National Adaptation Plans and Strategies in theory and practice – role of the national and regional governments

About

The objective of this workshop is to assess how the EU and national levels play a part in the success and failure of the green transition at local and regional levels.

More specifically, how do the EU policies (present and future) drive the necessary changes on the ground as well as what we can learn from the processes of the drafting, implementation and monitoring of the National Adaptation Strategies from several EU Member States.

We will explore similarities and differences in the overall approach and foster mutual learning from the exchange of ideas and experiences. The follow-up discussion will focus on the following aspects:

  1. How have regional and local governance levels been involved in the planning process and the development of the NASs? Have regions, cities and municipalities been involved in the discussion, and/or have the local needs and potential been considered for the drafting of the targets and measures?
  2. How successfully are the NASs being implemented and monitored? How are they being integrated into local and regional plans and strategies? Are they resulting in concrete budgets and actions for climate change adaptation and resilience in the regions, cities and municipalities? What is their relation with the Resilience and Recovery Plans (RRPs)?
  3. If you had to do everything over, what would you repeat and what would you change the second time around?

Agenda

Register for event

REGILIENCE team meets in Vienna for the first time

The REGILIENCE team, made up of IEECP, ICLEI Europe, Fedarene, F6S, REGEA, FC.ID, adelphi, Fresh Thoughts Consulting and R-Cities, held its first in-person meeting in Vienna on 18-20 May 2022.

REGILIENCE team meets in Vienna for the very first time.
Vienna was specifically selected to host this event due to the fact that climate adaptation is at the core of its climate policy and an inseparable part of its Climate Protection Programme (KliP), first created in 1999 and last updated in 2009. The goal of the programme was to make Vienna a model city and reduce CO2 emissions. In 2022 the Smart Climate City Strategy Vienna was adopted to define climate mitigation and climate adaptation actions for Vienna becoming a climate resilient city until 2040. In the last decades climate change has deeply affected Vienna’s local climate, causing the local temperature to rise by more than 2 degrees in the last 40 years. This in itself has caused catastrophic events such as heavy rainfall, draughts, storms and high summer temperatures and is the reason why Vienna has launched the “Adapting to Climate Change” initiative in 2017.

As part of the trip, the REGILIENCE members had the unique opportunity to take a bike ride around the Danube. Vienna is a visionary when it comes to adaptation to urban flooding. The city has adopted a defense system during the 70’s and 80’s which can protect the city from flooding. The system allows for the sluice gates of the Danube to lift during a flood allowing the excess water, debris and tree branches to rush into a man-made side channel. 

Vienna has also been artificially raised with the help of soil excavated from the channel’s river. Biking trails, beaches and meadows have been created for people to gather.
During these sunny days, it was impressive to see how the citizens take advantage of the floodplain as a meeting point for recreation, sunbathing and socializing, increasing their quality of life and wellbeing.

Another thing which our REGILIENCERS were extremely pleased to discover was that the Wiener Linien, Vienna’s public transport operator, has converted tram and metro stations into greenhouses. They have used climbing flowers to create a completely new ecosystem – all of this in the heart of the city! Apart from being beautiful and looking like an urban oasis, the greenery creates shadow and cools down the commuters. The plants are also a habitat for insects and bees, promoting the health of the ecosystem.

The trip was very fruitful and informative. The REGILIENCE partners had the opportunity to leave their footprint to climate resilience as well – the whole trip was under the frame of CO2 reduction and sustainability. During the Management Board Meeting there was a strict no computers rule. Funnily enough, laptops and computers emit CO2 and using them excessively or leaving them turned on overnight can in fact add to global warming.

Other things, which our environment friendly team did was to hold its meeting outside and thus, not use electricity, air conditioning and projectors. The team also cycled everywhere, consumed drinking water from fountains, therefore reducing their use of plastic. They also ate local vegan food, delivered by bike, and stayed in a hotel close to the meeting venue, reducing the commuting time and the need for transport.

Vienna has been a unique experience! In 2020 the city was ranked as the greenest metropolis and is occupying the leading positions in regards to:

  • Parks and green spaces;
  • Public transport – available everywhere around the city;
  • Recycling;
  • Renewable resources.

Join REGILIENCE, ARSINOE, Climate Impetus and TransformAR for the 9th European Urban Resilience Forum!

The four sister projects – REGILIENCE, ARSINOE, Climate Impetus and TransformAR will attend the flagship ICLEI Europe event, host to local and regional governments seeking to shape a climate-resilient future in Athens, Greece on 14 and 15 September 2022. The event will be held at the Athens Technopolis.

This year the European Urban Resilience Forum (EURESFO) will be organized by ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability and the European Environment Agency (EEA), together with the help of REGILIENCE who will shape the programme assisting the core organizing Committee. Co-organiser will be the city of Athens.

2022_EURF_Header-main_1200px

“Southern and central European cities have faced extreme climate hazards over the last couple of years, such as the severe floods in Germany and the record-breaking heat waves and wildfires in Greece and Portugal! All these extreme events show that the need for preparedness against extreme hazards and for adaptation to the impacts of climate change is more relevant and crucial than ever.

The European Urban Resilience Forum 2022 is moving this year to Athens, Greece and will focus on a variety of topics – from the use of nature based solutions for disaster risk reduction to urban regeneration practices for healthy and prosperous communities and from social justice and gender inclusion to wildfire prevention and heat wave management! We look forward to welcoming participants in the Greek capital this September for another event, where cities talk to cities, while regions and communities are put in the spotlight and start preparing for the EU Adaptation Mission activities!”, says Vasileios Latinos, Urban Resilience and Adaptation Coordinator at ICLEI Europe and REGILIENCE Work Package leader.

The goal of the event is to serve as a unique exchange platform for city representatives, experts and stakeholders from local and regional institutions to discuss strategies, initiatives and actions for adapting to climate change, managing disasters and building urban resilience.

Some of the event’s highlights will be coastal resilience, tackling heat waves and wildfires, disaster risk reduction for safer and healthier communities, regional pathways towards resilience transformation, nature-based solutions for equitable development and many more!

Agenda coming soon, stay tuned!

REGISTER

REGILIENCE took part in the Stakeholder consultation on Ecological transition

On the 22nd of March 2022, REGILIENCE contributed to the Hybrid Stakeholder consultation on Ecological transition – Which balance between social acceptability and environmental imperatives to build resilient communities from the point of view of cities and regions?

REGILIENCE took part in the Stakeholder consultation on Ecological transition

Climate risks are context related and climate action calls for tailored solutions. Local and regional authorities know best the local and regional challenges therefore they should be equipped with the instruments to pursue the solutions that best fit the local scenario. A resilient community is able to resist, absorb and recover from the effects of climate risks and other disruptions. Achieving resilience means more than just mitigating negative effects, it means developing an atmosphere where both society and economy can prosper.

The Committee of Regions (CoR) Rapporteur, Hanna ZDANOWSKA (PL/EPP), Mayor of Łódź and member of the Commission for the Environment, Climate change and Energy (ENVE) prepares a position on Ecological transition and strives for the highest possible quality input and widest range of different views for her opinion. REGILIENCE as frontrunner project of the EU Mission “A climate-resilient Europe” was invited to share the opinion and first conclusions of REGILIENCE and its sister projects – ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr from working with 22 different European regions.

REGILIENCE’s contributions to the Stakeholder consultation

During the stakeholder consultation session, Matthias Watzak-Helmer, REGILIENCE project manager and FEDARENE representative, shared the opinion of the four frontrunner projects of the EU Mission “A climate-resilient Europe”. He outlined the need to act now by mentioning exemplary hard limits to adaptation, the importance of intact ecosystems and biodiversity to buffer climate change impacts as well as the high level of support by European society for climate change actions. Social acceptance will grow if the necessity for the actions and the impact of non-action is explained.

REGILIENCE and its sister projects shared four key messages on how to adapt:

  • Climate adaptation requires informed decision-making and informed citizens to support the societal transformation!
  • Climate adaptation support must focus on most vulnerable regions and population as well as on those with less adaptation capacities! The most vulnerable regions often rely on (free) ecosystem services in their daily activities!
  • The knowledge of research about innovation and the understanding of (specific) risks especially on the limits of adaptation, failed investments (maladaptation) and the need for systematic approaches must be shared and transferred to the regions!
  • Local and regional capacities for resilience and adaptation need to be built up supported by actions for stakeholders to create awareness, lead to action, increase engagement and conclude in local and regional leadership!

About REGILIENCE

REGILIENCE will support communities and regions across Europe according to the addressed key messages on the way towards climate resilience by increasing local and regional capacities. Around 700 actions for all European regions will communicate on knowledge tools on financing, citizen resilience scan, adaptation and much more. Close cooperation with 10 vulnerable and low-capacity regions will support their way towards climate resilience. Spreading the word and sharing the most promising solutions will inspire policymakers, organisations and individuals to become part of the change.

LEARN MORE

Four projects explore climate adaptation for vulnerable communities in EU Macro-Regional Strategies Week

Regilience - Four projects explore climate adaptation for vulnerable communities
Regilience - Four projects explore climate adaptation for vulnerable communities

March 16, 2022 – Four Horizon 2020-funded projects explored how to best assess and improve the climate-change resilience of vulnerable regions in a joint session on 9 March 2022, during the 3rd European Union Macro-Regional Strategies (EU MRS) Week. 

REGILIENCE, ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr are coordinating efforts to identify common goals, challenges and work areas, to achieve best possible outcomes for communities as part of the European Green Deal and the European Union’s Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change and Societal Transformation.

The session on ‘transformative action for climate resilient and adaptive regions’ was the first result of this collaboration to raise visibility of the projects, their participants and their goals.

More than 60 participants joined the session to hear a panel of experts present approaches and solutions that will be tested in various regions and communities by the four projects in the Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change and Societal Transformation.

The Mission, a first in the EU policy world, anchoring it in the research and innovation policy of the EU with a perspective until 2030, fosters the development of innovative solutions and will engage with and empower regions, cities and communities to adapt to climate change.

The Mission, the EU Adaptation Strategy and their importance for regional development as well as various solutions and support measures were presented by Johannes Klumpers, Head of secretariat at EC Directorate General CLIMA. He highlighted how public funding can accelerate the achievement of societal goals, which is key to getting citizens on board as active and engaged players.

He invited session participants to adhere to the Mission charter, to become part of a community of practice on adaptation to climate change and to join the First Mission Forum on 7 June 2022. He said the Mission’s goals are to help regions:

  • understand climate risks,
  • prepare plans/roadmaps,
  • build resilience and demonstrate adaptation.

Regional Testimonials

This keynote was followed by short video testimonials from selected project demonstration regions: French Guadeloupe is a demonstrator in the TransformAr project, addressing 2 key sectors, agriculture and tourism, which are highly impacted by climate change; the Latvian Zemgale Region is developing a GIS-based flood warning system as part of its work in the IMPETUS project; and Athens is alleviating heat pressure through nature-based solutions as part of its resilience strategy, supported by ARSINOE.

Opportunities through collaboration

By assessing and improving the resilience of regions, the 4 projects will help them prepare for future crises and reduce their associated risks. In this framework, new tools and methodologies help regions and communities to better understand, plan and develop strategies tailored to their needs, which will maximize their resilience to the impacts of climate change. A panel of experts explained the opportunities that result from the projects working together in a cluster, presented existing good practices, and expressed the motivation of partners to step up regional climate action.

Moderated by Vasileios Latinos of ICLEI (REGILIENCE), the panellists discussed: how to simplify resourcing and financing of adaptation; how to overcome the ‘adaptation gap’ and evolve towards integrated climate action that engages and empowers citizens, switching focus from post-catastrophe action to perspectives for resilience; and how to test specific adaptation measures that can be replicated in other regions as well as more systemic approaches to climate change.

  • Stefania Manca representing the Municipality of Genoa and the EU Agenda Partnership for Climate Adaptation commented that the 2017-2022 Partnership allowed representatives from cities and countries to exchange knowledge and feedback on funding schemes. She said a focus on insurance data and upscaling potential is useful, for example an EU Investment Bank toolkit and guidance for cities helps them assess benefits and enhance their ability to access financial instruments. Better planning and avoidance of maladaptations are also necessary, she added.
  • Chrysi Laspidou of University of Thessaly explained how the four projects are building upon and helping to materialise the EU macro-regional strategies by equalising regional climate-change preparedness levels and supporting their planning efforts. Change is happening through the systematic involvement of all actors and breaking out of sectoral silos, changing mindsets and co-creating adaptation pathways, identifying the financial instruments that will fund them.

“Covid has showed that we are not good at reacting: we need to be prepared. That’s what these 4 projects are doing, at different levels and with different countries – helping them to prepare and adapt to climate change.” Chrysi Laspidou, University of Thessaly, ARSINOE project lead.

  • Representing the TransformAr project were Laurence Couldrick of West Country Rivers Trust, UK and Alessio Satta of MEDSEA Foundation Sardinia, Italy. Laurence Couldrick emphasised the need to avoid tackling challenges within siloes such as ‘water’, ‘flooding’, ‘fires’, etc. and instead to take a more integrated and long-term perspective – for example reviewing farming practices that might appear beneficial for the short term but may not be viable in the future.How do people adapt and respond to droughts, flood risks, and so on? “We are starting these conversations, changing practices and looking at the role of citizens, communities and financing in this,” he said. The role of authorities and the need to involve them from an early stage of planning to ensure funds and methods match needs and expectations around post-disaster actions was raised by Alessio Satta. He highlighted the value of narratives to bring people on board and move from planning to action to overcome the adaptation gap.
  • On behalf of the IMPETUS project, Giovanni Luigi Brumat of Cantina Toblino – a viticulture cooperative in Trentino, Italy – explained the challenges faced by his community. “As well as climate data, we need more decision-making systems dealing with climate change,” he said. In the past 10 years, climate change events have been increasingly impactful. More understanding is needed of water consumption and how best to deal with scarcity, as well as how to access financing for solutions.The project’s ‘Resilience Knowledge Boosters’ will use new data handling and visualization systems to support informed decision making, and to come up with new solutions.

The 9 March session came hot on the heels of the latest report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which highlighted the need for adaptation strategies as climate change impacts become increasingly frequent and damaging to economies, health and well-being as well as to the environment. The EU MRS Week provided valuable big-picture context and understanding of the value added by a macro-regional strategic approach.

A REGILIENCE survey to understand common needs and challenges to adapt to climate change impacts is open, to gather experiences from vulnerable regions in different parts of Europe.

The impacts of climate change are increasingly frequent, resulting in economic losses, environmental degradation and affecting health and well-being of people all around Europe – and globally-, highlighting the need to find adaptation strategies on top of mitigation strategies. That was again highlighted recently in the latest IPCC report. The EU released a strategy in 2021, to help EU face these events and reduce the regions’ vulnerability.

Link from the event: https://eumrsweek.tw.events/


Background & contacts
ARSINOE – https://arsinoe-project.eu/

ARSINOE is a HORIZON 2020-funded project which aims to build an ecosystem for innovative climate change adaptation solutions. Starting from 1st October 2021 and for the next four years, ARSINOE will shape the pathways to resilience by bringing together the Systems Innovation Approach, addressing the growing complexity, interdependencies and interconnectedness of modern societies and economies, with the Climate Innovation Window, the European Union’s innovations marketplace for climate adaptation technologies.

Within the ARSINOE ecosystem, pathways to solutions are co-created and co-designed by local public authorities, universities, businesses, citizens and associations engaged in nine widely varied regions across Europe.
CONTACT: Lisa Pourcher (G.A.C. Group), lpourcher@group-gac.com

IMPETUS – https://climate-impetus.eu/

To help accelerate Europe’s climate adaptation strategy and meet the European Union’s ambitions to become the world’s first climate-neutral continent by 2050, IMPETUS was launched in October 2021 with the objective: turn climate commitments into tangible, urgent actions to protect communities and the planet.

Working with local citizens, policy-makers and businesses in 7 demonstration sites around Europe, IMPETUS teams are analysing solutions, boosting knowledge and creating packages of adaptation measures that other communities can use as a pathway towards a climate-neutral and sustainable future.
CONTACT: Laura Durnford (ESCI), ld@esci.eu

TransformAr

The EU-funded TransformAr project will create products and services to introduce large-scale and disruptive adaptive Transformational Adaptation processes in vulnerable regions and communities across Europe. Relying on existing successful initiatives, the project will address water-related risks and impacts of climate change through six TransformAr lighthouse demonstrator regions and communities that will test solutions.

Transformational pathways are deemed essential for climate and social resilience to achieve rapid and far-reaching TA. Gathering 22 partners from 11 countries, the project’s findings will contribute to the EU’s strategy on climate change adaptation.
CONTACT: Jérôme Oudart (Euroquality), jerome.oudart@euroquality.fr

REGILIENCE – https://regilience.eu/

REGILIENCE – sharing the most promising solutions supporting communities and regions across Europe to become more resilient to climate change. Communities and regions are key catalysers where change can be driven, but guidance is needed for them to accompany and assist citizens and economies in adapting to climate change.

That is exactly what REGILIENCE, a project funded by the EU Horizon 2020 programme, aims at. It will support communities, cities and regions in their efforts towards building climate resilient pathways, facilitating the identification and upscaling of the most promising solutions and adapting to their needs.

The 48-month project will be implemented by 9 partners and work closely with ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr to amplify the reach and impact of results, coordinate actions and maximise benefits for communities impacted by climate change.
CONTACT: Marine Faber Perrio (IEECP), marine@ieecp.org


Help us identify the 10 most vulnerable regions to climate change in Europe

Regilience - vulnerable regions

We would like to invite you to take part in a research study, part of the European project REGILIENCE – funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 programme – which aims to foster the adoption and wide dissemination of regional climate resilience pathways.

Through this questionnaire we aim to identify the 10 most vulnerable regions to climate change in Europe in order to understand their needs and challenges to adapt to climate change impacts. With your help the selected regions will gain access to REGILIENCE’s tailored engagement and support actions.

Moreover, the results from your answers will provide a deeper understanding of your needs that will be included in the design of future activities and tools within our project and will inform the project publication “Resilience planning & development needs of regional authorities and stakeholders”, which will be shared with all individuals participating in this survey.

The survey will take no longer than 20 minutes of your time. The questions will help us understand your experience with resilience to climate change.

Please, help us by filling out our survey: https://bit.ly/3rOTTmg

REGILIENCE will moderate 3rd EU Macro-Regions week session “Transformative Action for Climate Resilient and Adaptive Regions” at EU Macro-Regional Strategies Week”

Regilience - Transformative Action for Climate Resilient and Adaptive Regions

When: 9 March, 2022 | 09:00 – 10:30 CET

Climate change is one of the biggest challenges of our times. The world has recently
experienced extreme climate events and natural disasters, occurring simultaneously in various countries. As of 1 October 2021, over 2000 jurisdictions in more than 35 countries all over the world have declared a climate emergency. The recent wildfires in Greece, Sardegna and Portugal and the deadly floods in Germany, France and the Netherlands affected vulnerable populations.

Unveiled in 2021 by the European Commission, the EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change aims to prepare Europe to face climate change impacts by indicating pathways to enhance adaptive capacity, strengthen resilience, and reduce regions’ vulnerability. In addition, the EC has launched the Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change and Societal Transformation that fosters the development of innovative solutions and will engage with and empower regions, cities and communities to evolve and adapt to climate change. It helps maximize the impact of the EU’s support for research and innovation and demonstrates its relevance for society and citizens.

The Mission focuses on solutions and preparedness for the impacts of climate change to protect lives and assets. It addresses new communities beyond the usual stakeholders, including behavioural changes and social aspects, to guide and achieve societal transformation.

This session is co-organised by four Horizon 2020 projects in the Mission addressing specifically regional transformation towards climate adaptation and resilience. By coordinating to identify common goals, challenges and focus areas, as well as maximize efficiencies and synergies, REGILIENCE, ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr will achieve the best possible outcomes for regions and communities impacted by climate change.

These projects have received funding under the Green Deal Call 1.3 on ‘Climate-resilient Innovation Packages for EU regions’ and were officially kicked off in Autumn 2021. By assessing and improving the resilience of regions, these projects will help them prepare for future crises and reduce their associated risks. In this framework, new tools and methodologies help regions and communities to better understand, plan and develop strategies tailored to their needs that will maximize their resilience to the impacts of climate change.

In light of the implementation of the Mission for Climate Adaptation and Societal Transformation, the session:

  • will raise the relevance and necessity for integrated climate adaptation for regions;
  • will explain the opportunities of working together in a project cluster, by providing an overview of tools, processes and impact of the four projects laying the groundwork for potential collaborations with other stakeholders and partners in the upcoming months and years and
  • will showcase the approach and already existing good practice from regions and the motivation of regional partners to step further regional climate action.

Agenda:
09:00 – 09:05 Welcome and introduction to the session
09:05 – 09:15 Keynote from the European Commissio
09:15 – 09:25 Testimonials from regions
09:25 – 10:25 Panel discussion
10:25 – 10:30 Closing remarks
Keynote: Mr. Johannes Klumpers DG Clima (Focus on Mission/EU Adaptation Strategy and its importance for regional development). 

Panel discussion:

Ms. Chrysi Laspidou, University of Thessaly & ARSINOE project
Ms. Stefania Manca, Municipality of Genoa/EU Agenda Partnership for Climate Adaptation
Mr Alessio Satta – MEDSEA Foundation Sardinia, Italy and Mr Laurence Couldrick –West Country Rivers Trust, West Country Region, TransformAr project
Giovanni Luigi Brumat, Cantina Toblino viticulture cooperative, Trentino, Italy, IMPETUS project

Moderators: Mr. Vasileios Latinos, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, REGILIENCE project
Backend moderator: Ms. Jole Lutzu, ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability, REGILIENCE project

More information about the 3rd EU Macro-regional strategies week can be accessed at the following link: https://eumrsweek.tw.events/

REGILIENCE took part in the Regional resilience projects cluster meeting

Regilience Regional resilience projects

On 11 January, REGILIENCE took part in the first Regional resilience project cluster meeting for 2022, together with the 3 other innovation actions – TransformAr, Climate Impetus and ARSINOE. 

The goal of the meeting was to follow up on the coordination and the cooperation between the four projects within the last few months and for the months to come.  

 

All projects had the opportunity to share their milestones and inputs. Some of the main points covered in the meeting included: 

  • Discussion of the main tasks and responsibilities in the upcoming months; 
  • A meeting set up for 14 January with the Environmental Agency to discuss the Climate-ADAPT platform and whether a collaboration can be formed, based on their plans for the future of the platform; 

The next regional resilience project cluster meeting, where projects will have the opportunity to report on their actions, will be held in March. 

 

REGILIENCE took part in Horizon Europe Climate Adaptation Mission Workshop together with H2020 “Regional resilience” projects

Regilience Horizon Climate Adaptation

On 24 November 2021, during a one-day event, REGILIENCE took part in the HE Climate Adaptation Mission Workshop, which took place online due to the Covid-19 pandemic. The workshop was also attended by the 3 regional resilience projects – ARSINOE, IMPETUS, TransformAr. Apart from representatives of REGILIENCE and the 3 Horizon 2020 “Regional resilience” projects, the event was also attended by representatives of DG CLIMA, DG RTD and CINEA.  

The workshop started early in the morning and everyone’s spirits were high! 

The workshop was divided into 2 main sessions. The goal of the first session was to discuss the potential synergies, gaps and overlaps between the projects. The first session turned out very fruitful – topics such as steps towards strengthening the combined action and impact of the four Horizon 2020 “Regional resilience” projects, establishing synergies and common fronts between the projects to work together in the elaboration of specific technology, knowledge sharing, dissemination and communication, and exploitation roadmaps were discussed. 

As per the second session, the main goal discussed was about shaping the pathway for combining action and increased impact from the four Horizon 2020 “Regional Resilience Projects”. This was achieved by understanding the ambition of the ‘Mission Adaptation’ and the project’s expectations, together with an exchange of good practices and ideas, and combining possible contributions from each of the involved projects to the ‘Mission Adaptation’.  

The participants were really pleased with the outcome of the workshop and all the discussions that were formed. Everyone was excited about joining forces and agreed that in order to maximise the impact of the projects and strengthen the engagement of regions, close collaboration between all is needed. 

​​REGILIENCE is made of a solid consortium of 9 partners, led by IEECP with the engagement of networks (FEDARENE, ICLEI, R-CITIES, F6S) and knowledge holders from science and practice (FC.ID, adelphi, REGEA, FT), within 5 work packages and 18 tasks, building on each other.  

Keep up to date with the REGILIENCE project actions, follow us on Linkedin and Twitter. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036560. 

REGILIENCE – ambitiously supporting cities and regions on building climate pathways

Regilience Partners

As COP26 ends, leaving many wondering how the ongoing climate crisis can be tackled in a quicker and more efficient global way, the need to find impactful solutions despite the lack of significant change envisioned is more pressing than ever. Are there ways to tackle the changing climate, not only by cutting down emissions but with adapted solutions? This is where REGILIENCE comes in with consequential solutions rooted in adaptive tools for climate resilient regions.  

REGILIENCE is a HORIZON2020-funded project which will foster the adoption and wide dissemination of regional climate resilience pathways, following a demand-driven approach and bearing in mind the expertise and knowledge acquired, as well as the solutions available from Innovation Packages and other sources. It will work hand in hand with 3 regional resilience projects – ARSINOE, IMPETUS and TransformAr. REGILIENCE will furthermore be working towards the 13th Sustainable Development Goal on Climate Change and reflect its five targets. 

Just as the COP26 summit closes, the REGILIENCE project begins. The project aims to support the Green Deal targets and communication by implementing Innovation Packages that will address key community systems and comprises the adaptation solutions and pathways deemed essential for climate and social resilience in the specific regional contexts and the set timeline.  A workshop was organised on November 24th on shaping the pathway for combining action and increased impact from the four Horizon 2020 “Regional Resilience Projects”. This was achieved by understanding the ambition of the ‘Mission Adaptation’ and the project’s expectations, together with an exchange of good practices and ideas, and combining possible contributions from each of the involved projects to the ‘Mission Adaptation’. 

There will be a wide dissemination of solutions and approaches within networks, regional authorities and key stakeholders, including civil society organisations and citizens. With around 700 specific activities with an estimated audience of 100,000 individuals, including 8 large network events, 52 workshops/webinars, 30 twinning, 300 helpdesks, 10 testing, and 40 media activities, amongst others. 

A push for vulnerable regions 

REGILIENCE will provide additional coordination by developing a needs survey covering the 50 most vulnerable regions in the EU, which will be shared and matched with Innovation Package and other similar Horizon 2020 projects. Furthermore, there will be reviewed and fostered synergies among 30 online platforms to improve their performance and usability for regions and communities and have earmarked budget for engaging the corresponding institutions. 

The REGILIENCE project aims to facilitate the replication of Innovation Packages in 10 vulnerable and low-capacity regions, additional to those targeted by the Innovation Package projects, after a selection process and the signature of a workplan agreement. This ambition is aligned with the Horizon Europe’s proposed Mission “Prepare Europe for climate disruptions and accelerate the transformation to a climate-resilient and just Europe by 2030”. 

REGILIENCE Tools  

The tools developed by REGILIENCE include a Resilience Fundamentals Course, a citizen Resilience Scan Tool, information about resilience funding and financing, including recommendations for the inclusion of climate resilience in the national and regional plans for the EU Recovery Package and the Multiannual Finance Framework, on overcoming barriers and obstacles, maladaptation and the running of 10 tests for innovative public-private partnership approaches. 

Consortium 

REGILIENCE is made of a solid consortium of 9 partners, led by the Institute for European Energy and Climate Policy (IEECP) with the engagement of networks with the European Federation of Agencies and Regions for Energy and Environment (FEDARENE), ICLEI Local Governments for Sustainability – European Secretariat (ICLEI Europe), Resilient Cities Network (R-CITIES), F6S Network Limited (F6S) and knowledge holders from science and practice Associação para a Investigação e Desenvolvimento de Ciências (FC.ID), adelphi, North-West Croatia Regional Energy Agency (REGEA) and Fresh thoughts Consulting (FT), within 5 work packages and 18 tasks, building on each other. 

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 101036560. 

 

Media contacts 

Jen Heeman, Research and Project Assistant, IEECP, jen@ieecp.org  

Marine Faber Perrio, Senior communications associate, IEECP, marine@ieecp.org