Adaptation to climate change: levers, barriers and funding at the urban scale

• Date : December 11^th – 11:00-14:00
• Location: Generation Climat – room 7
• Languages: French & English
• Organizers: I4CE, ADEME and AFD

Summary

The session RT1 « Levers and obstacles to urban climate adaptation » was moderated by V. Dépoues (I4CE) and took place before an audience of about twenty people. I. Galarraga (B3C) began the session by presenting the findings of a study aimed to estimate damages and adaptation needs of major cities in the world, using models. Clearly, results show the urgency to implement measures now to avoid growing economic costs. By comparing 10 French local authorities, G. Simonet (I4CE) underlines the importance of awareness, which can be a barrier to action as well as a strong driver. Finally, Olivia R. Rendon (Leeds University) spoke about results of a comparison between several European urban cities. The research shows the importance to make links between barriers and drivers to better understand the way to overcome the sources of inaction. The session was concluded by J. Duvernoy (ONERC, MDDEE) who highlights the importance of research projects to participate to implement adaptation strategies to climate change.

Objective: based on two recent action-research projects on adaptation to climate change and complemented by inputs from other researchers and feedback from local authorities, this session’s goal is to initiate a fruitful discussion regarding the conditions for the implementation of adaptation strategies at a local scale.

1) Presentation and discussion of the results the ABSTRACT-colurba project: an analysis of levers and barriers to implementation of adaptation strategies for climate change – the case of urban communities

This study realized in partnership with ADEME, the French Development Agency and the French Ministry of Environment relies on a sociological survey of 75 selected stakeholders from 10 selected French local urban communities. It analyzes the main levers and barriers (economic, organizational, and cognitive) attached to decision-making processes upstream to the implementation of adaptation strategies to climate change. The objective is to understand how local communities elaborate and implement their own actions to reduce the vulnerabilities to climate change of their territories – in order to increase knowledge on climate risk management at the urban scale.

A summary of the report will be distributed to the participants. More information on this project, available online (French only)

2) Presentation of the report: Financing urban adaptation to climate change impacts – Mapping of existing initiatives (July 2015)

Realized in partnership with the French Development Agency, this study is a mapping of the types of initiatives available for the financing of urban adaptation to climate change, offering additional options to more conventional sources of funding for climate change and sustainable development. Based on the review of 27 initiatives, the report shows a strong prevalence of initiatives supporting soft adaptation measures and reveals that local intermediaries play a significant role in financing urban adaptation to climate change.

Download the report

• Additional material published by I4CE on this topic:
• ClimasCOPe 5 on adaptation
• Overview of innovative funding mechanisms in developed countries (French only)