This document, prepared for the European Parliament's Committee on Regional Development, looks at the role of cohesion policy in supporting climate change adaptation, strengthening regional resilience and promoting sustainable entrepreneurship in the EU.

Main topics:

• Identification of regional and sectoral adaptation needs: The document analyses the different climate risks and adaptation needs across different types of EU regions (urban, rural, coastal, mountain areas, islands and outermost regions) as well as across different economic sectors. For example, urban areas face risks of flooding, heat waves and air quality deterioration, which require improving drainage systems, expanding green spaces and promoting sustainable transport. The document points out that “the impacts of climate change are being felt differently in different regions of the EU, creating the need to tailor adaptation strategies to the regional and potentially local contexts they are intended to benefit.” (Introduction)
• Mapping EU policy instruments to support climate change adaptation: The document provides a comprehensive overview of all EU policy instruments supporting the EU Adaptation Strategy, with a focus on cohesion policy. These include financial instruments, information and knowledge platforms, legislative and regulatory frameworks, strategies, plans and guidelines, initiatives and networks, skills and education programmes, research and innovation, as well as specialised agencies and bodies.
• Assessment of current cohesion policy support for adaptation: The paper analyses data on funding from cohesion policy funds, as well as the results of surveys among managing authorities and business operators. The findings point to an increase but still insufficient funding for adaptation, with gaps between support and needs. The paper notes that “funding data do not provide a breakdown of adaptation support by sector, type of business or specific investments.” (Chapter 4)

Key findings:

• Adaptation funding from Cohesion Policy has increased in the 2014-2020 and 2021-2027 periods, but is still not sufficient to cover all needs.
• There are gaps between adaptation support and actual needs, especially in certain sectors and regions.
• Business entities are often unaware of the available adaptation funding options from cohesion policy.
• Regional and local authorities need to strengthen their capacities in the field of climate change adaptation.

Recommendations:

• Improving integration and adaptation monitoring: Improving the integration of climate change adaptation considerations into all projects funded by cohesion policy, not just those explicitly labelled as "adaptation" interventions.
• Development of sector strategies: Developing sectoral strategies for accessing adaptation funding from cohesion policy to ensure that sectors vulnerable to climate change (e.g. tourism) have sufficient access to funding.
• Improving business awareness and access to finance: Increasing awareness among businesses about available financing options and simplifying access to financing for SMEs.
• Strengthening regional capacities for adaptation: Providing training, recruiting specialized staff and building partnerships with academia and research institutions to strengthen the capacities of regional and local authorities.

The document stresses that “national authorities (in partnership with EU institutions such as the European Parliament, the European Commission and the European Committee of the Regions) should work to strengthen regional and local capacities for adaptation by improving knowledge and expertise within regional and local authorities.” (Chapter 6)

This document provides valuable information on how cohesion policy can contribute to climate change adaptation in the EU. It identifies key challenges and offers concrete recommendations for improvement. The implementation of these recommendations should lead to a better use of cohesion policy to strengthen the EU's resilience to climate change. Spring