On 27th October, the European Commission presented its EU Framework for Climate Resilience. The package combines a Communication with a proposal for a Regulation establishing a European Climate Resilience Law, along with a set of practical tools and non-legislative initiatives. Its aim is to help Europe anticipate, prepare for and manage climate risks more effectively.
The framework comes after a particularly severe Summer: heatwaves alone caused damage estimated at €113 billion. At the same time, private insurers cover on average only around a quarter of climate-related damage, with the remaining costs falling largely on public budgets.
Rather than imposing binding adaptation measures, the framework focuses on clearer planning requirements and better tools for decisionmakers. Its main elements include:
- New digital tools as possible starting points for investment decisions, including the European Climate Viewer, allowing users to visualise local impacts of warming scenarios of 1.5°C by 2030, 2°C by 2050 and 3°C by 2100.
- National climate resilience strategic plans, in which Member States should clearly identify the public authorities responsible for preventing and managing climate risks, to be drawn up by 31st December 2030 at the latest.
- A Climate Insurance Alliance, expected to implement a first set of measures by the end of 2027.
No additional funding is foreseen for the framework. Instead, climate adaptation investments are expected to be supported through the 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF), which is currently under negotiation and includes a target of 35% of spending on climate and the environment.
The legislative proposal must now be examined by the European Parliament and the EU Council.
More information and the full proposal are available here:
EU Framework for Climate Resilience - Climate Action - European Commission
