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
