Document "Learning from the Rural Toolkit", is a report from the European Commission's Joint Research Centre from 2025. The report analyses the lessons learned from the creation of the online platform "Rural toolkit", which serves as a comprehensive guide to EU funding opportunities for rural areas. The report aims to share and analyse knowledge on the policy needs of rural areas, available funding sources and the benefits of combining different EU funds for rural development, highlighting the success factors of multi-fund projects through the analysis of case studies.

The document emphasizes that rural areas play a key role in the ecological transformation of the European UnionChapter 2.3, entitled “Resilient rural areas: protection of natural ecosystems and environmental and social resilience”, states that remote rural areas are particularly well-positioned to contribute to this green transformationThis position stems from their extensive natural ecosystems and potential for protecting biodiversity and implementing measures to combat climate change, such as carbon storage and sequestrationThe document also highlights the importance of integrating local needs and biodiversity protection objectives into rural development strategies and recalls that the Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) for 2021-2027 contributes to the European Green Deal with three environmental objectives: combating climate change, protecting natural resources and enhancing biodiversity.

The document further emphasizes that The growing emphasis on tackling climate change through renewable energy generation presents an opportunity for rural areas to combat energy poverty.However, it also highlights the need to properly value ecosystem services and ensure that benefits remain within local communities. Research cited in the document shows that rural areas produce a significant share of renewable electricity in the EUSpecifically, 72 % of electricity produced from solar photovoltaic systems, onshore wind power and hydropower comes from rural areas. The document adds that rural areas still have a large untapped energy potential (78 % of the total EU potential), making them key actors in achieving climate change and energy transition goals and in supporting local development. It also notes that strategies to combat energy poverty may differ between urban and rural areas, with primary energy sources playing a significant role in less urbanised areas, while household electricity consumption can increase poverty and energy poverty. Therefore, energy policies need to be developed to protect households at risk of energy poverty during the ongoing energy transition. The document also highlights the importance of energy literacy of local communities and long-term institutional support for a successful energy transition and strengthening rural resilience.

Chapter 3.4, which deals with the thematic focus of EU funds and programmes, states that The keywords "climate change adaptation and mitigation", "energy" and "environment, biodiversity and waste" are among the most frequently occurring topics across various EU initiativesEach of these keywords is included in the thematic focus of nine different funds. This highlights the importance that the EU attaches to these areas in the context of rural development.

Within the framework of the analysis of case studies of multi-fund projects, the project "Biovilla" in Portugal is cited as an example of an initiative focused on regenerative development. The areas of intervention of this project also include "climate change adaptation and mitigation" and "environment, biodiversity and waste". This project effectively combines four different EU funds (ERDF, ESF+, EAFRD and Erasmus+) to support its economic, socio-educational and ecological pillars, including activities focused on landscape restoration and regenerative agriculture.

In conclusion, the "Learning from the Rural toolkit" document extensively covers the topic of climate change in the context of rural areas, highlights their potential and role in the EU's green transition, points to available financial resources and provides concrete examples of projects dealing with climate change adaptation and mitigation. Spring