Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe ... - MemoFin.fr

Introductionglobal temperature increase to 1.5 °C (UNFCCC,2009).To achieve the '2 °C target substantial globalreductions are needed of GHG emissions ('climatechange mitigation'). However, with the currentlyimplemented and planned global and Europeanactions to reduce GHG emissions the averagetemperature increase could be well above + 2 °Cby 2100. Even with achievement of the + 2 °C goal,many impacts are projected to occur globally andin Europe. Thus adaptation to climate change isneeded in addition to mitigation of climate change.The UNFCCC Copenhagen Accord of December2009 recognised the need for enhanced actionon adaptation to reduce vulnerability and buildresilience in the most vulnerable developingcountries. In a Fast Start Finance programmedeveloped countries pledged to provide new andadditional resources approaching USD 30 billionfor the period 2010–2012 with balanced allocationbetween mitigation and adaptation. Long-termfinance of USD 100 billion annually by 2020 fromthe developed countries was also agreed. TheEU has pledged to contribute EUR 2.4 billion/year in2010–2012 and with its fair share in the longer terminternational financing by 2020.The Cancún Agreements, adopted at the UN ClimateConference in Mexico (December 2010), establisheda Green Climate Fund through which much of thefunding will be channelled. A Cancún AdaptationFramework (UNFCCC, 2011) was established withthe objective of enhancing action on adaptation, andhas a specific focus on developing countries. TheEU encourages the Adaptation Framework to enableLeast Developed Countries (LDCs) to formulate andimplement national adaptation plans.The 'Durban Platform for Enhanced Action',adopted at the United Nations (UN) conferencein South Africa (UNFCCC, 2012), agreed on aroadmap towards a new 'protocol, another legalinstrument or an agreed outcome with legalforce' by 2015, applicable to all Parties to theUN climate convention. It also foresees a secondcommitment period of the Kyoto Protocol, startingin 2013. Agreement was reached on the designand governance arrangements for the new GreenClimate Fund. It also agreed on the composition(including the EU) and a list of activities for theAdaptation Committee.The Nairobi work programme (NWP ( 13 )) of theUNFCCC has as its objective to assist all countries,but in particular developing countries, to improvetheir understanding and assessment of impacts,vulnerability and adaptation to climate change, andto make decisions on practical adaptation actionsand measures on a sound scientific, technicaland socio‐economic basis. The EU supports theprogramme.The UNFCCC requires all Parties to prepare andreport 'National Communications' every three to fiveyears ( 14 ). On climate change impacts, vulnerabilityand adaptation the current guidance for developedcountries includes reporting on actions within thecountry, assistance to developing country Parties,and on research and systematic observation. Theguidance on reporting leaves, however, muchflexibility. EU Member States as well as theEU (prepared by the European Commission) havereported their fifth NC ( 15 ). However, since there waslimited quantitative and comparable (across Europe)information in these reports on climate changeimpacts and vulnerability these have not been usedfor the preparation of this report.1.3.2 EU White Paper on Adaptation andfollow‐up processThe rationale for a need to take action on climatechange adaptation at the EU level is:• many climate change impacts and adaptationmeasures have cross-border dimensions;• climate impacts and adaptation affect singlemarket and common policies;• climate change vulnerabilities and adaptationtrigger a new framework for solidarity;• EU programmes could complement MemberStates' resources for adaptation;• potential economies of scale can be significantfor capacity building, research, information anddata gathering, and knowledge transfer.The Adaptation White Paper (2009) focused on fourpillars to reduce the EU's vulnerability and improveits resilience:( 13 ) See http://unfccc.int/adaptation/nairobi_work_programme/items/3633.php.( 14 ) See http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_natcom_/items/1095.php.( 15 ) See http://unfccc.int/national_reports/annex_i_natcom/submitted_natcom/items/4903.php.34 Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012