LAND4CLIMATE Represented at Europe’s Leading Forum on Climate Change Adaptation
On 19–20 May, the Polish city of Wrocław hosted the 4th EU Mission Forum on Adaptation to Climate Change, a key event organized under the auspices of the EU Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union and the European Commission. The forum brought together over 400 participants – representatives of local and regional authorities, European institutions, academia, and civil society – to identify concrete solutions and funding opportunities for enhancing climate resilience across European regions.
Among the attendees was Dr. Habil. Eng. Rareș Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir, coordinator of the Politehnica University Timișoara (UPT) team, a LAND4CLIMATE project partner, and Director of UPT’s Support Center for Climate Action.
“Adapting to climate change is no longer optional – it is a strategic necessity for every community. (...) The context also shows how essential transnational collaboration is in the face of increasingly frequent and large-scale climate challenges. That is why we are implementing high-impact projects like LAND4CLIMATE, where 17 European partners are pooling their expertise to boost climate resilience,” stated Dr. Rareș Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir.
A strong message was also delivered by Wopke Hoekstra, European Commissioner for Climate Action, Net Zero and Sustainable Growth, who warned that “every year and every forum reminds us that the climate crisis is worsening.” He highlighted both the human dimension of the crisis – sharing moving stories of citizens affected by floods and extreme storms – and the economic impact of inaction, which could exceed €2.4 trillion in losses by 2050.
Currently, the EU Mission on Adaptation supports over 300 regions and communities, with 16 new local authorities officially joining during the Wrocław forum. The main objective is to make at least 150 of these regions climate-resilient by 2030.
In this context, LAND4CLIMATE plays an essential role, developing innovative nature-based solutions for six European regions, with the goal of making them replicable in other vulnerable areas. The project is funded through Horizon Europe and has a total budget of nearly €13 million.
This article was written by Cristina Hălbac-Cotoară-Zamfir from LAND4CLIMATE consortium partner Politehnica University of Timișoara.
Publishing date: