A Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change

One of the five EU Missions is the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, which will support EU regions, cities and local authorities in their efforts to build climate resilience against the impacts of climate change.

The Implementation Plan published in September 2021 outlines the main goal of the Mission, which is to support at least 150 European regions and communities in becoming climate resilient by 2030. In doing so, the Mission will engage local actors, notably in climate-vulnerable regions, as well as citizens by funding projects facilitating and requiring their involvement. Considering that the level of preparedness for climate impacts varies substantially between regions in Europe, this R&I support will be provided in different ways.

Specific objective 1: Preparing and planning for climate resilience to provide general support to European regions and communities to better understand, prepare for and manage climate risks and opportunities.

Specific objective 2: Accelerating transformations to climate resilience to work with at least 150 regions and communities to accelerate their transformation to a climate resilient future, supporting them in the co-creation of innovation pathways and the testing of solutions.

Specific objective 3: Demonstrating systemic transformations to climate resilience to deliver at least 75 large-scale demonstrations of systemic transformations to climate resilience across European regions and communities.

Nature

ERRIN input to the Adaptation Mission


 

2020

ERRIN took early on an active role in shaping the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and is closely following the implementation of the Mission. The first input document developed by ERRIN and its members was followed up with an exchange with the former Mission Board Chair, Connie Hedegaard, during an ERRIN webinar held in July 2020. In October 2020, ERRIN members participated in a co-creation event held by the European Commission, with an aim to further design the selection criteria and the involvement of regions and communities in the Mission.

2021

As a follow-up on the session organised in autumn 2020, ERRIN organised another session together with the Mission Secretariat and Climate KIC in March 2021. In September 2021, ERRIN held an Energy & Climate Change Working Group session focusing on how regions can take an active role in the implementation of the Mission.

2022

In February 2022, ERRIN organised a joint sounding board meeting with the European Commission to exchange on the progress of regions towards climate resilience and priority actions for the Mission in the coming years. This was followed up with an ERRIN input on the Mission Charter in March 2022, which lays out a set of commitments for the regions and communities signing the Charter and committing to the Mission and its objectives.

In May 2022, ERRIN published its key messages for the Horizon Europe Missions Work Programme 2023-2024, were several recommendations concerning the future funding for the Adaptation Mission were proposed, such as the need for a quadruple helix approach, the need for further calls providing cascade funding, and the need for an inclusive and interdisciplinary approach. In June 2022, ERRIN became a Friend of the Mission, alongside over 50 network members who became signatories of the Mission Charter. During the European Research and Innovation Days in October 2022, a further 47 network members were announced as having signed the Mission Charter, resulting in 100 ERRIN associated cities and regions being signatories

2023

In 2023, ERRIN launched its Adaptation Task Force which will continue the policy dialogue with the Mission Secretariat and follow the implementation of the Mission in ERRIN regions. Two ERRIN projects supporting the implementation of the Mission kicked off in January 2023 - Pathways2Resilience and RESIST

ERRIN provided input to the implementation of the Adaptation Mission in its input paper to the consultation on the Horizon programmes 2014-2027. In its input paper, ERRIN highlighted the important role of the Mission in placing adaptation to climate change higher up on the political agenda at the local and regional level and the importance of the Community of Practice in enabling matchmaking, knowledge exchange and peer-learning between regions. Key areas to further strengthen in the Mission include the lack of a clear process for regions to engage in the Mission and increased access to funding to support the implementation of the Mission.

In March 2023, the final list of Mission Charter signatories was announced, amounting to 308 signatories in total. More than 130 Charter signatories are associated with ERRIN member cities and regions. 


Latest Updates

  • By Ewa Chomicz

ERRIN and over 50 network members among the first to join and endorse the Adaptation Mission

The European Commission announced today the first 118 regions and local authorities to join the Mission Adaptation to Climate Change by signing the Mission Charter, including over 50 ERRIN member regions and cities. First organisations to endorse the Mission and become Friends of the Mission were also revealed, among which the ERRIN network.

  • By Rodolphe Doité

Call for regional examples on renewable energy projects

The Energy and Climate Working Group is looking for regional examples of renewable energy projects and challenges to be presented in its upcoming meeting, focusing on REPowerEU and Fit for 55 initiatives. The meeting will take place on the 20th of June and will be organised as an online event.

  • By Hilary Webb

ERRIN messages on Horizon Europe Missions Work Programmes 2023-2024

In the context of the Horizon Europe Missions Work Programme 2023-2024 that is currently underway at the European Commission, ERRIN is pleased to share its messages on the Mission work programmes for 2023-2024 and the involvement of regional actors within the Missions.

  • By Hilary Webb

Express interest in joining Adaptation Mission & signing Charter

Regions and communities are now invited by the European Commission to complete a survey expressing their interest in joining the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. After survey responses have been reviewed, eligible regions will be invited to sign the Mission Charter. 

  • By Heidi Johansson

Outcomes of the joint meeting with the European Commission on the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change

On 22 February, ERRIN organised a joint meeting with the European Commission on the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change to discuss regions' challenges and needs in terms of climate adaptation and priority actions for the Mission in the coming years. Following the meeting, we now welcome members' views on the Mission Charter that is to be introduced by the Commission in the coming weeks.

  • By Anonymous

Adam Mickiewicz University from Poznan (PL) looks to join project consortiums in Adaptation Mission calls

Adam Mickiewicz University from Poznan (PL) looks to join project consortiums in Adaptation Mission calls. Our competencies fit the following CfPs: HORIZON-MISS-2021-CLIMA-02-05, HORIZON-MISS-2021-CLIMA-02-02, HORIZON-MISS-2021-CLIMA-02-01.