Guidelines on Member States' adaptation strategies and plans
The guidelines represent a powerful tool for national administrations to make climate adaptation a top political priority. The Commission seeks to support Member States to adopt a whole-government approach to climate adaptation policy-making by way of multilevel coordination and mainstreaming, both horizontally, between different departments and vertically, at all levels of sub-national authorities (including regions and local administrations). The guidelines also include a comprehensive list of key features of adaptation policy, which should be applied to the overall national adaptation policy framework.
These key features include:
- a call for legal frameworks instead of soft policies;
- regularly updated adaptation strategies and plans;
- climate risk assessments, based on the results of regular stress testing of infrastructure and systems;
- involvement of all relevant stakeholders, including those particularly vulnerable to climate change as well as those who might be important agents of change in the planning and implementation of adaptation actions.
- involvement of all relevant sectors and all levels of public administration, endowed with sufficient personnel and financial resources;
- continuous monitoring and evaluation of all adaptation actions.