Improve design for transformative approaches and build local capacity for implementation of available solutions focused on climate adaptation

According to the IPCC, adaptation should be transformative, changing the fundamental attributes of a social-ecological system in anticipation of climate change and its impacts. However, the portfolios of climate change adaptation policies remain embryonic and fragmented today: instruments focus mostly on building adaptive capacity through the creation of locally relevant databases and monitoring systems, awareness raising and capacity building actions, education and training[[Harding & Nauwelaers (2023) Transformative Innovation for Climate Change Adaptation A mapping-based framework. under publication European Commission Joint Research Centre JRC134623

]]. For example, the increasing attention to ‘just resilience’ at strategic level is not matched with corresponding actions in the field and ‘issues of equity and social justice are still rarely considered in local-level adaptation planning and actions”; ‘many climate adaptation measures focus on technological interventions, without accounting for the social characteristics of cities, and thus fail to address the unequal burdens of climate impacts’.

Local adaptation to climate change measures should never be taken in isolation. They are part of the socio-economic fabric of the region and its bio-geographic constraints (for example, its position in a certain river basin, along a certain coastline or in mountainous areas).

This topic aims to better integrate the Mission on adaptation to climate change into the regional socio-economic policies and the just transition. This should be also coupled with raising the awareness of local authorities for co-creation opportunities between adaptation and other investments.

Proposals should address all of the following aspects:

• Develop knowledge on how to integrate adaptation measures with regional transformative approaches such as the Smart Specialisation and regional innovation Agendas.
• Understand triggers for and barriers to behavioural changes from citizens and economic sectors in relation with just transformation and adaptation to climate change.
• Operationalise knowledge and understanding of the effects of local available adaptation projects on just transition goals on the macro-scale (such as for example in large river basin and regions across borders) and avoid maladaptation.
• Develop methods and tools promoting win-win solutions for adaptation and the socio-economic activities such as residential areas, tourism, transport, and energy, are made available to regional and local authorities.
• Operationalise knowledge to encourage co-creation of adaptation measures between different economic sectors and political objectives (taking down silos).
• Assess the impacts on climate justice, equity, jobs and climate resilience for specific themes and adaptation programmes.
• Assess the impacts on ecosystems and the cascading effects on neighbouring regions.
• The findings should be presented and tested in at least 3 regions/localities/communities with their neighbours, which include a mix of at least urban and industrial areas. The proposal should consider the opportunities offered by regions already engaged in the Mission (e.g. Charter Signatories, Community of Practice) as possible stakeholders.
• Develop a training module for the regions/localities/communities in the local languages on how to best include adaptation measures in their just transition policy. The training should be made accessible through the Mission Implementation platform.

This topic requires the effective contribution of SSH disciplines and the involvement of SSH experts, institutions as well as the inclusion of relevant SSH expertise, in order to produce meaningful and significant effects enhancing the societal impact of the related research activities.

Proposals should connect to other relevant projects funded by Horizon- Europe, in particular on just climate resilience funded by the topic HORIZON-MISS-2024-CLIMA-01-08: Demonstration of approaches by regions and local authorities focused on increasing climate resilience of the most vulnerable social groups (just climate resilience)

Additionally, Proposals should include a mechanism and the resources to establish operational links and collaboration with Mission Implementation Platform and the Climate-ADAPT platform[[The European Climate Adaptation Platform Climate-ADAPT is a partnership between the DG Climate Action and the European Environment Agency.https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/]] as well as with other relevant initiatives such as the New European Bauhaus the Cohesion policy, and Regional smart specialisation strategies.