Proactive community adaptation to climate change through social transformation and behavioural change

Project Information

PRO-CLIMATE

Grant agreement ID: 101137967

DOI

10.3030/101137967

EC signature date 24 October 2023

Start date 1 January 2024

End date 31 December 2026

Funded under

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Total cost

€ 3 666 685,00

EU contribution

€ 3 666 685,00

Coordinated by

TERO MONOPROSOPI IKE
Greece

Periodic Reporting for period 1 - PRO-CLIMATE (Proactive community adaptation to climate change through social transformation and behavioural change)

Reporting period: 2024-01-01 to 2025-06-30

Summary of the context and overall objectives of the project

Climate change impacts are already being felt across Europe, with increasing frequency and severity of extreme weather events, biodiversity loss, and socio-economic disruption. While adaptation strategies exist, their uptake is often hindered by fragmented governance, insufficient stakeholder engagement, and limited understanding of behavioural drivers for change. There is a critical need for approaches that go beyond technical solutions, integrating environmental science, governance analysis, and social innovation to accelerate societal readiness for adaptation.
PRO-CLIMATE addresses this challenge by combining systems thinking, participatory governance, and behavioural change research in six diverse European Living Labs. These serve as real-world arenas where citizens, policy-makers, businesses, and researchers co-create and test adaptation strategies. Social sciences and humanities play a central role, providing insights into values, perceptions, decision-making processes, and social tipping points that can trigger transformative change.
By delivering innovative modelling tools, behavioural change toolkits, and policy recommendations, PRO-CLIMATE will enhance adaptive capacity. The project’s expected impacts include stronger governance mechanisms, increased citizen engagement, and improved integration of behavioural insights into climate policies.

Work performed from the beginning of the project to the end of the period covered by the report and main results achieved so far

During the reporting period, substantial technical and scientific progress was achieved, laying the operational, methodological, and analytical foundations for PRO-CLIMATE’s Living Labs.
Under WP2, a robust, context-sensitive Living Lab framework was developed (T2.1) and applied across all sites, integrating stakeholder engagement strategies, diagnostic toolsets, and co-creation roadmaps based on the four-phase LL cycle. Six fully contextualised Pilot Operational Plans were co-created (T2.2) ensuring methodological consistency while addressing local socio-ecological realities. Coordination and adaptive management mechanisms were established (T2.3) complemented by practical tools such as the Empathy Map and LL Tools Guide to support ongoing implementation.
WP3 delivered a comprehensive socio-ecological systems mapping, including SES boundaries (T3.1) Focal Action Situations (T3.2) and in-depth stakeholder analyses (Task 3.3). Participatory governance assessment tools were developed and tested (T3.4) and preliminary work began on identifying drivers of change and adaptation strategies (T3.5).
In WP4, good governance and behavioural change principles were embedded within LL operations. Change agents were identified and trained, a tailored KPI framework was introduced, and the behavioural change model was operationalised. The first behavioural change workshops were delivered, fostering cross-site learning and concrete next steps for each LL.
WP5 produced a conceptual model of a European social-ecological system (T5.1) and applied the Multi-Agent Climate Model to the Vestland (Norway) case (T5.2) providing simulations, decision-making models.
WP6 initiated the evaluation of LL results (T6.1) synthesising insights from WP2–WP5 to identify systemic leverage points. Preparatory work began for policy co-design (T6.2) ensuring alignment between empirical findings and future policy outputs. Collectively, these achievements have advanced PRO-CLIMATE’s scientific objectives, delivering integrated socio-ecological analysis, participatory governance frameworks, and modelling tools that position the project to generate robust, evidence-based adaptation solutions.

Progress beyond the state of the art and expected potential impact (including the socio-economic impact and the wider societal implications of the project so far)

PRO-CLIMATE has delivered significant interim results with strong potential for scientific, societal, and policy impacts. The operationalised Living Labs co-created context-specific Operational Plans, integrating socio-ecological system analysis, participatory governance diagnostics, and behavioural change strategies. These outputs form a replicable, adaptable framework for place-based climate adaptation, bridging scientific rigour with practical use. The integration of socio-ecological systems mapping (WP3) and behavioural change processes (WP4) into operational planning (WP2) ensures strategies are guided by systemic understanding and active stakeholder participation. The Multi-Agent Climate Model (MACM) developed in WP5 simulates governance and decision-making dynamics, offering a tool for testing adaptation scenarios before implementation. Early synthesis in WP6 is already pinpointing systemic leverage points, shaping targeted policy recommendations.

Expected impacts include: a. Strengthened adaptive capacity of local governance systems via inclusive, participatory processes, b) Better alignment of behavioural change initiatives with socio-ecological realities, enhancing community ownership, c) Evidence-based policy recommendations linking local realities with regional, national, and EU-level strategies.

Enabling factors for uptake and long-term success: a. Demonstration and scaling – Continued piloting to drive replication, b. Policy integration, c. Ongoing support for change agents and local institutions to sustain momentum, d. Resource mobilisation.

By the project's end, PRO-CLIMATE will have produced an integrated suite of methodological tools, operational frameworks, simulation models, and policy guidance—together forming a transferable model for climate adaptation across diverse socio-ecological contexts.