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Climate Alliance responds to the on-line consultation on the EU Adaptation Strategy |
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13-08-2012 - Following the implementation phase of the White Paper on adaptation to climate change, the European Adaptation Strategy is set to respond to the impacts of climate change in the EU, its Member States and regions, down to the local level.
Climate Alliance wants to highlight that the adaptation to climate change should be perceived as an important part of climate policy and that it should be integrated into EU wide regulatory procedures down to local planning. Even if adaptation is largely a local issue, the European level has a great potential in pushing forward the adaptation agenda through awareness raising, integrating climate issues in the existing and new policy initiatives and in supporting future research and concrete projects in this field.
Climate Alliance has prepared some suggestions on the three priority issues defined by the European Commission before the consultation process.
There is a need to develop a policy and market framework for adaptation. A legal framework would ensure that adaptation is mainstreamed, at the same time flexibility to deal with regional, local and sectoral problems needs to be kept. Capacities should be increased; and national, regional and local adaptation strategies should be developed in cooperation with different actors. One of Climate Alliance’s projects, the KlimaScout, has looked at available local adaptation strategies in Germany.
Adaptation strategies and action plans at local and regional levels are not yet very common. Therefore, depending on the needs of each Member State, more research, exchange and guidance is needed on how to organize the integration of adaptation into local climate policy, and which are the most feasible measures to tackle different adverse impacts. Funding is needed for example to help developing practical tools, which can support decision makers in their planning decisions as well as guidance for developing adaptation strategies. Existing good practices can serve as orientation and can be further developed and disseminated. Funding is also needed to help municipalities prepare integrated strategies and implement according measures.
Cooperation between different actors should be encouraged. This could partly be done via projects but also by enhancing the work of the European adaptation platform by inviting interested parties to discuss and develop policy recommendations on relevant adaptation issues. The local authorities must feel empowered and engaged also by the EU level.
Further information:
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