Use of the climate information at EEA

1. Use of the climate information at EEA Blaz Kurnik EEA

2. EEA mission The European Environment Agency is the EU body dedicated to providing sound, independent information on the environment We are a main information source for those involved in developing, adopting, implementing and evaluating environmental policy, and also the general public • EEA clients are… • European Commission, European Parliament, Council, EEA membercountries (32 + 7 collaborating) • Policyinfluencers: NGOs, business, media, advisorygroups, scientists, debaters • General public

3. About 300 national institutions National focal points European topic centres National reference centres Other institutions EEA structure

4. Main EEA products and tasks • To maintain regularflow of environmental data and data collection • (including citizen science data) • To publish environmental (including climate change) reports and • assessments • To maintain environmental information systems/platforms • (BISE, WISE, Climate-ADAPT) • To coordinate of the Copernicus (GMES) in situcomponent • To coordinate GIO land service

5. EEA Reports – Urban and Climate change Urban Adaptation to climate change in Europe • Climate change - assessing risks to cities and towns in Europe • Planning urban adaptation • Multi-level governance Heat waves River floods Droughts

6. EEA reports – Climate change impacts and vulnerability Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe in 2012 – An indicator-based report

7. EEA reports – Climate change impacts and vulnerability • Key messages: • Climate change is occurring globally and in Europe • Observed climate change has already led to a wide range of impacts • Climate change can increase existing vulnerabilities and deepen socio-economic imbalances in Europe • Damage costs from natural disasters have increased • The causes of the most costly climate impacts are projected to differ strongly across Europe • On-going and planned monitoring and research at national and European level can improve assessments

8. EEA reports – Adaptation in Europe Adaptation examples in Europe Groups of adaptation actions: • green: ecosystem • grey: technology/monitoring/managing • soft: education, information • combined: information systems

9. EEA climate indicators • Regular assessments of climate changes: • regular update • assessment/methodology/data/figures • various data providers • From past trends to future projections

10. Climate Adaptation platform: assessing data and dissemination of information

11. Conclusions • Assessments are based on the indicators and data; • Indicators are available but further monitoring and research are needed; • Copernicus projects and the planned EU climate service and national services are essential; • Mainstreaming of climate change adaptation in EU policies is taking place: the European Commission adopted an EU adaptation strategy in April 2013 with proposals for further action; • many EEA member countries have developed impacts, vulnerability and adaptation assessments and several countries and cities have strategies in place (and some also action plans); also many transnational actions have taken place or are planned; • the European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT) and transnational, national and city level adaptation platforms will support climate change adaptation at various governance levels

12. Thank you for your attention http://www.eea.europa.eu/themes/climate http://climate-adapt.eea.europa.eu