Transcript EU Green Paper “Adapting to Climate Change in Europe”

Adapting to climate change in Europe
– options for EU action -
Rosário Bento Pais
European Commission
REC Adaptation Workshop, Budapest, 19 November
2007
European Commission’s
Green Paper COM(2007)354
adopted on 29 June 2007
Climate change is happening
A Double challenge:
1. Mitigating – reducing emission:
 to avoid unmanageable impacts
2. and adapting to climate change impacts:
 to manage unavoidable impacts
Europe will not be spared
Europe has already warmed by 1°, faster than the global average.
Rainfall and snowfall: significantly increased in Northern Europe
Droughts : more frequent in Southern Europe
Non-linearity of climate impacts and sensitivity of ecosystems: small
temperature changes can have big effects
Frequency of extreme events increases
Sensitive sectors in Europe
Energy
Financial sector and insurance
Agriculture
Industry and services
Fisheries
Transport
Tourism
Disaster management
Water
Forestry
Health
Infrastructure and buildings
Ecosystems and biodiversity
Migration and security
…
…
In blue: areas flooded by sea level rise in the absence of dykes
1990 level
1990 level + 1 meter
Europe must adapt – challenges
for society and policy
The case for action: saving on future damage costs
When to adapt: early action brings clear benefits
A role for each: European, national, regional, local authorities
Multilevel governance: involving all actors
Options for EU action: 4 pillars
1st pillar: early action in the EU
2nd pillar: external action
3rd pillar: expanding the knowledge base
4th pillar: involving civil society and stakeholders
Pillar 1 – Early action
•Climate impacts will not stop at national or regional
borders.
•Climate change will affect Community policies (e.g.
Common Agricultural Policy; Common Fisheries Policy; the
Water Framework Directive; the Natura 200O network;
cohesion Policy, etc). Need for integration of impacts of
climate change in the EU policies.
•Support for development projects under existing
Community funding programmes will be affect by climate
impacts (e.g. structural funds, cohesion funds, rural
development programme, and transeuropean networks).
Pillar 2 – The external dimension
Already by 2020 :
•Southern , Eastern and Southern-Eastern Asia – people at
greatest risk from increased flooding from the sea and
mega-deltas from rivers;
•Africa and Middle East – will face droughts and water
shortage putting the growing population under pressure.
Europe’s foreign and security policy, neighbourhood policy
and especially the development co-operation policy needs
to include climate impacts and adaptation measures.
Pillar 3 – Working together to fill
the knowledge gaps
Ways of filling the knowledge gaps:
•Share of information, knowledge and best
practices;
•Need to develop a integrated, cross-sectoral and
holistic approach.
Pillar 4 – Engaging European
citizens, companies and
authorities
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Stakeholders;
Regional and local authorithies;
Companies;
Citizens.
Public web-based consultation on the green paper
30 July – 30 November 2007
28 questions in 21 languages
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/consultation.htm
or
http://ec.europa.eu/yourvoice/ipm/forms/dispatch?form=Adapting
On Europa – Your Voice – Interactive Policy Making
Follow-up to the green paper - Next steps
Summary report on the public consultation by January 2008
White paper with more concrete policy measures: : November 2008
Impact assessment accompanying the white paper
More information
Green paper in all official languages:
http://ec.europa.eu/environment/climat/adaptation/index_en.htm
Contact: [email protected]
Unit C1: Climate strategy, international negotiations and monitoring of EU action