the  non-financial  disclosure  obligations,  the  EU 
taxonomy  for  sustainable  activities  and  the  Renewed  Sustainable  Finance  Strategy),  it  will 
help large companies, SMEs, local administrations, social partners, and the public. It will also 
help correct the misperception that adaptation is solely a cost - it is an investment. 

The  strategy  aims  to  realise  the  2050  vision  of  a  climate-resilient  Union  by  making 
adaptation  smarter,  more  systemic,  swifter,  and  by  stepping  up  international  action. 
This  translates  throughout  the  policy  cycle  into  improved  knowledge  and  data;  support  to 
policy  development  and  climate  risk  management  at  all  levels,  and  accelerated  adaptation 
action  across  the  board.  With  the  new  strategy,  the  Commission  is  doing  its  part  to  equip 
Europe to become more climate-resilient. Full implementation of the actions of the strategy 
would  put  Europe  in  a  much  better  position  to  face  climate  impacts  already  by  2030.  This 
would  mean  adaptation  awareness  and  planning  spread  to  every  single  local  authority, 
company and household; adaptation implementation well underway for those most affected; 
and  global  leadership  in  areas  such  as  climate  services,  climate  proofing,  or  nature-based 
solutions. 

2.1. Smarter adaptation: improving knowledge and managing uncertainty 

Despite  progress,  wide  gaps  in  our  adaptation  knowledge  remain.  Climate  change 
manifests  itself  in  a  large  number  of  hazards,  bringing  impacts  to  almost  all  sectors. 
Therefore,  the  knowledge  base  required  to  inform  effective  action  is  extensive.  It  includes 
uncertainty  on  how  fast  and  how  far  the  climate  will  change  and  affect  natural  and  human 
systems,  and  the  effectiveness  of  policies  and  measures.  There  is  increasing  demand  to 
translate the wealth of climate information available into customised, user-friendly tools. We 
need  to  push  the  frontiers  of  adaptation  knowledge,  and  acquire  more  and  better  climate-
related data, notably on economic losses. And we need to bring it all together. 

2.1.1. Pushing the frontiers of knowledge on adaptation 

Decision-making  and  acting  in  the  face  of  climate  uncertainty  can  be  facilitated  by 
anchoring  decisions  in  the  latest  science.  We  already  have  a  robust  knowledge  base  for 

16 SWD(2021)25 and SWD(2021)26. 
17 https://europa.eu/climate-pact 
18 The upcoming Conference on the Future of Europe can be leveraged to promote awareness on adaptation at all levels. 

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action but further work is needed on adaptation, its costs, benefits and distributional effects. 
In  addition,  we  must  draw  on  science  to  improve  our  understanding  of  the  nexus  between 
climate  hazards  and  socioeconomic  vulnerabilities  and  inequalities.  We  must  develop 
effective  and  inclusive  governance  mechanisms  that  ensure  dialogue  between  policymakers 
and  scientists,  for  example  via  the  biennial  European  Climate  Change  Adaptation 
Conference. The  EU  is  well placed  to  facilitate  this, by drawing on  its experience  with the 
Framework Programmes for Research and Innovation, the Space Programme, and the Union 
Civil  Protection  Mechanism.  Advances  will  be  needed,  for  example  on  modelling  to  more 
accurately estimate future damage and customise adaptation measures, on understanding the 
health implications, the cascading effects from simultaneous or sequential climate impacts, or 
tipping points in Earth systems19. 

The digital transformation is critical to achieving the Green Deal adaptation objectives. 
All  data  from  EU  scientific  lighthouses  such  as  Copernicus 20 and  the  European  Marine 
Observation  and  Data  Network  (EMODnet)21 are  freely  and  openly  available  to  all  users 
worldwide. The Copernicus Climate Change Service will continue to increase data usability 
and  further  develop  services  such  as  on  extreme  event  attribution  services 22 .  We  must 
promote the use of the latest digital technologies and climate services to underpin decision-
making (for example remote sensing, smart weather stations, artificial intelligence and high 
performance  computing).  New  instruments  such  as  Destination  Earth  and  Digital  Twins23 
hold  great  promise  to  boost  our  understanding  of  present  and  future  climate  impacts  at 
planetary  and  local  scale.  Ocean  measurements  and  observation  will  be  also  be  further 
strengthened. 

We  need  to  better  understand  the  interdependencies  between  climate  change, 
ecosystems,  and  the  services  they  deliver.  Major  shifts  in  terrestrial  ecosystems  and 
vegetation  types  on  the  European  Union’s  land  area  are  expected  during  this  century, 
including in protected areas. Water cycle and temperature changes, or sea level rise will put 
ecosystems  under  additional  stress.  Over  this  century,  the  ocean  is  expected  to  reach 
unprecedented  conditions  with  increased  temperatures,  further  acidification,  and  oxygen 
decline.  We  need  science-based,  robust  ecosystem  restoration  and  management  that  helps 
minimise  risks,  improves  resilience,  and  ensures  the  continued  delivery  of  vital  ecosystem 
services  and  features:  food  provision,  air  and  water  purification,  flood  protection, 
biodiversity, and climate mitigation.  

The Commission will: 

o  help  to  close  knowledge  gaps  on  climate  impacts  and  resilience,  including  on 
oceans, through Horizon Europe, Digital Europe, Copernicus and EMODnet; 

o 

improve  the  state  of  the  art  on  adaptation  modelling,  risk  assessment  and 
management tools – towards “asset-level modelling”. 

19 https://media.nature.com/original/magazine-assets/d41586-019-03595-0/d41586-019-03595-0.pdf  
20 The Copernicus program is an EU flagship programme. With land, marine, climate change and atmospheric monitoring, it 
provides full, free and open access to a vast portfolio of Earth Observation and ground data, as well as products and services. 
21 https://emodnet.eu/en  
22 To understand the extent to which extreme weather and climate events can be linked to climate change. See C3S.  
23 https://ec.europa.eu/digital-single-market/en/destination-earth-destine#Digital-twins  

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2.1.2. More and better climate-related risk and losses data 
Data on climate-related risk and losses24 are crucial to improve the accuracy of climate 
risk  assessment.  Any  new  investment  and  policy  decision  should  be  climate-informed  and 
future-proof,  from  households  renovating  their  homes,  to  SMEs  setting  up  business  in  a 
vulnerable  area,  larger  businesses  managing  supply  chains,  banks  agreeing  new  loans,  or 
cities  planning  zoning  developments.  At  present,  data  quantifying  disaster  losses  is 
unsatisfactory:  it  is  often  not  recorded  and/or  not  available  in  accessible  formats  and 
databases once collected.  

To avoid “climate-blind” decisions, data from both the private and public sector should 
be  recorded,  collected  and  shared  in  a  comprehensive  and  harmonised  way.  The 
Commission will promote common rules and specifications for the recording and collection 
of data on climate-related losses and physical climate risk, and support the central recording 
of this data from the public and private sector at EU level through its Risk Data Hub25. It will 
encourage  at  the  national  level  a  voluntary  approach  of  public  private  partnerships  for  the 
collection and sharing of loss data based on enhanced cooperation with Member States, cities 
and industry. The Commission will also define the data needs, and explore with industry the 
best  ways  to  collect  comprehensive  and  harmonised  data  from  insurers,  empowering,  as 
relevant, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority (EIOPA). 

The  Commission  will  facilitate  access  to  climate-related  risk  and  losses  data  for 
stakeholders. The review of the INSPIRE Directive in 2021 as part of the ‘GreenData4All’ 
initiative offers an opportunity to revise the legislation to cover environmental and climate-
related disaster loss data, extending the scope of public access. Climate-related disaster loss 
data could also be considered as high value datasets in future revisions of the implementing 
act of the Directive on open data and the re-use of public sector information. Similarly, data 
collected in public private partnerships will be made as accessible as possible. 

The Commission will: 

o  promote and support the use of its Risk Data Hub to harmonise the recording and 
collection  of  comprehensive  and  granular  climate-related  risk  and  losses  data, 
and promote national level public private partnerships to collect and share such 
data; 

o  explore  with  EIOPA  and  industry  the  best  ways  to  improve  the  collection  of 
uniform    and  comprehensive  insured  loss  data,  and  will  empower  EIOPA  as 
needed;  

o  extend  the  scope  of  public  access  to  environmental  information in  the  INSPIRE 

Directive to include climate-related risk and losses data. 

2.1.3. Making Climate-ADAPT the authoritative European platform for adaptation  

Climate knowledge platforms play an increasing role in decision-making for adaptation 
action. Climate-ADAPT is already an established reference tool and knowledge resource and 

24  This includes public and private losses from climate-related impacts, for example loss of life, damage to infrastructure, or 
commercial  operations.  It  also  includes  costs  of  emergency  response  and  recovery  at  asset  and  at  different  administrative 
levels.  Climate  risk  and  loss  data  recording  and  sharing  supports  work  on  the  Sendai  Framework  for  Disaster  Risk 
Reduction. 
25 https://drmkc.jrc.ec.europa.eu/risk-data-hub#/  

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is progressively expanded, for example with access to Copernicus data26. But we must invest 
more in expanding its capabilities, user and contributor base, outreach, and impact27.  It will 
boost  the  exchange  of  knowledge,  good  practices  and  solutions, including  from  EU-funded 
projects, reaching  out  to and  involving  a  growing network  of users.  It  will also  collect  and 
process  data  from  all  relevant  sources  and  subsequently  develop  high-quality  information. 
Links  to  transnational,  national  and  subnational  adaptation  platforms  will  be  further 
developed,  as  well  as  connection  and  interoperability  with  relevant  resources  for  climate 
impacts28. 

We  need  a  deeper  understanding  of  the  climate-related  risks  for  health  and  greater 
capacity  to  counter  them.  Climate  change  related  health  threats  are  increasing;  they  are 
serious and can only be addressed across borders. They include death and injury from heat, 
floods  or  forest  fires;  and  the  emergence  and  spread  of  infectious  diseases  and  allergens 
linked  to  geographical  shifts  in  vectors  and  pathogens 29 .  Climate  change  will  also 
increasingly  challenge  the  ability  of  public  health  systems  to  function  effectively,  e.g.  to 
develop  capacities  to  deal  with  diseases  previously  unknown  in  Europe.  The  Commission 
will pool and connect data, tools and expertise to communicate, monitor, analyse and prevent 
the effects of climate change on human health, based on a 'One Health' approach. 

The Commission will: 

o  update  and expand  Climate-ADAPT as source of knowledge on climate impacts 
and  adaptation,  including  by  federating  various  sources  of  information,  and  as 
monitoring and reporting mechanism; 

o  establish a European climate and health observatory under Climate-ADAPT. 

2.2. More systemic adaptation: Support policy development at all levels and sectors 

Climate  change  is  having  such  a  pervasive  impact  that  our  response  to  it  must  be 
systemic.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  actively  mainstream  climate  resilience 
considerations  in  all  relevant  policy  fields  applicable  to  both  the  public  and  the  private 
sectors.  Mainstreaming  will  extend  beyond  sectors  targeted  in  the  2013  EU  Adaptation 
Strategy, which included agriculture, infrastructure and insurance. It will support the further 
development and, most importantly, implementation of adaptation strategies and plans at all 
levels  of  governance.  In  this  systemic  approach,  there  are  three  cross  cutting  priorities: 
integrating  adaptation  into  macro-fiscal  policy,  nature-based  solutions  for  adaptation,  and 
local adaptation action.  

2.2.1. Improving adaptation strategies and plans 

Adaptation  strategies  at  all  levels  must  be  effective  and  based  on  the  latest  science. 
Adaptation  strategies  will  remain  important  instruments.  National,  regional  and  local 
authorities  should  further  develop  them.  The  Commission  offers  support  to  build 
administrative  capacity  in  Member  States  for  the  implementation  of  EU  climate  adaptation 
policies  through  its  Technical  Support  Instrument.  The  Commission  and  the  participating 

26 Copernicus federates the European Forest Fire Information System, the European Drought Observatory, and the European 
Flood Awareness System, under the umbrella of its Emergency Management Service. 
27 Guided by its in-depth evaluation https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/sharing-adaptation-information-across-europe. 
28 For example: Forest Information System for Europe, EU Soil Observatory, Biodiversity Information System for Europe, 
European Drought Observatory, Knowledge Centre for Biodiversity, EU Science Hub on Earth Observation.  
29 https://www.eea.europa.eu/publications/healthy-environment-healthy-lives  

7 

 
 
 
                                                 
countries and regions will also stimulate cooperation across borders through the EU macro-
regional  strategies  cooperation  frameworks30 and  sea-basin  and  other  maritime  strategies31, 
Interreg  funding  programmes,  and  cooperation  and  networking  opportunities  under  the 
Common Agricultural Policy. This will help adaptation implementation through coordinated 
and  joint  actions  between  Members  States,  and  between  EU  and  non-EU  countries.  The 
Commission  will  also  foster  the  exchange  of  best  practices  and  solutions  to  common 
adaptation challenges among the outermost regions and with their neighbours. As part of the 
reporting process  of the  functioning of  the Common  Fisheries  Policy, the  Commission  will 
assess how this policy caters for climate change adaptation. 

Monitoring,  reporting  and  evaluation are essential to setting a robust baseline against 
which to measure progress on adaptation. The implementing regulation on the Governance 
of the Energy Union and Climate Action32 already stipulates the structure, format, submission 
processes  and  review  of  adaptation  information  reported  by  Member  States.  This  robust 
reporting  also  supports  the  implementation  of  the  National  Energy  and  Climate  Plans,  for 
instance in the protection of the security of the EU’s energy supply against climate impacts. 
Although the local specificity of adaptation often makes comparison difficult, it can be made 
for  areas  crossing  several  borders  with  common  climate  risks.  Such  areas  include  river 
basins,  mountainous  areas,  islands,  or  the  outermost  regions  (which  are  particularly 
vulnerable to climate change). The Commission will further develop suitable indicators and a 
resilience  assessment  framework  based  on 
the  experience  gained  with  adaptation 
preparedness  scoreboards  for  the  2013  Adaptation  Strategy,  and  in  line  with  work  in  the 
UNFCCC Adaptation Committee. 

Policy  coherence  must  systematically  take 
into  account  adaptation  to  avoid 
inadvertently  undermining  it.  Whenever  relevant,  EU  and  Member  State  policymaking 
should  apply  the  following  policy  coherence  principles:  ensure  that  regulation  and  funding 
take  into  account  disaster  risk  to  avoid  creating  new  exposure;  reduce  existing  risk  by 
building  up  resilience,  prevention  and  preparedness;  manage  residual  risk.  These  principles 
should  be  integrated,  for  example,  in  calls  for  tender  and  selection  criteria  for  EU-funded 
projects  as  well  as  taken  into  due  account  when  designing  policies  more  generally.  When 
improving  the  way  Better  Regulation  guidelines  and  supporting  tools  address  sustainability 
matters, as announced in the European Green Deal, the Commission will make sure climate 
adaptation issues are duly and proportionately taken into account.  

The Commission will: 

o  stimulate cooperation regionally and across borders and enhance the guidelines 

on national adaptation strategies in cooperation with the Member States; 

o  upgrade adaptation monitoring, reporting and evaluation by using a harmonised 

framework of standards and indicators; 

o  provide ex-ante project assessment tools to better identify co-benefits and positive 

impacts on the economy of adaptation and prevention projects; 

o  update its Better Regulation guidelines and toolbox to better reflect the principles 

of climate-risk management policy coherence. 

30 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/policy/cooperation/macro-regional-strategies/ 
31 https://ec.europa.eu/maritimeaffairs/policy/sea_basins_en 
32 European Commission Implementing Regulation (EU) 2020/1208  

8 

 
                                                 
2.2.2. Fostering local, individual, and just resilience 

The  local  level  is  the  bedrock  of  adaptation,  so  EU  support  must  help  increase  local 
resilience.  Financial  support  is  increasingly  available  through  the  European  Structural  and 
Investment  Funds 33 ,  the  Common  Agricultural  Policy,  the  LIFE  Programme,  and  the 
Recovery  and  Resilience  Facility.  The  Commission  will  support  the  local  uptake  of  data, 
digital  and  smart  solutions  related  to  climate  adaptation  tailored  to  local  and  regional 
specificities.  This  will  build  on  existing  initiatives  and  instruments  such  as  the  EIP-SCC 
Marketplace34,  the  Digital  Europe  Programme,  Horizon  Europe,  and  the  Intelligent  Cities 
Challenge35. To engage and empower individual Europeans to take direct adaptation action, 
the  Commission  will  use  the  European  Climate  Pact  initiative  and  Education  for  Climate 
Coalition36 to inform, inspire and connect.  

The  EU  and  Global  Covenant  of  Mayors  will  be  strengthened  to  assist  local  and 
regional authorities. To help them move from planning to action, the EU will pilot a policy 
support  facility  to  assist  authorities  under  the  EU  Covenant  of  Mayors.  This  facility  will 
provide direct technical assistance to help develop and implement their adaptation strategies 
and plans. The EU will encourage even greater involvement of regional bodies in adaptation 
agenda setting through the Urban Agenda for the EU, the Fisheries Local Action Groups, and 
will  involve  the  Committee  of  the  Regions  representatives  as  part  of  the  EU  Covenant  of 
Mayors.  

Achieving  resilience  in  a  just  and  fair  way  is  essential  so  that  the  benefits  of  climate 
adaptation  are  widely  and  equitably  shared.  European  regions  and  citizens  are  directly 
affected by climate change, for example through job losses in climate-affected sectors such as 
agriculture, fisheries, and tourism. Unequal exposure and vulnerability to climate impacts of 
different  regions  and  socio-economic  groups  worsens  pre-existing 
inequalities  and 
vulnerabilities37.  The  impacts  of  climate  change  are  not  neutral.  Men  and  women,  older 
people,  persons  with  disabilities,  displaced  persons,  or  socially  marginalised  have  different 
adaptive  capabilities.  Adaptation  measures  need  to  consider  their  situation.  Support  is 
increasingly needed for  education,  training and  reskilling  initiatives that lead to  green  jobs. 
The EU will promote long-term economic diversification strategies and policies that enable 
workers to  requalify  and move towards  green  growth sectors, while ensuring  sufficient and 
highly  skilled  workforce.  This  will  require  improving  our  understanding  of  the  effects  of 
climate  change  on  workers,  working  conditions,  health  and  safety,  assessing  the  related 
distributional  effects,  and  involving  social  partners.  Support  can  be  found  through  the 
European  Skills  Agenda,  the  Youth  Guarantee,  the  European  Social  Fund  Plus  (ESIF+),  or 
the Recovery and Resilience Facility.  

The Commission will: 

o  step  up support to planning and  implementation of local adaptation and launch 

an adaptation support facility under the EU Covenant of Mayors; 

o  support the reskilling and requalification of workers for a just and fair resilience 
with education and training through ESF+, Erasmus+ and European Solidarity 

33 Mainly  by  the  Cohesion  Fund  and  the  European  Regional  Development  Fund;  to  a  lesser  extent  by  the  European 
Agricultural Fund for Rural Development, the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the European Social Fund. 
34 https://eu-smartcities.eu/  
35 https://www.intelligentcitieschallenge.eu/ 
36 https://ec.europa.eu/education/education-in-the-eu/european-education-area/education-climate-coalition_en  
37 See EEA report: Unequal exposure and unequal impacts 

9 

 
 
                                                 
Corps; 

o  continue to ensure the enforcement of existing employment and social legislation, 
and,  where  relevant,  consider  proposing  new  initiatives  that  increase  workers’ 
protection from climate impacts. 

2.2.3. Integrating climate resilience in national fiscal frameworks 

National fiscal frameworks in the EU include climate change and natural disaster fiscal 
risks  only  to  a  limited  extent.  Relief  and  reconstruction  after  extreme  weather  and  slow-
onset events will increase government expenditure, including via compensation for uninsured 
losses. The effects on production capacity may have a negative impact on economic growth. 
Disaster  risk  management  includes  processes  and  tools  to  address  ex-ante  climate  related 
risks  and  reducing  ex-post  disaster  consequences.  This  needs  to  be  reflected  in  budgetary 
planning,  and  in  governance  and  institutional  arrangements.  Disaster  risk  financing  can  be 
complemented with a combination of risk management and risk sharing instruments provided 
by  the  private  sector  adapted  to  the  severity  and  frequency  of  disasters.  Given  the  possible 
effect  on  fiscal  stability,  there  is  also  a  need  to  manage  the  risks  to  long-term  public  debt 
sustainability. 

Macro-fiscal  resilience  requires  factoring  the  range  of  plausible  climate  scenarios  into 
economic  policies  and  an  understanding  of  disaster  risk  management 38.  Sound  risk 
assessments  should  assess  the  impact  and  the  probability  of  plausible  climate  change 
scenarios.  Developing  scenario  analyses,  in  turn,  could  feed  into  stress-test  exercises  on 
macroeconomic  variables39.  Robust  assessments  of  the  main  economic  impacts  stemming 
from natural risks should be made available and estimates of their fiscal impacts reflected in 
the budgetary planning process. Taking into account quantitative disaster risk assessments in 
budgetary  plans  would  help  make  funds  available  rapidly  and  commensurate  with  need. 
Dedicated  funds  and  instruments,  both  at  EU  and  national  level,  such  as  from  the  EU 
Solidarity  Fund40,  can  contribute  to  post-disaster  emergency  and  recovery  operations.  This 
must  include  as  a  minimum  “build  back  better”  considerations.  Transparency  on  these 
contributions can provide incentives for adaptation and reduce moral hazard41.  

Climate adaptation and resilience  objectives  are embedded in the EU-level COVID-19 
pandemic  recovery  effort.  Supporting  the  recovery  will  remain  a  central  goal  of  macro-
fiscal policy in the short and medium term. The scale and nature of the spending, also from 
the  national  budgets,  heightens  the  importance  of  building  back  better.  The  Recovery  and 
Resilience  Facility  will  support  Member  States  in  their  economic  recovery  and  long-term 
resilience. The National Recovery and Resilience Plans are expected to support investments 
and reforms to improve climate resilience across the entire EU. At least 37% of the allocation 
of  the  plans  should  be  directed  to  climate  action  covering  both  mitigation  and  adaptation 
efforts.  In addition, the  Recovery  and Resilience Facility will not support measures that do 

38 Climate  sensitivity  is  an  estimated  range  –economic  policy  must  prepare  for  the  case  that  global  temperatures  increase 
much higher for a given amount of emissions than expected in most probable scenarios. See for example CRESCENDO. 
39 Reference  scenarios  of  EU  global  standing  by  2040  will  be  developed  in  the  Commission’s  2021  Strategic  Foresight 

Report. 

40 https://ec.europa.eu/regional_policy/en/funding/solidarity-fund/  
41 The use of the recovery, rehabilitation and reconstruction phases after a disaster to increase the resilience of communities 
through integrating disaster risk reduction measures into the restoration of physical infrastructure and into the revitalization 
of livelihoods, economies, and the environment (United Nations General Assembly, 2016). 

10 

 
 
                                                 
significant  harm  to  the  environment 42 ,  including  to  the  objective  of  climate  change 
adaptation.  

The Commission will: 

o  develop  ways to measure the potential impact  of  climate-related  risks  on  public 
finances,  develop  tools  and  models  for  climate  stress  testing,  and  engage  in 
discussions  with  Member  States  on  better  take  into  account  climate  change  in 
national reporting and fiscal frameworks; 

o  explore  and  discuss  with  Member  States  actions  to  dampen  the  fiscal  impact  of 

climate-related events and reduce fiscal-sustainability risks; 

o  explore  with  Member  States  whether  and  to  what  extent  Stability  and 
Convergence Programmes could factor in the climate adaptation dimension; 

o  promote  better  coordination  and  complementarity  between  the  post-disaster 
emergency and recovery operations supported by the European Union Solidarity 
Fund and other EU funds to encourage the “build back better” principle. 

2.2.4. Promoting nature-based solutions for adaptation 

Implementing nature-based solutions on a larger scale would increase climate resilience 
and  contribute  to  multiple  Green  Deal  objectives.  Blue-green  (as  opposed  to  grey) 
infrastructures 43  are  multipurpose,  “no  regret”  solutions  and  simultaneously  provide 
environmental, social and economic benefits and help build climate resilience44. For example, 
protecting  and  restoring  wetlands,  peatlands,  coastal  and  marine  ecosystems;  developing 
urban green spaces and installing green roofs and walls; promoting and sustainably managing 
forests and farmland  will help adapt to climate change in a  cost-effective way. It is vital to 
better  quantify  their  benefits,  and  to  better  communicate  them  to  decision-makers  and 
practitioners  at  all  levels  to  improve  take-up45.  In  addition,  the  Commission  will  develop  a 
certification  mechanism  for  carbon  removals,  which  will  enable  robust  monitoring  and 
quantification of the climate benefits of many nature-based solutions. 

Nature-based solutions are essential for sustaining healthy water, oceans and soils. They 
must play a bigger role in land-use management and infrastructure planning to reduce costs, 
provide climate-resilient services, and improve compliance with Water Framework Directive 
requirements  for  good  ecological  status.  Using  nature-based  solutions  inland,  including  the 
restoration of the sponge-like function of soils, will boost the supply of clean, fresh water and 
reduce  risk  of  flooding.  In  coastal  and  marine  areas,  nature-based  solutions  will  enhance 
coastal defence  and  reduce  risk of algal  blooms. Simultaneously, they will provide  benefits 
such  as  carbon  sequestration,  tourism  opportunities,  and  biodiversity  conservation  and 
restoration.  

Europe  needs  to  leverage  more  investments  in  nature-based  solutions to generate gains 
for  adaptation,  mitigation,  disaster  risk  reduction,  biodiversity,  and  health.  Investments  in 
nature-based  solutions  must  be  viable  over  the  long-term,  because  climate  change  is 

42 Within the meaning of Article 17 of the Taxonomy Regulation (EU) 2020/852). 
43 https://ec.europa.eu/environment/nature/ecosystems/benefits/index_en.htm  
44 Nature-based solutions are inspired and supported by nature. See here, here, and Council Conclusions of 16 October 2020.  
45 This work can build on UN guidelines, EU-supported research and guidance documents, and the International Union for 
Conservation of Nature global standard for nature-based solutions. 

11 

 
 
                                                 
amplifying stresses on ecosystems. This can be done through new and innovative financing 
approaches  and  products  under  InvestEU 46 ,  targeted  support  under  Cohesion  Policy 
programmes, and support for investments, eco-schemes and advisory services in the Common 
Agricultural Policy. Through carbon farming, the Commission will promote a new business 
model for land-based carbon removals, including financial incentives to rollout nature-based 
solutions.  

The Commission will: 

o  propose  nature-based  solutions  for  carbon  removals,  including  accounting  and 

certification in upcoming carbon farming initiatives; 

o  develop 

the 

the 
financial  aspects  of  nature-based  solutions  and 
development of financial approaches and products that also cover nature-based 
adaptation; 

foster 

o  continue to incentivise and assist Member States to rollout nature-based solutions 

through assessments, guidance, capacity building, and EU funding. 

2.3. Faster adaptation: Speeding up adaptation across the board 

To  accelerate  adaptation  action, 
implementation  requires  resources  that  are 
commensurate with the challenge. The EU increased the spending target for climate action 
to 30% in its long-term budget for 2021-2027, with adaptation as a key component. Further 
strengthening of the social dimension in the EU budget under the European Social Fund will 
unlock more support to  protect the most vulnerable. Nonetheless, based on estimates of the 
investment  needed  to  meet  adaptation  needs,  there  is  a  sizeable  financing  gap  for  climate 
resilient  investments  in  Europe 47 so  other  sources  of  funding  are  needed.  The  European 
Investment  Bank  announced  in  its  new  climate  roadmap48 full  support  for  the  EU’s  new 
Adaptation Strategy, which will be further detailed by end-2021. The EIB will ensure that all 
the operations it supports are climate-proof and will actively pursue investment opportunities 
in the development and deployment of climate‐ resilient technologies, products and services.  

The climate adaptation  gap is wide and increasing, so we  must bridge it more swiftly. 
The  European  Environment  Agency  has  regularly  highlighted  this  issue  in  its  assessment 
reports  on  adaptation49.  Progress  in  adaptation  planning  remains  slow,  and  implementation 
and  monitoring  even  slower.  Current  measures  mostly  focus  on  awareness  raising, 
institutional organisation  or  policy development,  but actually  rolling out  physical solutions, 
such as creating more green spaces to reduce the impacts of heatwaves or adjusting sewerage 
systems  to  better  cope  with  storm  overflows,  is  lagging  behind.  The  aim  of  this  strategy  is 
therefore  to  shift  the  focus  to  developing  and  rolling  out  solutions,  to  help  reduce  climate 
risk, increase climate protection, and safeguard freshwater access. 

2.3.1. Accelerating the rollout of adaptation solutions 

The lack of access to actionable solutions is one of the main barriers to adaptation. The 
EU  Framework  Programme  and  the  Climate  Knowledge  and  Innovation  Community 50 

46 While fully respecting its demand-driven approach. 
47 EU-wide economic evaluation of adaptation to climate change BASE (2016). 
48 EIB Climate Roadmap 2021-2025 (Adopted November 2020). 
49 Most recently on urban adaptation. 
50 https://www.climate-kic.org/  

12 

 
 
 
                                                 
already support adaptation innovation, but recent analysis shows the need to step it up51. One 
of  the  proposed  Horizon  Europe  Missions  will  be  on  “Adaptation  to  Climate  Change, 
including  Societal  Transformation”52.  The  Mission  would  test  integrated  solutions  that  can 
achieve  the  vision  of  climate-resilience  by  2050  with  an  emphasis  on  citizen  engagement. 
These solutions could then be scaled up and rolled out in Europe and beyond. The Mission 
proposal aims to support 200 communities to develop solutions for transformative adaptation, 
and scale up 100 deep demonstrations of climate-resilience. Horizon Europe also has planned 
missions  on  soil  health,  climate-neutral  cities,  and  oceans,  which  are  directly  relevant  to 
action on adaptation53.  

Solutions are urgently needed to help farmers and land managers tackle climate risks. 
The boundaries of today’s biogeographical regions will shift northwards and uphill, changing 
vegetation patterns and ecosystems, and triggering major shifts in forests and farmland. Trees 
and crops may not be able to keep up with such changes, especially when suitable habitats are 
fragmented.  One  solution  is  to  make  better  use  of  genetic  diversity  and  non-harmful  plant 
genetic  resources  for  adaptation,  based  on  the  latest  science.  This  can  be  achieved  for 
example by better integrating adaptation considerations in the way forests are managed. The 
Commission  will  facilitate  the  broadening  of  the  supply  of  suitable  high-quality  plant 
reproductive  material  to  support  adaptation  in  agriculture,  forestry,  and  land  ecosystem 
management. More work is needed to encourage collaborative, transnational production and 
transfer of seeds and planting material through active policies  and actions by amending the 
Directive on the marketing of  forest  reproductive material and the Marketing  Directives on 
seed and other propagating material54. 

Climate  resilience  decision  support  systems  and  technical  advice  must  become  more 
accessible and rapid to foster their take-up. The Commission will support the development 
of rapid response solutions for decision-makers and adaptation practitioners. Such solutions 
would  have  to  work  on  a  timescale  and  with  resources  available  for  the  financial  sector, 
SMEs  or  small  farmers,  and  draw  on  essential  data  from  Copernicus  and  other  sources. 
Public authorities and area managers responsible for Natura  2000 sites require  guidance on 
suitable  conservation  approaches  and  adaptation  strategies.  Major  private-sector  investment 
in adaptation solutions will also increase the range of options available and make them more 
affordable  for  all.  The  EU  Taxonomy  for  sustainable  activities  covers  adaptation55 and  will 
act  as  an  enabler  and  incentive  to  channel  private  finance  towards  increasing  climate 
resilience. 

The Commission will: 

o 

implement  the  planned  Horizon  Europe  Mission  on  ‘Adaptation  to  Climate 
Change’  and  other  adaptation-relevant  Missions,  including  on  soil  health, 
climate-neutral cities, and oceans once these are endorsed; 

o  support the development of further adaptation solutions, including rapid response 

decision support tools to enrich the toolbox for adaptation practitioners; 

51 The  share  of  climate  adaptation  inventions  in  2015  was  roughly  the  same  as  in  1995,  while  innovation  on  climate 
mitigation nearly doubled. Moreover, only few adaptation inventions are transferred across borders, and there is virtually no 
transfer of patented knowledge to low-income countries (World Bank). 
52 https://ec.europa.eu/info/publications/climate-resilient-europe_en  
53 https://ec.europa.eu/info/horizon-europe/missions-horizon-europe_en  
54 https://ec.europa.eu/food/plant/plant_propagation_material/legislation/eu_marketing_requirements_en   
55 EU Taxonomy on sustainable activities. For more details see here. 

13 

 
                                                 
o 

integrate adaptation in the update of Natura 2000 and climate change guidance, 
and in guidelines on biodiversity-friendly afforestation and reforestation, and in 
the forthcoming Forest Strategy; 

o  strengthen its support to protect the potential of genetic resources for adaptation, 
including by proposing legislation on the production and marketing of seeds; 

o 

further develop the EU taxonomy for sustainable activities for climate adaptation.  

2.3.2. Reducing climate-related risk 

Investing  in  resilient,  climate-proof  infrastructure  pays  off. Infrastructure often lasts for 
many decades but much of the existing stock is not coping well with the changing climate. To 
minimise  the  risk  of  disasters  and  be  cost-effective  over  its  lifetime,  infrastructure 
investments should be climate resilient. This may require an additional upfront cost of ~3% 
 of a  project  but  resilience  investments  have  a  cost-benefit-ratio  of  about  1:4 56 .  The 
Commission has developed extensive climate proofing guidance for new major infrastructure 
projects. These guidelines have been updated and will be expanded to other EU funds57 with 
special  attention  to  critical  infrastructure.  The  Commission  will  continue  to  update  this 
guidance and extend to existing infrastructure and promote its use beyond EU funding. It will 
also use external policy instruments to promote their international uptake. The Commission 
has worked with European Standardisation Organisations to update standards governing the 
safety and performance of infrastructure in a changing climate. They produced guidance for 
standard writers and initiated an update of 12 infrastructure standards as a pilot. This action 
will  cover  a  wider  range  of  standards  and  help  speed  up  the  standardisation  of  adaptation 
solutions 58 .  The  Commission  will  encourage  Member  States  to  involve  national 
in 
standardisation 
complementarity with the EU-level standardisation work. 

their  National  Adaptation  Strategies, 

implementation  of 

the 

in 

Climate adaptation action must better leverage synergies with broader work on disaster 
risk  prevention  and  reduction.  Both  provide  a  range  of  complementary  approaches  to 
managing  climate  risks  in  order  to  build  resilient  societies.  Better  coherence  in  terms  of 
practices, standards, guidance, targets, resources and knowledge could be achieved by closer 
coordination at national level, EU level (under the Union Civil Protection Mechanism), and 
internationally  (under  the  Sendai  Framework  for  Disaster  Risk  Reduction).  Building  on  its 
Overview of natural and man-made disaster risks the European Union may face59, relevant 
research  projects60,  its  series  of  PESETA  reports61,  and  taking  into  account  existing  sector 
regulations,  the  Commission  will  draw  up  an  EU-wide  climate  risk  assessment.  This 
assessment  will  pay  special  attention  to  health  threats,  ecosystem  vulnerabilities,  critical 
infrastructures,  TEN-E  projects  of  common  interest 62 and  TEN-T  corridors  and  networks 
hotspots. The Commission will help address storm water overflows and urban runoff as part 

56 https://gca.org/reports/adapt-now-a-global-call-for-leadership-on-climate-resilience/   
57 In the long-term  EU  budget 2021-2027:  InvestEU,  Connecting  Europe  Facility  (CEF),  the  Regional  Development  Fund 
(ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF), and the Just Transition Fund (JTF). 
58 To update existing standards on the safety and performance of infrastructure and equipment for future climate conditions. 
Standards also promote technical solutions that help assets adapt to the changing climate e.g. green roofs and walls.  
59 SWD(2020) 330 final https://ec.europa.eu/echo/news/european-commission-publishes-new-report-disaster-risks-eu_en  
60 For example, on bridging climate change adaptation and disaster risk reduction, or cascading risks from climate impacts. 
61 https://ec.europa.eu/jrc/en/peseta-iv  
62 The  revised  TEN-E  Regulation  includes  a  requirement  for  projects  of  common  interest  to  integrate  climate  adaptation 
measures  both  at  the  design  phase  and  as  part  of  the  Environmental  Impact  Assessment  and  relevant  environmental 
permitting. 

14 

 
 
                                                 
of  the  revision  of  the  Urban  Waste  Water  Treatment  Directive,  and  share  best  practices  on 
preventing water pollution through industrial accidents caused by flooding and droughts.  

We  need  to  do  more  to  prepare  Europe’s  building  stock  to  withstand  the  impacts  of 
climate  change.  Extreme  weather  and  long-lasting  climatic  changes  can  damage  buildings 
and  their  mitigation  potential  e.g.  solar  panels  or  thermal  insulation  after  hailstorms. 
However, buildings can  also contribute to large-scale  adaptation, for example through local 
water  retention  that  reduces  the  urban  heat  island  effect  with  green  roofs  and  walls.  The 
Renovation Wave and the Circular Economy Action Plan identify climate resilience as a key 
principle.  The  Commission  will  explore  options  to  better  predict  climate-induced  stress  on 
buildings  and  to  integrate  climate  resilience  considerations  into  the  construction  and 
renovation of buildings through Green  Public Procurement criteria for public buildings, the 
Digital  Building  Logbook,  and  as  part  of  the  process  to  revise  the  Energy  Performance  of 
Buildings Directive and the Construction Products Regulation.  

The Commission will: 

o  enhance climate proofing guidance, and promote its use in Europe and abroad; 

o  develop  an  EU-wide  climate  risk  assessment  and  strengthen  climate 

considerations in EU disaster risk prevention and management; 

o  address  EU-level  preparedness  and  response  to  climate-related  health  threats, 
including  through  the  EU  Framework  on  Health  Threats  and,  as  relevant,  the 
planned Health Emergency Preparedness and Response Authority; 

o 

increase  cooperation  with  standardisation  organisations 
standards and to develop new ones for climate adaptation solutions; 

to  climate-proof 

o  support  the  integration  of  climate  resilience  considerations  into  the  criteria 
applicable to construction and renovation of buildings and critical infrastructure. 

2.3.3. Closing the climate protection gap 

The  climate  protection  gap  is  the  share  of  non-insured  economic  losses  caused  by 
climate-related  disasters.  This  gap  appears  to  be  widening  because  of  slow  adaptation 
action, and more frequent extreme weather events in the absence of higher climate insurance 
penetration  rates 63 .  Moreover,  the  known  losses  are  lower  bound  estimates  that 
underrepresent trends. Climate impacts pose destabilising risks to assets and to business. To 
some extent, business can mitigate the risks when the resulting losses are covered, including 
by risk-pooling instruments both nationally and across borders. Today, only 35% on average 
of the climate-related economic losses are insured, and as low as 5% or less in some parts of 
Europe. 

Using  insurance  as  a  risk-transfer  mechanism  to  absorb  financial  losses  related  to 
climate  risks  can  be  a  first  step  from  crisis  reaction  towards  risk  management  and 
anticipation.  According  to  a  report  by  the  insurance  industry,  a  1%  increase  in  insurance 
coverage  could  reduce  the  global  cost  of  climate-related  disasters  to  taxpayers  or 
governments  by  22%64.  Both  the  EU  insurance  industry  and  the  European  Insurance  and 
Occupational  Pensions  Authority,  have  warned  of  looming  insurability  and  affordability 

63 EEA (2019) Economic losses from climate-related extremes.  
64 Lloyd’s Global Underinsurance Report 2012 

15 

 
 
                                                 
concerns  in  a  climate-damaged  world.  It  is  therefore  important  to  examine  and  promote 
natural  disaster  insurance  penetration  in  Member  States  and  to  promote  national  insurance 
disaster  schemes  that  encourage  users  to  invest  in  adaptation.  This  will  be  aided  by 
developing the EIOPA’s natural catastrophe dashboard, and the publication of guidelines for 
governmental  action65.  Ultimately,  the  mechanism  this  strategy  puts  in  place  will  lead  to 
national-level  assessments  of  insurance  penetration  rates  and  recommendations  to  improve 
them.  

Dialogue  and  innovation  can  greatly  increase  the  climate  resilience  potential  of 
insurance  regimes.  The  Commission  will  facilitate  cooperation  and  discussion  on  best 
practices  between  the  insurance  sector’s  stakeholders  and  strengthen  the  dialogue  between 
insurers, reinsurers, public authorities, and other stakeholders, such as real-estate developers 
and infrastructure operators in the case of the built environment. As part of the forthcoming 
Renewed  Sustainable  Finance  Strategy,  the  Commission  will  explore  further  actions  in  the 
area of the provision of climate-relevant insurance products. This will include best practices 
in financial instruments to manage temporary risks, whether market or climate-induced, and 
the potential of novel and innovative risk transfer solutions66. 

The Commission will, in the context of the Renewed Sustainable Finance Strategy: 

o  help  to  examine  natural  disaster  insurance  penetration  in  Member  States,  and 
promote  it,  for  example  through  guidelines  and  invite  EIOPA  to  develop  its 
natural catastrophe dashboard allowing country level assessments; 

o  strengthen dialogue between insurers, policymakers and other stakeholders; 

o 

identify and promote best practices in financial instruments for risk management, 
in close cooperation with EIOPA; 

o  explore  the  wider  use  of  financial  instruments  and  innovative  solutions  to  deal 

with climate-induced risks. 

2.3.4. Ensuring the availability and sustainability of freshwater  

Ensuring  that  freshwater  is  available  in  a  sustainable  manner  is  fundamental  for 
climate  resilience.  Water  underpins  many  sectors  of  the  economy  and  access  to  drinking 
water is a basic human need67 but torrential rains and floods can have devastating effects on 
communities and infrastructure. Europe is increasingly facing situations of either too much or 
not  enough  water.  Smart,  sustainable  water  use  requires  transformational  changes  in  all 
sectors.  The  Commission  will  prioritise  this  through  the  enhanced  engagement  of  the 
Common  Implementation Strategy  of  the  Water  Framework  and  Floods  Directives.  Nature-
based  solutions  are  particularly  well  suited  for  climate  resilience  to  water  impacts.  Climate 
change exacerbates the challenge of sharing water resources and requires closer cooperation 
between adaptation action and water management authorities, including across borders.68 

65 EIOPA dashboard on insurance protection gap and discussion paper. 
66 The state of Quintana Roo in Mexico took out an insurance policy on a reef to protect its coastline and tourism industry 
from hurricanes. In October 2020, hurricane Delta prompted a first payout of ~ EUR 700,000 to be used for repairs to the 
reef. 
67 As recognised by the European Pillar of Social Rights, Principle 20, which places water and sanitation among the essential 
services to which everyone should have access. 
68 Examples of cooperation across borders include Rhine Catchment and ICPDR.  

16 

 
 
                                                 
We  also  need  to  sharply  reduce  water  use.  To  that  end,  the  Commission  will  promote  a 
wider use of drought management plans, measures to increase the water retention capacity of 
soils  and  safe  water  reuse.  The  Commission  will  address  improving  water  efficiency  and 
reuse  by  raising  the  requirements  for  products  subject  to  eco-design  and  energy  labelling, 
energy production,  housing  and buildings, and  agriculture and will look at how  to improve 
water  savings  in  industrial  plants.  The  Commission  and  the  Member  States  must  also 
promote  the  transition  to  water-saving  technologies  and  practices  by  setting  a  price  that 
correctly reflects the value of water. This can be achieved by promoting instruments such as 
water  resource  allocation,  water-permitting  systems  and  by  incorporating  environmental 
externalities.  In  agriculture,  a  knowledge-based  approach,  as  well  as  both  high  tech  and 
nature-based solutions are necessary to ensure a sustainable use of water. Member States can 
support precision farming via national Common Agricultural Policy Strategic Plans. Member 
States  must  also  ensure  that  water  is  priced  correctly,  in  line  with  the  Water  Framework 
Directive, so that consumers are not mislead about the real cost of food.  

Climate change also threatens water quality. A stable and secure supply of drinking water 
is of highest importance and it must be guaranteed. Climate change will increase the risk of 
contamination  and  acute  pollution  of  freshwater  due  to  impacts  such  as  low  river  flows, 
increased  water  temperatures,  flooding,  and  forest  loss.  It  is  important  to  include  climate 
impacts in the risk analyses of (drinking) water management plans, develop water-monitoring 
technologies, and ensure minimum river flow. These will play an important role in ensuring 
water quality  and  preserving  sufficient water quantities for the environment  and  all  people. 
Similarly,  it  is  important  to  maximise  the  capacity  of  soils  to  purify  water  and  reduce 
pollution. 

The Commission will: 

o  help  ensure  climate-resilient,  sustainable  use  and  management  of  water  across 
sectors  and  borders  by  improving  coordination  of  thematic  plans  and  other 
mechanisms, such as water resource allocation and water-permits; 

o  help  reduce  water  use  by  raising  the  water-saving  requirements  for  products, 
encouraging  water  efficiency  and  savings,  and  by  promoting  the  wider  use  of 
drought management plans as well as sustainable soil management and land-use; 

o  help to guarantee a stable and secure supply of drinking water, by encouraging 
the  incorporation  of  the  risks  of  climate  change  in  risk  analyses  of  water 
management. 

 3. STEPPING UP INTERNATIONAL ACTION FOR CLIMATE RESILIENCE 

Our  climate  change  adaptation  ambition  must  match  our  global  leadership  in  climate 
change  mitigation.  The  Paris  Agreement  established  the  global  goal  on  adaptation  and 
highlighted  adaptation  as  a  key  contributor  to  sustainable  development.  Adaptation  is  a 
crosscutting element in the EU’s and Member States’ external action, spanning international 
cooperation, migration, trade, agriculture and security69. To maximise results, the EU and its 
Member States should work in a coherent and coordinated way. Climate change and security 

69 For example, many agricultural commodities exported to the EU are at risk from extreme weather and slow onset climate 
change – adaptation and trade diversification are necessary to support populations dependent on such exports. 

17 

 
                                                 
are  interrelated;  the  Commission  and  the  High  Representative  emphasised  already  in  2008 
that climate change is a threat multiplier, exacerbating existing tensions and instability70.  

The  EU  will  promote  sub-national,  national  and  regional  approaches  to  adaptation, 
with  a  specific  focus  on  adaptation  in  Africa,  Small  Island  Developing  States  (SIDS), 
and  Least  Developed  Countries  (LDCs).  External  action  must  target  adaptation  more 
effectively,  through  a  humanitarian-development-peace  nexus  approach  to  reach  the  most 
exposed,  vulnerable,  conflict-prone  or  marginalised  communities,  leaving  no  one  and  no 
place behind. Specific, tailored  measures  are needed to address  the disproportionate impact 
climate  change  has  on  vulnerable  groups  and  on  human  rights. 71.  Dialogue  with  partner 
countries  should  aim  at  increasing  cooperation  on  climate  change  adaptation,  achieving  a 
better  understanding  of  adaptation  challenges  in  third  countries  and  promoting  climate 
change adaptation action and good practices. Priority will be assigned to climate-vulnerable 
countries  and  those  who  are  particularly  proactive  partners  in  climate  action.  The  EU  will 
implement  the  Green  Agenda  for  the  Western  Balkans  and  strong  partnerships  with  its 
neighbourhood, in particular the Mediterranean region72. 

The EU has a history of cooperating with other countries to work on climate adaptation 
at  all  levels.  The  core  of  EU  external  action  on  adaptation  must  be  the  economic, 
environmental  and  societal  development  model  of  the  UN  Sustainable  Development  Goals 
and  the  European  Green  Deal.  This  development  model  is  based  on  resilience,  planning, 
support  for  local  groups,  prevention,  and  well-informed  decision-making.  Nationally 
Determined  Contributions,  National Adaptation Plans and other  climate-relevant plans  (e.g. 
biodiversity, disaster risk reduction) offer a solid platform for collaboration. The EU can also 
learn  from  others:  many  of  our  international  partners  have  long  been  on  the  frontlines  of 
climate  change  and  have  valuable  experience  that  can  help  Europe  become  more  climate 
resilient. 

There  is  an  urgent  need  for  additional  international  finance  for  climate  change 
adaptation, both from public and private sources. Innovative finance mechanisms will be 
developed to leverage private finance in adaptation in partner countries. In addition to scaling 
up  support  for  adaptation,  climate  finance  needs  to  be  more  targeted  to  the  most  effective 
action  and  to  countries  and  communities  that  are  particularly  vulnerable  to  the  impacts  of 
climate  change  and  have  less  capacity  to  act.  Political  leadership,  collective  international 
action and commitment are needed to dedicate resources to climate resilience. 
Box 2: Climate change adaptation in Africa73 
Both the EU and Africa are fighting climate change74. The World Bank estimates that, in Sub-
Saharan Africa alone, climate change may trigger the migration of up to 70 million people by 
2050.  The  EU  is  already  committed  to  helping  Africa  adapt  to  a  more  hostile  climate, 
including  through  nature-based  solutions  like  the  Great  Green  Wall  Initiative.  Over  the 
period  2014-2019,  the  EU  mobilised  approximately  EUR  3.4  billion  to  support  climate 
adaptation in the region. The EU supports, among others, the African Adaptation Initiative, 
the  African  Risk  Capacity,  and  has  launched  the  Africa  Research  and  Innovation 
Partnership. 

70 S113/08 Climate Change and International Security  
71 Important  work  has  been  developed  in  the  UNFCCC  Task  Force  on  Displacement.  See  also  the  EU  Gender  Equality 
Strategy and Disability Rights Strategy. 
72 The Mediterranean is a climate change hotspot, warming 20% faster than the global average – this shows the importance 
of supporting adaptation efforts in the Southern Neighbourhood. 
73Africa is one of the most vulnerable continents due to its high exposure and low adaptive capacity (IPCC AR4, WG 2). 
74 Towards a comprehensive Strategy with Africa JOIN(2020) 4 final  

18 

 
                                                 
The  EU  will  support  and  promote  partner  countries  in  developing  local,  national  and 
regional adaptation and strategies for disaster risk reduction. It will continue working with 
African  initiatives  and  institutions  supporting  regional  adaptation  and  disaster  risk 
management. These efforts will capitalise on the “Team Europe” approach and will pursue 
integration between adaptation, development and humanitarian aid. 

3.1.

Increasing support for international climate resilience and preparedness 

Supporting  partner  countries  to  adapt  to  climate  change  includes  provision  of 
resources,  prioritising  action,  and  increasing  effectiveness.  This  can  be  achieved  by 
implementing  comprehensive  risk  management  approaches,  through  national  or  subnational 
adaptation  and  climate-resilient  policies,  in  synergy  with  disaster  risk  management  and 
environmental  and  social  policies.  Support  will  focus  on  building  administrative  capacity, 
assessing  exposure  and  vulnerabilities,  improving  data  collection  and  analyses,  developing 
adaptation  plans  in  line  with  national  priorities  and  vulnerabilities,  and  promoting  climate 
proof structural reforms and nature-based solutions in view of their co-benefits. 

Climate  change  multiplies  the  threats  to  international  stability  and  security,  which 
affect in particular people in already fragile and vulnerable situations. Climate change is 
increasingly recognised as contributing to underlying conditions that are conducive to violent 
conflict75.  Adaptation  action  can  be  a  valuable  tool  in  conflict  prevention  and  mediation. 
Human  development  and  climate  objectives  should  be  taken  into  account  when  building 
resilience  in  fragile,  conflict-affected  countries.  Adaptation  strategies,  programmes  and 
projects should be designed in a conflict-sensitive way to avoid aggravating tensions. This is 
important  to  reduce  the  risks  of  climate-related  displacement  and  better  understand  and 
manage the interconnections between climate change, security and mobility76. 

The  Commission  will  take  a  tailored  approach  to  help  increase  climate  resilience 
globally. In line with the UN’s New Urban Agenda, the EU will step up its support to local 
authorities.  This  will  include  progressing  on  adaptation  under  the  Global  Covenant  of 
Mayors,  promoting  sustainable  and  resilient  urban  and  rural  development,  supporting 
community  engagement  in  planning  and  implementation  locally-led  adaptation,  putting  a 
focus on informal settlements, and channelling financial resources to the local level. The EU 
will  also  integrate  climate  considerations  for  international  resources  managed  by  the  EU 
jointly  with  other  partners,  such  as  international  fisheries  or  the  protection  of  biodiversity 
beyond areas of national jurisdiction under the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea. It will 
also engage with regional fisheries management organisations, including the Commission for 
the  Conservation  of  Antarctic  Marine  Living  Resources,  to  promote  adaptation  and  new 
marine protected areas. 

75 For instance, research suggests that climate change-induced resource shortages and changed migration patterns indirectly 
contribute to conflict, including farmer-herder clashes. 
76 With  Knowledge  Centre  for  Migration  and  Demography,  Disaster  Risk  Management  Knowledge  Centre  and  Horizon 
2020. 

19 

 
 
                                                 
The European Union will: 

o  strengthen  the  support  for  the  development  and  implementation  of  Nationally 
Determined  Contributions  and  National  Adaptation  Plans  in  EU  partner 
countries and mainstream conflict-sensitive, anticipatory and preventive climate 
resilience and preparedness in relevant EU policies and instruments for external 
action; 

o 

o 

intensify  and  broaden  adaptation  support  to  local  authorities  in  EU  partner 
countries  and  develop  regional  programmes,  including  for  countries  in  the  EU 
Southern and Eastern neighbourhoods, and in candidate countries and potential 
candidates; 

include  climate  change  considerations 
the 
conservation and sustainable use of marine biodiversity of areas beyond national 
jurisdiction. 

future  agreement  on 

the 

in 

3.2. Scaling up international finance to build climate resilience  

It  is  crucial  to  identify  new  and  innovative  financial  resources  for  adaptation  and 
resilience,  particularly  for  LDCs  and  SIDS.  Globally,  around  93%  of  public  and  private 
sector  finance  for  climate  action  flows  to  mitigation 77 .  Funding  for  climate  adaptation 
averaged some EUR 25 billion a year in 2017 but needs are estimated to be ten-fold78. The 
EU and its Member States increased their overall climate finance support to third  countries 
by 7.4% in 2019, amounting to reach EUR 21.9 billion, 52% of which was spent on helping 
EU partners adapt to climate change79. Providing a high share of climate finance within EU 
the  EU 
international  cooperation,  and  specifically 
international praise, and it is important to maintain in the future. The Commission will aim to 
scale  up  resources  and  further  mobilise  larger-scale  adaptation  finance,  including  through 
innovative  mechanisms  such  as  the  European  Fund  for  Sustainable  Development  Plus 
(EFSD+), leveraging resources in bilateral channels and through the EU Member States. 

towards  adaptation,  has  earned 

The EU will provide targeted support to partner countries to help unlock existing and 
new  financial  resources  towards  climate  adaptation.  This  includes  supporting  partner 
countries in accessing climate finance from international sources, such as the Green Climate 
Fund  and  the  Adaptation  Fund,  and  collaborating  with  multilateral  development  banks, 
financial  institutions  and  the  private  sector.  Particular  attention  is  needed  to  ensure  that 
financial resources reach the most vulnerable communities in developing countries, such as 
those  with  a  traditionally  limited  institutional  capacity  to  absorb  international  financial 
resources,  particularly  in  fragile  and  conflict-affected  countries.  To  boost  funding  for 
international  climate-related  disaster  risk  management,  the  EU  will  promote  the  use  of 
financing instruments. These include insurance of public assets, contingency funds and credit 
lines,  and  sovereign  or  private  insurance.  The  EU  will  also  seek  to  promote  the  climate 
proofing of existing and new investments, starting with those receiving EU financial support. 

77 Climate Policy Initiative (2019). 
78 https://www.cas2021.com/documents/reports/2021/01/22/state-and-trends-in-adaptation-report-2020  
79 This includes finance that benefits adaptation alone, and mitigation and adaptation simultaneously. 

20 

 
 
                                                 
The European Union will: 

o  aim  to  increase  international  climate  finance  for  adaptation  through  the  EU 
instruments for external action and by leveraging private sector investments; 

o  promote  the  design  and  implementation  of  disaster  risk  finance  strategies  to 

increase macroeconomic climate resilience in partner countries; 

o  support  partner  countries  in  the  design  of  policies  and  incentives  to  promote 

climate resilient investment, including in nature-based solutions; 

o  enhance the climate proofing of all EU external investments and actions. 

3.3. Strengthen global engagement and exchanges on adaptation 

The increasing momentum on adaptation will be reinforced at international level. As the 
strongest  proponent  of  ambitious  international  action  under  the  Paris  Agreement,  we  will 
continue to answer to renewed calls for more multilateralism. This will entail working with 
the other Parties  to  the  United Nations  Framework Convention on  Climate Change and the 
Paris  Agreement  to  ensure  that  climate  change  adaptation,  and  loss  and  damage  issues,  are 
adequately  addressed  in  the  international  negotiations.  As  part  of  this  engagement,  the  EU 
will  communicate  adaptation  plans  and  action  under  the  Paris  Agreement  in  line  with  the 
parity of importance between adaptation and mitigation. 

The EU is well equipped to conduct structured dialogues to share solutions, and is keen 
to learn from others. The EU has extensive experience in implementing adaptation policies. 
Through information services such as those provided by Copernicus, it could support partner 
countries in managing natural resources, assess climate risks and prepare adequate responses. 
The EU is strongly engaged in international ocean governance, observation and research, and 
is  active  in  global  networks  such  as  the  International  Coral  Reef  Initiative.  There  are 
significant  knowledge  gaps  and  innovative  approaches  where  the  EU  could  benefit  from 
existing  experience,  for  instance  on  community-led  and  nature-based  adaptation.  This  is  of 
urgent relevance for outermost regions and Overseas Countries and Territories, which already 
face  stark  adaptation  challenges.  We  will  also  join,  support  and  extend global  and  regional 
adaptation-relevant initiatives, such as the All-Atlantic Ocean Research Alliance. 

The  impacts  of  climate  change  have  knock-on  effects  across  borders  and  continents. 
Even  local  climate  impacts  have  regional  or  global  repercussions,  and  such  transboundary 
climate  risk  can  reach  Europe.  For  instance,  the  disruption  of  port  infrastructure  could 
hamper  or  even  close  down  trade  routes,  both  for  commodities  and  goods,  with  potential 
cascading  effects  across  international  supply  chains.  To  address  the  shared  challenges  of 
interconnected societies (e.g. migration, conflict, displacement), ecosystems (e.g. shared river 
basins,  the  ocean,  and  Polar  Regions),  and  economies  (e.g.  global  value  chains),  we  will 
strengthen cooperation and dialogue on adaptation in our trade agreements. 

21 

 
 
 
 
The European Union will: 

o  submit the EU's adaptation plans and actions under the Paris Agreement; 

o  deepen political engagement on climate change adaptation with international and 

regional partners, and partner countries; 

o 

increase  the  pool  of  knowledge  and  tools  on  adaptation  available  to  non-EU 
countries and promote adaptation in Green Alliances and partnerships. 

 4. CONCLUSIONS  

Adaptation is a crucial component of the global response to climate change. The EU and 
the global community are currently underprepared for the increasing intensity, frequency and 
pervasiveness of climate change impacts, especially as emissions continue to rise. We must 
swiftly  build  our  resilience  to  climate  change  –  moving  from  heightened  awareness  and 
public  concern  to  mass  action  on  adaptation.  The  stark  warnings  from  the  scientific 
community, the increased visibility of impacts of climate change in Europe and the recovery 
from  the  pandemic  all  make  this  a  defining  moment  to  take  action  on  climate  change  and 
cement the current generations’ legacy to protect future ones. 

The  new  EU  Adaptation  Strategy  paves  the  way  for  a  higher  ambition  on  climate 
resilience:  in  2050,  the  EU  will  be  a  climate-resilient  society,  fully  adapted  to  the 
unavoidable  impacts  of  climate  change.  For  this  reason,  climate  change  adaptation  is  an 
integral part of the European Green Deal and its external dimension, and firmly anchored in 
the  proposed  European  Climate  Law.  The  new  Strategy  seeks  to  step  up  action  across  the 
economy  and  society  to  bring  us  towards  the  2050  vision  for  climate  resilience,  while 
increasing synergies with other policy areas such as biodiversity. We will work towards this 
vision  by  improving  knowledge  of  climate  impacts  and  adaptation  solutions  to  manage 
uncertainty; by stepping up adaptation planning and climate risk assessments; by accelerating 
adaptation action; and by helping to strengthen climate resilience globally. The Commission 
will ensure  that the strategy is  implemented in close concert  with the  other elements of the 
European Green Deal. 

The  Commission  invites  the  European  Parliament  and  the  Council  to  endorse  this 
strategy,  and  together  with  the  Committee  of  Regions  and  the  European  Economic  and 
Social Committee to jointly forge a climate-resilient Union. The Commission will reach out 
to  the  public,  to  cities,  businesses,  social  partners  and  regions  to  encourage  them  to 
participate  actively  in  implementing  out  this  strategy  and  join  forces  in  meeting  the 
adaptation challenge.  

22