The EU has set itself ambitious objectives for combatting climate change. In addition to efforts to mitigate the impacts of climate change, the European Commission is also advancing efforts to strengthening climate adaptation in the EU, primarily by facilitating better exchange of information and practices as well as coordinating relevant activities such as in the case of trans-boundary impacts. Two key pillars of the EU budget that are also central for adaptation efforts are the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) and the Cohesion Policy. Both mechanisms include significant opportunities to foster climate adaptation and need to ensure that investments that are supported contribute to adaptation goals.

The workshop is an essential part of a project funded by the European Commission (DG CLIMA) which aims to develop “Methodologies for climate proofing investments and measures under Cohesion and Regional policy and the Common Agricultural Policy”. The project is lead by IEEP, London.

In the workshop we aim to:

• Present and discuss impacts and vulnerabilities of climate change, including damage costs and a concept to estimate adaptive capacity
• Discuss the links between impacts of climate change, adaptation needs and actions funded through Cohesion Policy and CAP
• Discuss relevant adaptation options that could be funded through Cohesion Policy and CAP and the analysis of their costs, benefits and impacts
• Identify “user needs” regarding the communication of results of the impact assessment and cost/benefit assessment of adaptation options that the project will produce

The workshop focuses on climate proofing of different policy fields, especially agriculture and forestry, energy, transport, health and urban infrastructures. The target participants are Government officials, stakeholders from the different policy fields and further experts from research and NGOs.