In this report of the Climate Proofing project, researchers from Ecologic Institute (lead), Centre for European Economic Research (ZEW), Fresh Thoughts Consulting and Environment Agency Austria provide insights to the European Commission (DG CLIMA) about policies, costs and economic assessments of adaptation measures to climate change in the EU. The authors identify the most appropriate measures at the EU level to address different threats, and discuss the evaluation of key measures, as well as the assessment of economic impacts and costs-benefits.
One of the four pillars of the EU adaptation framework is "integrating adaptation into EU key policy areas," identifying the need to mainstream adaptation responses into all areas of EU policy impacted by climate change (EC 2009, White Paper). According to this objective, the Climate Proofing project analyzed the most significant threats and challenges posed by climate change to the EU, in order to identify appropriate measures that could be implemented or adjusted to address these threats by 2020 (Report, part 1, not published). Furthermore, the measures have been assessed in terms of their economic, social and environmental impacts. Focus was placed on measures not currently (or rarely) subject to ongoing assessments, including: energy, agriculture, infrastructure and transport, and urban areas (herewith described part 2).
Finally, in the course of the project, EU policies like the Common Agriculture Policy, Cohesion and Structural funds, trans-European energy network (TEN-E) and trans-European transport network (TEN-T) funds, and RTD funds were examined to climate-proof funding in these key policies (part 3, not published).
Further link:
- Ecologic Institute Publication: Adaptation Measures in the EU: Policies, Costs, and Economic Assessment - Climate Proofing Report 2