The European Commission has presented an EU Framework for Climate Resilience together with a proposed Climate Resilience Law. The Framework aims to build climate resilience into all major policy areas, both domestic and international. The proposed law sets a common reference trajectory for global warming: 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, 2 °C by 2050 and 3 °C by 2100. Member States can use this baseline to assess future risks. It also replaces several national planning obligations with a single national strategic plan and calls for more regular climate risk assessments.
The Commission says 75% of Europeans live in cities and urban areas. It estimates climate damages at about €200 billion between 2022 and 2025. Adapting infrastructure and the economy is expected to cost around €70 billion per year, with returns of more than ten times that value in avoided loss and damage.
For municipalities, the most direct elements are pilot projects, advisory services and a European online platform for climate resilience. The platform will include three tools:
- a European Climate Viewer from ECMWF, an interactive map of projected climate hazards;
- a Navigator of Climate Resilience Tools from the European Environment Agency;
- a Solutions Explorer drawing on the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change.
Further initiatives are being developed and will be presented separately: a European Heatwave Plan, a Climate Insurance Alliance, a European Water initiative and a list of Europe’s 100 most climate-vulnerable territories. An EU strategic plan on climate resilience is due in 2028.