EN EN

EUROPEAN COMMISSION

Brussels, 27.10.2026 COM(2026) 720 final

COMMUNICATION FROM THE COMMISSION TO THE EUROPEAN

PARLIAMENT, THE COUNCIL, THE EUROPEAN ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL

COMMITTEE AND THE COMMITTEE OF THE REGIONS

A RESILIENT EUROPE FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE

Communication on the EU Framework for Climate Resilience

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A RESILIENT EUROPE FOR A CHANGING CLIMATE

Communication on

the EU Framework for Climate Resilience

1 Climate resilience: rising to the challenge to protect people, security and

prosperity

The EU can, must and will stay the course on its target of becoming climate neutral by 2050, leading

international efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and ensuring decarbonisation supports its

competitiveness and resilience. However, we are falling short of what is needed to limit the damaging

effects of climate change on people, prosperity and security.

The summer of 2026 should be considered a ‘summer of truth‘. Almost no part of our continent was

spared from damaging climate extremes, although the impacts varied depending on regional exposure

and vulnerability. In 2026, wildfires have ravaged about 700,000 hectares of land and destroyed 12

million tonnes of crops so far. Major European rivers – the Danube, the Rhine and the Garonne – fell

to critically low levels with impacts on mobility and energy security. While these were the hottest

summer months ever recorded, they will probably be the coolest of the years to come and we need to

be ready for what lies ahead. The EU must become much better prepared for all climate impacts.

Building climate resilience is a strategic investment in Europe’s competitiveness, prosperity, economic

and military security, and in the safety, health and well-being of all of its people.

Keeping global warming to well below 2°C above pre-industrial levels and pursuing efforts to limit the

temperature increase to 1.5°C remains a cornerstone of the Paris Agreement. However, scientists now

consider that exceeding 1.5°C at least temporarily is unavoidable1. Under current global policy

commitments, global warming is projected to reach around 2°C above pre-industrial levels by 2050 and

around 3°C by the end of the century2. Every fraction of a degree has increasing impacts on our health,

security and prosperity. Europe is warming at around twice the global average rate and is already

experiencing significantly different climate conditions compared with a decade ago. This trend is set to

continue. Policies must anticipate future climate change, stay ahead of its impacts, and fight

disinformation about it.

To be ready for the coming years, Europe has to step up significantly its emergency preparedness

and response, to save lives, protect communities and maintain vital societal functions during severe

crises. During the 2026 State of the Union Address3, the President of the Commission announced that

the Commission will act fast and with determination, including by presenting soon a European

Heatwave Plan, a Climate Insurance Alliance, a new European Water initiative, by launching the

PreparEU Advisory Group on disaster preparedness, and by identifying 100 of the most

vulnerable European territories.

These new initiatives will reinforce and complement the extensive work already underway across

Europe to tackle the extreme weather events fuelled by climate change. Whenever disasters strike and

national capabilities are overwhelmed, countries can request support from the Union Civil Protection

Mechanism (UCPM), which coordinates operational emergency response. The Mechanism also plays

1 https://www.unep.org/resources/limiting-overshoot-navigating-exceedance. 2 SWD(2026) 731, Annex 12. 3 https://commission.europa.eu/strategy-and-policy/state-union_en.

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a key role in disaster preparedness by bringing together civil protection authorities, firefighting

resources and personnel, analysts, scientific experts and much more to strengthen anticipation,

preparedness and coordinate response to disasters. By aligning operational rescue efforts with the

European Preparedness Union Strategy4, the EU ensures that immediate crisis management is

anchored in an all-hazard, whole-of-society and whole-of-government approach, contributing to a more

resilient Europe.

As extreme events become more frequent, severe, simultaneous and costly, the pressure on emergency

services, critical infrastructure, reconstruction funding and public budgets is increasing. To reduce costs

and limit disruption of lives and livelihoods, it is crucial to prevent avoidable risks and damage before

disasters strike.

The economic case for action is compelling. Material losses from weather- and climate-related events

are rising sharply, and heatwaves and other climate extremes are damaging productivity and could

structurally undermine economic growth in the EU. Across the EU, annual economic losses from

climate extremes in the past four years stood at around EUR 50 billion, up from EUR 8.6 billion in the

1980-1989 period. Output losses caused by climate change go far beyond. For instance, Europe’s 2026

heatwaves carry an estimated annual output cost of EUR 113 billion across 30 countries, a substantial

economic burden from one climate hazard alone5. Agriculture is one of the sectors recording very high

climate-related losses. The average annual loss in the EU is estimated at around EUR 28.3 billion, with

only 20-30% of those losses insured 6. Drought is the main driver of losses in this sector, for example

in 2026 losses could reach as high as EUR 90 billion. The investment needs for climate resilience and

adaptation - estimated to be around EUR 70 billion per year - can usually generate returns of 2 to 10

times their value in avoided damages and losses, and in some cases even higher7. Investment in climate

resilience allows to avoid losses because of climate-related business disruptions, lower productivity,

costs of repair or write-offs and stranded assets.

At the same time, demand for climate adaptation and resilience solutions, technologies and products is

growing fast, creating a huge market opportunity for European industry, in Europe and world-wide.

The social and territorial case for strengthening climate resilience is equally pertinent. Preliminary

figures indicate that more than 35,000 people died from heat-related causes during the major heatwaves

of summer 2026 across European countries that reported data8. The impacts of climate change affect

people in vulnerable situations, regions and communities disproportionately, increasing regional

inequalities9. It is thus important to tackle this uneven distribution of climate risks and help ensure that

all people, regions and communities benefit equally and fairly from climate resilience measures.

Many Europeans are deeply concerned about risks from climate change and its effects on their lives.

However, many do not feel sufficiently prepared, and expect stronger action10. Most people believe that

better preparedness for climate impacts will improve their daily lives and look to public authorities to

play a leading role. Public services and businesses also need a predictable framework and effective

public support, including financial and technical, for managing climate risks.

4 JOIN(2025) 130 final. 5 https://www.allianz-trade.com/en_global/news-insights/economic-insights/Allianz-Climate-Economics-Report-

2026.html. 6 https://www.fi-compass.eu/library/market-analysis/insurance-and-risk-management-tools-agriculture-eu. 7 https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2834/2895769, https://www.wri.org/research/climate-adaptation-investment-case. 8 Austria, Belgium, Spain, France, Germany, Netherlands, Portugal. 9 COM(2024) 149 final. 10 Special Eurobarometer Report 565.

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The EU is not starting from scratch. It has built knowledge, tools and experience with its Adaptation

Strategy11, European Climate Law12, Governance Regulation13, research and innovation, including at

the local and regional level, and some sectoral legislation and action taken by its Member States. But

there are limitations. Recent climate extremes have shown that some of the current policies and actions

for climate preparedness remain patchy and are too often reactive rather than anticipatory. To rise to

these challenges, both short-term preparedness action and a more systematic anticipatory approach that

manages foreseeable risks in the long term are needed, connecting efforts at local, regional, national

and European levels.

No Member State can build climate resilience alone. Many climate risks are shared. They cross

administrative, sectoral and national borders, and fragmented approaches create cross-border risks,

coordination gaps, and unnecessary and avoidable costs. An EU Framework for Climate Resilience

will enable stronger and more consistent joint action, while giving Member States, regions and local

authorities the space for determining the measures that are best suited to their circumstances.

Finally, climate risks are deeply interconnected not just across Europe but also worldwide. No

region is immune. Growing vulnerabilities outside Europe affect the EU and vice versa. This has

potential repercussions on security, trade, migration, health and the environment. These risks also need

to be identified, anticipated and managed at global level, in collaboration with our international partners.

Climate resilience is already a key component of the EU’s external action, bilateral and regional

cooperation, and engagement in multilateral agreements, including the UN Framework Convention on

Climate Change Conference. However, greater efforts are essential not only for protecting lives and

development in partner countries, especially the most fragile ones, but also for preserving global

stability, preventing future crises, and safeguarding the EU’s long-term security and prosperity.

2 The EU Framework for Climate Resilience: making change systemic

To tackle the systemic challenges and meet the expectations of people, businesses, Member States,

regions and local governments, the Commission is putting in place the EU Framework for Climate

Resilience. A core element of it, the proposed European Climate Resilience Law14, is designed to

ensure that the EU and Member States act together and manage their climate risks in concert. It aims to

make policy and action for climate preparedness and resilience simpler, clearer, easier to

understand and implement through the following core elements:

• Reference global warming trajectory. Current evidence shows that the world is on a plausible

path to warm above pre-industrial levels by 1.5°C by 2030, 2°C by 2050, and 3°C by 210015.

When making decisions about policies, assets and investments, the reference global warming

trajectory should be the baseline assumption, with more detailed risk assessments and tolerance

determining their choices.

• Identification of policy risk owners. Governmentsneed to be clear and transparent about which

actor is responsible for management of climate risks in each policy and across all levels of

governance and all relevant policy areas.

11 COM(2021) 82. 12 Regulation (EU) 2021/1119. 13 Regulation (EU) 2018/1999. 14 COM(2026) 730. 15 https://climate-advisory-board.europa.eu/reports-and-publications/strengthening-resilience-to-climate-change-

recommendations-for-an-effective-eu-adaptation-policy-framework.

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• Improved and more regular climate risk assessments to ensure thatMember States’

assessments and the European Climate Risk Assessment would be comparable, synchronised and

coherent.

• Encouragement to take into account the reference global warming trajectory, national climate

risk assessments referred to in Article 5(2), and other relevant risk assessments when exercising

public functions, in particular budgeting, spatial planning and impact assessments.

• A single strategic plan for climate resilience by Member States. The four planning instruments

required today16 are replaced by a single national strategic plan on climate resilience. It would

encompass all above-mentioned elements and also those of the other four instruments. There

would also be a Union-level strategic plan for climate resilience, which would be a more action-

oriented successor of the existing EU Adaptation Strategy.

• Simpler and more effective monitoring and progress tracking at Member State and Union

level, to assess the outcome of climate resilience actions and help improve them.

With all these elements, the framework would drive several shifts: from planning based on past

climate conditions to planning for projected future climate conditions; from diffuse responsibility to a

clear identification of risk owners; from reacting after damage has occurred to anticipating and

proactively managing foreseeable risks; and from seeing climate adaptation as a short-term cost to

perceiving it as an investment made to avoid higher costs and losses in the long-term. In addition, the

framework would mobilise investment, foster innovation, and create commercial opportunities and new

markets for climate resilience products and services. The implementation of the law should also take

into account the specificities of security and defence activities.

The framework would also encourage targeted support for people in vulnerable situations, regions and

communities disproportionately impacted by climate risks with a view to promoting the principle of

just climate resilience. TheCommission intends to integrate this into the implementation of the

framework, the European Semester, and the national and Union strategic plans on climate resilience,

including through a common methodology for assessing distributional impacts and preparedness in

social protection systems.

The Commission will start implementing the approach set out in the proposed law as of today. It

intends to

• systematically consider climate resilience and the reference global warming trajectory in relevant

policy proposals, initiatives and proposals to revise existing sector legislation, taking into account

their specificities;

• where appropriate, apply the trajectory and consider climate resilience as early as possible in

relevant planning work, impact assessments, spending programmes, and investment decisions, to

avoid locking in avoidable vulnerability to projected future climate conditions;

• deliver the Union strategic plan on climate resiliencein the third quarter of 2028 to ensure early

and decisive action at EU level.

The Commission will use the European Semester to carry out assessments of Member States’

progress every two years. The European Climate Law’s five-yearly assessments on EU level progress

would remain valid, continuing to inform the global stocktakes under the Paris Agreement.

16 National adaptation strategies and plans under the European Climate Law, and the adaptation-related elements

required of the National Energy and Climate Plans and Long-Term Strategies under the Governance Regulation.

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Finally, the Commission also intends to support Member States through the provision of guidance on

the requirements for drawing up climate risk assessments and for preparing national strategic plans, and

taking into account the reference global warming trajectory and risk assessments in public functions.

Figure 1: The EU Framework for Climate Resilience – overview

3 Awareness and action: empowering authorities, businesses and the

public to drive change

The proposed European Climate Resilience Law is accompanied by enabling measures designed to

support implementation by

• providing online tools for risk awareness and solutions that build resilience;

• supporting local and regional action;

• empowering European businesses to innovate and prosper;

• improving access to finance and affordable insurance.

3.1 Online tools for climate resilience knowledge: building risk awareness and enabling

solutions

Many policymakers, businesses and individuals lack access to user-friendly and reliable online tools

that provide trustworthy and actionable information and support decision-making on climate resilience

and adaptation.

The Commission is launching the European Climate Viewer17. Drawing on climate data and

projections of the Copernicus Climate Change Services (C3S), it provides an accessible and user-

friendly way of viewing current and plausible future climate conditions. It converts the reference global

warming trajectory into localised and decision relevant information on projected climate hazards. It

17 https://european-climate-viewer.climate.copernicus.eu.

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enables users to explore the projected consequences of a range of future climate scenarios: for example,

what a 2ºC warmer world in 2050 could mean for the frequency and intensity of health-threatening

heatwaves and their knock-on effects on water shortages in various countries, regions and

municipalities. Over time, the European Climate Viewer will expand from hazard information to more

comprehensive climate risk information, including exposure, vulnerability and the effects of resilience

measures to mitigate risks. It will benefit, amongst others, from Destination Earth impact sector

modelling and the JRC Risk Data Hub information, to help local authorities better understanding risks

and prepare.

The Commission has also created a new Navigator of Climate Resilience Tools18 to help people,

businesses and public authorities identify and use the tools most relevant to their needs. Furthermore,

the new Solutions Explorer of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change19 showcases measures

already implemented. It explains how the measures have been resourced, what benefits they bring, and

how they can be replicated in regions, cities and policy sectors, thereby supporting wider uptake. The

Commission will make this tool more widely available to other interested parties to continue collecting

best practices.

Together with other components, these tools will be part of a broader European online platform for

climate resilience. This will be a new central online space for resilience support services and solutions.

It will help implement the framework and will gradually upgrade and eventually replace the Climate-

ADAPT20 website. The move from Climate-ADAPT will preserve access to useful content and

established services. The platform and its components will evolve with scientific evidence, datasets and

the reference trajectory.

To complement the work on the reference global warming trajectory and the European Climate

Viewer, the Commission also intends to set up an Earth System Tipping Point Observatory.Thiswill

help Member States and the EU to better understand and mitigate the risks and challenges linked to

climate and ecosystem tipping points. In addition, the Commissionaims to accelerate updates of the

relevant scientific evidence; the translation of global into high resolution European projections for the

coming decades; improvements in pan-European datasets to implement the trajectory at national,

regional and local levels; and the identification of extreme weather events and other abrupt changes and

early warnings about them. The Commission also encourages the effective use of existing services, such

as the Copernicus Emergency Management Service and the Copernicus Climate Change Service, to

avoid duplication and ensure coherence.

3.2 Supporting local and regional action

Cities and urban areas, where around 75% of the EU population lives, are on the frontline of climate

impacts. They are already adapting public spaces to extreme heat, strengthening flood protection,

restoring ecosystems and protecting vulnerable citizens. The Commission Communication on an EU

Agenda for Cities21 stresses the importance of place-based measures for better EU preparedness and

resilience. It also emphasises the need to consider social inclusion and the needs of disadvantaged

groups, and to promote nature-based solutions (NBS) notably when tackling heatwaves and water

resilience challenges. Similarly, territories such as islands or the outermost regions need to have a

tailored policy response, given their particular exposure and vulnerability to the impacts of climate

change22,23.

18 https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu/en/navigator. 19 https://mission-adaptation-portal.ec.europa.eu/mission-solutions-explorer_en. 20 https://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu. 21 COM(2025) 739 final. 22 COM(2026) 660 final. 23 COM(2026) 520 final.

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The Commission will also identify 100 of the most vulnerable European territories (geographical

areas with a high propensity to be adversely affected by climate change) and assess the risks and at

which level they should be managed. This will support a ‘whole of society approach’- all the way down

to local level, where climate adaptation matters most.

The EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change24 puts EU research and innovation into practice

and helps develop, test and deploy climate resilience solutions in local and regional settings through

pilot projects, funding, advisory services, peer learning and twinning. It rolls out a diverse set of

instruments, combining funding, advisory support and facilitation. Measures are tailored to local needs

to strengthen ownership and support wider uptake. The Climate City Capital Hub, funded together

with the EU Mission on Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities, connects local authorities with public,

private and philanthropic investors.

National Adaptation Hubs set up single entry points for coordinated action to meet the Mission’s

objectives, connecting national, regional and local authorities. They provide an opportunity to

consolidate and scale up tested, operational and ready-to-deploy governance systems and promote

multilevel dialogue. They can facilitate financing and investment planning, which could include

measures under the national and regional partnership plans, if deemed appropriate by the responsible

authorities. This will help avoid creating entirely new structures ahead of the start of the EU’s next long-

term budget in 2028.

The New European Bauhaus (NEB) is helping drive resilient regeneration in neighbourhoods and

cities by promoting scalable, replicable and affordable solutions. Through various tools, it supports

learning, skills and innovation to deliver more inclusive, circular and sustainable housing and built

environments. The NEB also advances nature-based, bio-based and other innovative building solutions

that strengthen climate resilience and improve urban ecosystems, in cooperation with the relevant EU

Missions.

Finally, within six months of the adoption of the European Climate Resilience Law, the Commission

will put forward an Implementation Plan.This plan will identify appropriate support for the Law’s

objectives and its effective implementation, including at local and regional level. This will be done

within the existing budgetary framework and future initiatives.

3.3 Empowering European businesses to innovate and prosper

Products, technologies and services that boost climate resilience are creating new markets and export

opportunities for EU companies, with the global market estimated to reach around EUR 3.5 trillion by

205025. The EU should seize this opportunity and become a global market and technology leader

for climate resilience solutions. Through international engagement and partnerships and building on

the successes of the Global Gateway26, European businesses can tap into investment capacity and

technological expertise to accelerate the roll-out of innovative resilience solutions.

EU-funded research and innovation is already making a direct contribution to advancing knowledge,

supporting the emerging market, and developing innovative solutions and technologies for public

authorities, businesses, and citizens: the latest European research and innovation funding programmes

(Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe) have contributed so far with over 225 projects on climate

adaptation totalling an EU financial contribution of EUR 1.6 billion.

To scale up a European resilience industry and make it more competitive, climate resilience

solutions need to enter the market faster. Demand is set to increase, partly due to the proposal for the

24 https://mission-adaptation-portal.ec.europa.eu. 25 https://www.gic.com.sg/thinkspace/sustainability/sizing-the-climate-adaptation-opportunity. 26 https://commission.europa.eu/topics/international-partnerships/global-gateway_en.

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revised public procurement regulation of September 2026, which explicitly sets climate resilience as a

quality criterion that public buyers should use27. Public procurement accounts for around 14% of EU

GDP.

The Social Climate Fund (SCF) will provide up to EUR 86.7 billion to support vulnerable groups in

the clean transition, including measures and investments in technologies that increase climate resilience.

For this purpose, the Commission will explore actions with Member States and the EU industry to create

synergies across Social Climate Plans and promote common frameworks that can improve affordability

and foster economies of scale, for example social leasing programmes for heat pumps.

The Commission will explore also making climate resilience technologies and services one of the

themes of the Industrial Forum. In addition, it will explore convening in the course of 2027 research

organisations, industry, regulators, user groups and other stakeholders in a dedicated Climate

Resilience Industry and Innovation Dialogue to work on a common strategy to develop, deploy and

scale up climate resilience technologies, products and services in Europe. The National Adaptation

Hubs could contribute to this dialogue by highlighting innovation needs and opportunities.

The Commission also intends to carry out a pilot, the Climate Resilience Technologies Mapping, to

identify emerging technologies, markets and competitiveness trends. This exercise will feed into the

Observatory of Emerging Technologies once it is set up.

The newly adopted Horizon Europe bridging action ‘Bringing innovative climate preparedness

and resilience solutions closer to the market‘28 will support European businesses through dedicated

assistance for business development, innovation acceleration, preparation for market deployment, and

market-ready pilots.The European Innovation Council Accelerator Challenge ‘Deep Tech for

Climate Adaptation’ scales up deep tech solutions developed by SMEs and start-ups, including NBS

and engineering approaches supported by AI29. Horizon Europe will also foster longer-term

competitiveness in climate resilience solutions by supporting research and innovation leading to novel

technologies and services of the future, including, where appropriate, through European

Partnerships as a vehicle to contribute to the climate resilience objective.

Finally, the Commission will cooperate with European standardisation organisations to include climate

risks in relevant standards, as well as to develop timely, market-relevant European standards for

climate resilience technologies, products and services, including common methods for testing,

performance assessment and interoperability. The Commission will also foster international

standardisation efforts in this area.

3.4 Finance and insurance

3.4.1 Financing Europe’s climate resilience

Adapting Europe’s infrastructure, built environment, ecosystems and economy to future climatic

conditions is expected to require investment of around EUR 70 billion per year30.

In the 2026 European Semester, 16 Member States received country-specific recommendations on

climate resilience or on reducing the climate protection gap. As per the Commission proposal, the

National and Regional Partnership Plans shall address all or a significant subset of challenges identified

in these country specific recommendations. This will result in stronger links among climate risks,

economic and social policies and investment priorities.

27 COM(2026) 590. 28 Call ID: HORIZON-BRIDGING-2027-04-03: Commission Implementing Decision amending C(2025)8493. 29 Deep Tech for Climate Adaptation - European Innovation Council. 30 https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2834/2895769.

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Mobilising business investment in climate resilience can also be supported through targeted tax

incentives.The Commission intends to map the existing incentives, regularly track Member States’ use

of them and identify the most effective approaches. Building on the approach developed under the Clean

Industrial Deal, this could include tax credits and accelerated depreciation, up to immediate

expensing, for investments that strengthen climate resilience and resilience-critical infrastructure.

With the expected entry into force of the revised General Block Exemption Regulation in early

202731, the Commission envisages to further facilitate granting State aid by public authorities to

companies investing in climate resilience, building on the existing possibilities under State aid rules.

Under the Commission’s proposal, the EU’s 2028-2034 Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF)

willsupport climate preparedness and resilience, with climate adaptation investments contributing to

the climate and environment spending target of at least 35% of overall spending. Climate resilience

will, where appropriate, be supported under the NRPPs, Horizon Europe, the LIFE Programme, the

European Competitiveness Fund, and other funds and programmes, including those supporting the EU’s

external action. Many climate-vulnerable investments have been subject to climate-proofing under

the previous and current MFFs, protecting them against climate-related risks. According to the

Commission’s MFF proposal, the Commission will publish guidance on the application of the ‘Do

No Significant Harm’ (DNSH) principle during the MFF period 2028 to 2034. Such guidance will

clarify, as appropriate, how to consider climate change adaptation for relevant investments supported

under the MFF that are at high potential risk stemming from climate related hazards for which no

climate risk assessment is already required by applicable EU legislation, and in line with the

Commission proposal for a Performance Regulation32. This includes the requirement for the guidance

to be based on the overarching principles of clarity, simplification and proportionality and to take into

account burden on authorities and beneficiaries. Therefore, any clarification related to climate change

resilience for relevant investments would need to be targeted, clearly defined in scope and

proportionate.

Public finance should have a catalytic effect on mobilising private capital for climate resilience building.

The revised delegated acts of the EU Sustainable Finance Taxonomy will make resilience investments

easier to identify and finance. New tools developed by the European Investment Bank (EIB) will

support the screening of assets and investments for climate risks, greater uptake of the adaptation criteria

under the Taxonomy, and better access to adaptation finance. These tools include the forthcoming open-

access Climate Hazard Screening and Exploring Tool (ClimateSET), which draws on CS3 data, and

the EIB Group Green Checker with new adaptation modules.

Climate risks should be adequately reflected in asset valuations and financial accounts. The

Commission will work with relevant European and international bodies to better integrate material

physical climate risks into valuation and accounting practices. This will ensure that investment

decisions and balance sheets better reflect climate-related risks and the value of resilience measures.

The Commission will continue to support corporates in integrating climate risks into their transition and

climate resilience plans through guidance and other practical assistance.

The European Central Bank (ECB) has been progressively accounting for climate and nature-related

risks in monetary policy operations and prudential supervision of euro-area banks. This has

strengthened the ability to better factor in the impact of climate transition and physical risks on monetary

policy and how banks manage these risks. Moreover, the ECB monitors closely the impact of climate

change and extreme weather on the macro-economy and inflation.

31 Draft Commission Regulation replacing Regulation (EU) No 651/2014. 32 COM/2025/545 final. Timing and content of the finalized guidance pending on the conclusion and outcome of

the legislative procedure on the MFF 2028-34 package.

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The proposed EU and national strategic plans on climate resilience - which will eventually consolidate

and replace the current ones - as well as current national adaptation strategies and plans would provide

a common basis for identifying priorities, guiding long-term investment, and drawing up investable

climate resilience projects. Member States should involve local and regional authorities, in full respect

of their constitutional and administrative arrangements, in drafting the plans to foster a multilevel

governance needed for building effective resilience. The Commission will also improve access to

climate resilience projects and recognised adaptation options through the online platform described in

section 3.1, to help connect project promoters, solution providers and investors and accelerate the

deployment and uptake of proven solutions.

The EIB Group will complement the framework through its next Climate Adaptation Plan and its

Climate Bank Roadmap Phase 2 implementation and apply the resilience-by-design principle. At

least EUR 30 billion in financing will be allocated to climate adaptation between 2026 and 2030,

supporting climate-resilient investments and climate resilience technologies and solutions, in Europe

and globally. It will also strengthen financing and advisory support for the benefit of those most exposed

to climate risks, and seek to expand blended finance, guarantees and risk-sharing instruments to improve

private financing. A pilot project under the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change will test how

EU grants can be combined with intermediated EIB lending, to learn lessons on scaling up blending

approaches. In cooperation with the Commission, the EIB Group will also combine advisory support

and financing through its Climate Adaptation Investment Advisory Platform (ADAPT), Green Gateway,

and JASPERS advisory programme.

3.4.2 Narrowing the climate insurance protection gap

Insurance can strengthen Europe’s capacity to manage climate risks by reducing losses for households,

businesses and public authorities after disasters. It can also ease pressure on public finances, thereby

freeing resources for preventive measures.

The climate insurance protection gap must therefore be reduced. Historically, only around 25% of

natural catastrophe losses in the EU have been insured33. The Commission will set up a Climate

Insurance Alliance, which will bring together insurers, reinsurers, insurance intermediaries, insurance

takers, risk modelling experts, investors, the European Insurance and Occupational Pensions Authority

(EIOPA) and public authorities. By the end 2027, the Alliance will look at and deliver a first set of

specific and actionable measures that aim to

• increase insurance uptake: supporting demand through adequate solutions, including measures to

increase risk awareness, transparency on insurance policies (for examples, by presenting natural

catastrophe exclusions and deductibles in pre-contractual information in a simpler and more visual

way), facilitating quick payouts (for instance through parametric insurance), and promoting

availability, affordability and adequacy of insurance products;

• incentivise risk prevention: identifying and promoting insurance instruments that incentivise

prevention (including through group insurance, build-back better policies and impact underwriting),

assessing data availability and sharing to support better risk modelling; and

• assure adequate insurance capacity: assessing the insurance capacity available to cover natural

catastrophe risks, including through reinsurance and natural catastrophe bonds.

It will also explore solutions to reduce the insurance protection gap for natural catastrophes, by fostering

the role and uptake of private insurance and exploring for this purpose possible public-private

33 EIOPA and ECB data and analyses.

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partnerships at national, regional or European levels, in line with risk management and adaptation

measures.

Moreover, the Commission will work with EIOPA and the insurance sector to further develop EIOPA’s

PROTECT tool, which provides property owners with accessible information on climate risks and

preventive measures. EIOPA will also set up an Observatory for Catastrophe Risk Insurability. This

will help provide the data and metrics required to explain the drivers of the existing protection gap,

monitor its evolution and help implement the measures set out in this framework.

4 Embedding climate resilience across all policies

Climate resilience by design needs to become standard practice in all EU policies, and the EU

framework proposes the common core elements and principles needed for that purpose. Putting them

into practice will require substantial commitments and efforts across many policy areas. This chapter

presents a selection of relevant new and impactful Commission initiatives and EU policies.

The backbone to overall EU preparedness is the European Preparedness Union Strategy, that follows

an all-hazard approach. It will encompass non-binding minimum preparedness requirements to help

national administrations build up civil preparedness by 2030, including for climate hazards. The

forthcoming Comprehensive EU Risk and Threats Assessment will inform these requirements as well

as other initiatives related to crisis preparedness.

At the same time, the specificities of security and defence activities must be duly recognised. Climate

risk assessment and strategic planning requirements should not interfere with time-critical activities

directly related to national security and defence where their application could affect defence readiness,

military preparedness or operational requirements.

Union space capabilities are strategic enablers of climate resilience. Copernicus, including C3S34,

supports monitoring, projections and risk assessment; Galileo35 and EGNOS36 positioning, navigation

and timing services support monitoring and emergency response; and GOVSATCOM37 and IRIS² 38

secure connectivity capabilities support crisis communications and service continuity, in line with their

mandates and deployment status. Space data, services and applications support adaptation solutions,

innovation and competitiveness. Space infrastructure, associated industrial facilities and supply chains

also require resilience measures, particularly the ground segment. Disruption can cascade into

communications, transport, financial systems and crisis response.

Risks and hazards to major infrastructure across EU and Member States are primarily managed through

the Critical Entities Resilience Directive39. Member States are expected to consider structural

resilience to future climatic conditions when implementing it.

Responding to the urgent need for strengthening EU preparedness for the impacts of heatwaves,

especially for people in situations of vulnerability, the Commission will develop an integrated

European Heatwave Plan. The Plan will address these impacts through a cross-sectoral approach.

Complementing the European Heatwave Plan, the Commission envisages presenting a new EU Action

Plan for Energy-Efficient Cooling and Heating in 2027, which will help prioritise action in heat-

prone urban areas. In addition, the Commission will develop its European Climate and Health

Observatory further, turning it into an EU centre of excellence for assessing climate-related impacts

34 https://eu-space.europa.eu/earth-observation/copernicus. 35 https://eu-space.europa.eu/satellite-navigation/galileo 36 https://eu-space.europa.eu/satellite-navigation/egnos 37 https://eu-space.europa.eu/secure-connectivity/govsatcom 38 https://eu-space.europa.eu/secure-connectivity/iris2 39 Directive (EU) 2022/2557.

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on health through a One Health approach. The 2025 Union Prevention, Preparedness and Response

Plan for Health Crises, an action under the European Preparedness Union Strategy, is based on the

Regulation on serious cross-border health threats, which covers health threats, including those related

to climate. Moreover, informed by the Comprehensive Health Threat Prioritisation Assessment for

medical countermeasures40, and building on the EU Medical Countermeasures Strategy41, the

Commission also supports the development of medical countermeasures that tackle the threat of new

and emerging climate-sensitive infectious diseases. Finally, the Commission intends to launch a global

platform to strengthen alignment and cooperation between funders of research on climate change and

health.

The preparation of the upcoming Quality Jobs Act will consider, among other things, how workers can

be better protected against risks related to extreme weather conditions and high temperatures. Policy

measures could address these risks as part of the existing obligation to conduct a risk assessment, as set

out in the Occupational Safety and Health Framework Directive42. Alternatively, the minimum

requirements laid down in the Workplace Directive43 could be updated to better address heat- and

weather-related occupational safety and health risks, in a way that is proportionate to the employer’s

ability to act.

The EU Anti-Poverty Strategy44 underlines the importance of strengthening societal resilience in the

face of climate impacts, which have a disproportionate impact on people and households in vulnerable

situations, and ensure the sustainability of essential services and infrastructures.

Modernising energy infrastructure and securing its operation is as crucial for climate resilience as it is

for the EU’s energy and climate transition. Building on the existing requirement to consider climate

adaptation at an early stage in the planning of EU energy infrastructure projects, the proposal for the

revised Trans-European Networks for Energy (TEN-E) Regulation45 also provides that resilience-

related equipment for upgrading existing cross-border electricity infrastructure falls within the scope of

the TEN-E Regulation, with the possibility of applying for EU funding under the Connecting Europe

Facility. In addition, the proposed revision of the EU energy security architecture will incorporate

lessons learnt from recent crises and envisage using the reference global warming trajectory and

applying the climate-resilience-by-design principle.

Climate change affects every mode of transport. The climate proofing requirements of the Trans-

European Networks for Transport (TEN-T) Regulation alreadyincludeanticipatory climate risk

assessments and preventive management when developing TEN-T46. Based on an Implementing

Decision from July 202647, the Commission has started to draw on lifecycle-based methodological

standards to assess the environmental impacts and the climate resilience of transport infrastructure over

its decades-long life, across projects and Member States. It has also started developing tools to detect

structural deficiencies in rail and road bridges and tunnels on the TEN-T network.

The 2026 EU Ports Strategy48 invites stakeholders to develop climate resilience plans for ports. It also

advocates applying climate-proofing guidelines and the climate-resilience-by-design principle for

building, refurbishing or linking ports to wider logistics networks.

40 SWD(2026) 1 final. 41 COM/2025/529 final. 42 Directive 89/391/EEC. 43 Directive 89/654/EEC. 44 COM(2026)538 final. 45 COM/2025/1006 final. 46 Regulation (EU) 2024/1679; https://data.europa.eu/doi/10.2832/7839720. 47 C(2026) 5034 final. 48 COM(2026) 112 final.

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The Commission intends to tackle the tourism sectors' exposure to climate change risks in its upcoming

EU Sustainable Tourism Strategy. Pressure on tourism destinations and businesses is increasing,

marked not only by shifts in travellers’ seasonal and geographic preferences, but also by new

opportunities, for example, in rural, northern, mountain and less visited destinations.

The Culture Compass for Europe49 highlights the need for crisis preparedness and risk management

plans to protect cultural heritage from climate-related extreme events.

The Energy Performance of Buildings Directive50 already requires Member States to consider climate

risks and take measures to prevent overheating and maintain adequate indoor environmental quality

under future climatic conditions. The Commission has published a methodological calculation

framework to help Member States to determine the best level of energy performance for buildings,

including the use of information derived from on climate projections51. This gives the construction

sector and private building owners greater certainty that building requirements will optimise

performance in line with the expected climate conditions. Also, the Council Recommendation on

fighting housing exclusion, including homelessness52 provides a framework for addressing the

disproportionate climate risk exposure faced by people living in poor-quality housing and people

experiencing homelessness.

Tackling climate related food supply risks, the next MFF, in particular the proposed Common

Agricultural Policy (CAP), are expected to strengthen resilience and climate risk management at farm,

landscape and food-system levels. This includes agri-environmental and climate measures, investment

support for farmers and food processors, and sectoral support. The proposed Farm Stewardship

Framework would require Member States to draw up protective practices for sensitive areas, soil and

water, which apply to all beneficiaries of CAP area and animal aid. In addition, future CAP national

recommendations would identify country-specific challenges and guide Member States on practices

that strengthen climate resilience53.

The Commission envisages improving the monitoring of climate hazards, promoting exchanges on

climate risks, and enhancing the resilience of coastal and marine areas, aquaculture and fisheries. In

view of this objective, the Commission envisages to present a proposal for an Ocean Act and proposal

for the revision of the Marine Strategy Framework Directive. This objectiveis linked to the

European Ocean Pact54, the EU ocean observation initiative OceanEye55, the upcoming Ocean and

Water Research and Innovation Strategy, the EU Mission ‘Restore our Ocean and Waters’, and the

European Digital Twin of the Ocean. The Commission has also encouraged authorities in coastal areas

to integrate climate risks into coastal management and spatial planning56.

High levels of biological diversity and ecosystem restorationare an essential way to minimise climate

impacts and strengthening resilience. The proposed European Climate Resilience Law would therefore

require Member States to promote nature-based solutions and ecosystem-based adaptation in their

strategic plans on climate resilience. In that regard, the Nature Restoration Regulation requires Member

States to take into account climate scenarios and resilience when restoring nature and ecosystems. The

Commission will ensure that such obligations are properly implemented57. The National restoration

plans are a key mechanism to translate these requirements into spatially explicit measures up to 2050.

49 COM(2025)785. 50 Directive (EU) 2024/1275. 51 Commission Delegated Regulation (EU) 2025/2273. 52 ST 14650/26. 53 COM(2025) 560 final. 54 COM/2025/281 final. 55 COM/2026/268 final. 56 COM(2026) 530 final. 57 Regulation (EU) 2024/1991.

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Finally, the Commission will promote the use of the recently published Guidance on Natura 2000 and

Climate Change58and develop guidance on climate-resilient landscapes.

In the area of freshwater, coastal and marine management the Commission envisages to develop a new

European Water initiative with the aim ofbuilding upon and complementing the Water Resilience

Strategy59 (including its forthcoming Water Resilience Investment Accelerator and Digitalisation Action

Plan for the Water Sector) and the Ocean Pact, by prioritising action in areas like water efficiency, NBS

and natural water retention, reuse, drought and flood resilience. The Commission also intends to

encourage Member States to consider climate resilience in their river basin management plans, marine

programme of measures, and flood risk management plans. To this end, it will publish new guidance

on drought risk management and drought indicators before the end of 2026.

Robust, Union-wide consistent and comparable data and indicators are essential for evidence-based

policies, planning and implementation. To complement and reinforce relevant work of the EEA,

Eurostat, Member States and international organisations, and building on the European Statistical

System, the Commission intends to develop common indicators on climate-related economic losses

and deaths,in cooperation with national statistical authorities and relevant stakeholders.

In its international engagement, the EU must strengthen its strategic autonomy and resilience,

including through diversification, better risk preparedness, support for the global uptake of resilience

technologies, and more robust partnerships. External action instruments should promote the related

development cooperation, investment, humanitarian action, and peacebuilding in a mutually reinforcing

manner. The Commission and the European External Action Service will continue to pursue resilience

objectives embedded in bilateral and multilateral partnerships to promote joined-up strategies that

reduce the root causes of fragility, vulnerability and humanitarian needs and support prosperity, stability

and peace in third countries. In line with the Global Gateway strategy, these partnerships could be used

to share expertise with interested countries, connecting high-level risk assessment with market-ready

technological solutions and innovative financial de-risking tools.

At the international level, the Commission intends to convene a symposium to bring together

government representatives, infrastructure investors, asset managers, scientists, industry, and the

insurance sector to debate on global resilience to climate extremes. With global mitigation efforts still

falling short of what is required to stay within the temperature thresholds of the Paris Agreement, the

EU framework is also an opening for reflection on climate resilience as a common goal. In addition, the

EU will continue to include climate resilience objectives in new - or reinforce existing - bilateral

relationships with third countries, and cooperation with regional organisations, as well as with other

stakeholders, to work together towards global climate resilience and scaling up adaptation actions.

Improving climate resilience should thus also be a central part of the EU’s engagement with its

neighbourhood, where many of the most climate-vulnerable countries are also among the most fragile.

This includes the Arctic region, northern, eastern and south-east Europe, and countries in the

Mediterranean and the Black Sea basin. In this context, the Pact for Mediterranean addresses both the

economic aspects, in particular clean energy, water resilience and sustainable agriculture and

cooperation on disaster preparedness and risk management. The EU will also advance mutual resilience

with candidate countries, including by associating them in relevant EU preparedness and climate

resilience initiatives, through the enlargement process. Looking at the Arctic region specifically, the

new EU Arctic Strategy addresses climate risks and resilience, for instance by strengthening

knowledge about climate change and its impacts, developing of adaptation and resilience measures, and

testing new technological solutions.

58 C/2026/4597. 59 COM/2025/280 final.

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5 Conclusion: a long-term blueprint with immediate effect - and a call for

global action

The EU Framework for Climate Resilience sets the basis for systematic and anticipatory climate risk

management across the EU by introducing the reference global warming trajectory, clarifying risk

ownership, incorporating climate resilience in planning and decision making, improving risk

assessments and strategic plans, strengthening investment, and providing enabling tools.

The framework also tackles the interconnected nature of climate risks across sectors, borders and

levels of government, promoting coordinated action to address shared dependencies, cascading impacts

and systemic risks. By strengthening resilience at home, the Union can demonstrate leadership and

provide inspiration, using its partnerships and cross-border cooperation, particularly with neighbouring

and accession countries.

The Commission, with the assistance of the European Environment Agency, will start

implementing the approach set out in the proposed law immediately. Building climate resilience is

a priority, because delay means that people, communities and economies are exposed to growing risks

and higher costs.

Climate resilience is systemic by nature. It should therefore be embedded across the EU’s wider

strategic agenda. While the EU continues on its path to climate neutrality and push for accelerated

reduction of emissions worldwide, we cannot avoid already locked-in climate change. We can however

choose to increase the level of preparedness for the change that is already there. Decisions on

infrastructure, investment, cities, energy, food systems and security taken now will determine Europe’s

capability to withstand adverse climate conditions for decades to come.

There will be no climate as usual. Therefore, climate resilience needs to become a defining feature

of Europe’s competitiveness, security and prosperity, and designed in from the start rather than dealt

with after disaster strikes.