“Resilience can be improved through adaptation and mitigation actions”

“Climate change is the defining challenge of our time. Mitigating its impacts and adapting to changes already taking place or impossible to avoid will require fundamental changes to societies and behaviours all over the world – as well as scientific breakthroughs, both technological and social. The EU intends to remain at the forefront of the fight against climate change and the necessary transition to low-carbon, sustainable and climate-resilient societies.

With this objective, in 2018 the European Commission published an evaluation of the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change and also its strategic vision for a new EU long-term strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions, setting out clear priorities to achieve a net-zero carbon economy in 2050.

Knowledge empowers stakeholders for climate change actions

EU-funded research, science and innovation have underpinned both reports, and will keep playing a crucial role in our efforts to tackle climate change and here the EU will continue to lead. We have put climate at the heart of Horizon Europe – the EU’s next research and innovation programme.

If we want to achieve a net-zero carbon economy by 2050, more and better focused R&I is a necessary condition to reach this target and to maintain our standard of living” – Climate Change Adaptation. Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission.

Citizens should be involved in the agenda-setting process corresponding to climate change challenges

It is in this context the TeRRIFICA project emerges. Starting on January 2019 and with duration of three and a half years, the TeRRIFICA project will set up tailored roadmaps and key performance indicators for the implementation of the developed methodologies and climate change adaptation and mitigation activities in regional practice. Customised capacity building for the different stakeholder groups will be offered.

Through workshops and regional and international summer schools, TeRRIFICA aims to empower local people, with a particular focus on regional authorities and policy makers, and will develop adequate solutions together with them. Field trips to local and regional promising activities related to research and regional innovation, and broader stakeholder engagement with feedback loops will be organised.

Through its co-creative multi-stakeholder approaches, participants have the opportunity to expand their knowledge around climate change and innovative climate action and to identify opportunities, drivers and barriers of implementation. Activities take into account challenges for the acceptance and feasibility, technological and regulatory constraints in six pilot regions.