Brussels announces 100 more members in climate change adaptation plan

The European Commission announced that 100 more regions and local authorities are joining the Charter of the EU Mission for Adaptation to Climate Change, which already has 215 participants from 24 Member States, including Spain.

After its launch last June, this initiative to support the objectives of the European Green Deal and the climate adaptation strategy has also been joined by 13 more parties from countries associated or potentially associated with the Horizon Europe research program, such as Turkey or Israel, the Commission said in a statement.

From Spain, A Coruña, Aragón, Asturias, Islas Baleares, País Vasco, Castilla-La Mancha, Castilla y León, Cataluña, Extremadura, Galicia, Gran Canaria, Granada, La Rioja, Málaga, Murcia, Navarra, Soutomaior, Comunidad Valenciana and Vitoria-Gasteiz have signed the Charter.

This mission to improve climate resilience has also been signed up by 23 private companies, service centers, research networks and local action groups.

All participants have declared their willingness to cooperate, mobilize resources and develop activities to achieve their adaptation goals and share their progress by networking, and will be invited to a coordination event at the end of the year.

“Every town, city and region in Europe is affected by the climate crisis. And each of them is implementing solutions or looking for new ideas. We want to bring these communities together so they can test and implement the best possible solutions to become more resilient to climate change,” said Frans Timmermans, Executive Vice-President for the European Green Deal.

From deadly heatwaves and devastating droughts to forest fires and coasts eroded by rising sea levels, climate change “is already taking its toll in Europe,” the Commission said in its note.

He added that its impact affects not only the environment and the economy, but also the health of Europeans.

The frequency and severity of extreme weather events are increasing, so the EU must accelerate solutions that build climate resilience, Brussels stressed.

The aim of the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission is to help at least 150 regions and communities accelerate their transformation towards climate resilience by 2030.

It will help these regions and local authorities better understand, prepare for and manage climate risks, as well as develop innovative solutions to build resilience.

Its budget allocation is €370 million until the end of 2023 to investigate the best ways to rebuild areas affected by extreme weather events, restore floodplains, explore vertical farming or design a city “perfectly adapted” to withstand a storm or heatwave.

“The mission is a unique opportunity to demonstrate the transformative power of research and innovation on a local scale. To realize its full potential, we must accelerate the transfer of adaptation solutions to society at large. I am confident that the cohort of signatories will pave the way to a green, clean and healthy future,” said European Commissioner for Research and Innovation Mariya Gabriel.

Source: Euro EFE