Home /
Themes
Mayors Adapt
Introduction
The negative impacts of a changing climate are already visible within our territories: heat waves, storms, floods and droughts, are natural disasters that are most directly felt at the local level. Therefore municipalities, cities and regions can be the best placed to face them, for instance, by building flood defences, raising the levels of dykes against sea level rise or choosing forestry practices less vulnerable to potential fires.
In this context, the European Union put aside 20% of its budget towards climate actions, for the 2014-2020 period. This is why in 2014 the Commission launched the "Mayors Adapt" initiative to engage local and regional governments in taking the necessary actions to adapt their territories to climate change.
As the broader representative of local government in Europe, CEMR was invited to put its expertise at the service of the initiative.
The negative impacts of a changing climate are already visible within our territories: heat waves, storms, floods and droughts, are natural disasters that are most directly felt at the local level. Therefore municipalities, cities and regions can be the best placed to face them, for instance, by building flood defences, raising the levels of dykes against sea level rise or choosing forestry practices less vulnerable to potential fires.
In this context, the European Union put aside 20% of its budget towards climate actions, for the 2014-2020 period. This is why in 2014 the Commission launched the "Mayors Adapt" initiative to engage local and regional governments in taking the necessary actions to adapt their territories to climate change.
As the broader representative of local government in Europe, CEMR was invited to put its expertise at the service of the initiative.
Mayors Adapt
The Mayors Adapt initiative gathers local government voluntary committed to adopt adaptation strategies in all relevant areas: public transportation, water and energy supply or building sector. Signatories commit to develop a comprehensive adaptation strategy or to integrate adaptation to climate change into relevant existing plans.
Our objectives:
- To serve as a platform for the exchange of good practices between municipalities, cities, and regions;
- To support local government in developing strategies for concrete action, for instance, by encouraging the establishment of peer to peer learning initiatives;
- To accelerate the implementation of adaptation strategies within two years since they joined the network.
What is CEMR's role ?
CEMR is responsible for the coordination of the helpdesk, the relations with current and potential signatories and external stakeholders, like academics, and the collection of statistics. CEMR is also in charge of the promotion of the initiative and the active engagement of signatories, coordinators, supporters and other multipliers.
Partners
The Council of European Municipalities and Regions, Climate Alliance, EUROCITIES, Fresh Thoughts and IFOK Gmbh.