Climate change is a multidimensional and transversal phenomenon. It is not just global warning, it directly affects many ecosystems and their biodiversity, by altering climatic variability and precipitation patterns, the intensity and duration of extreme weather events, and shifts in seasonality. In addition, the economic impact is also considerable across EU regions with income divergence across individuals, sectors and regions, adjustments in energy markets, increased inflation variability, financial markets stress, intensified innovation, increased migration, and rising of public debt. Europe must step up action both to cut emissions and to build resilience and increase levels of preparedness.
Drawing from the policies of the European Green Deal, in 2021, the European Commission adopted the EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. It draws how the European Union can adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change and become climate resilient by 2050. By pushing the frontiers of knowledge with more and better knowledge, the adaptation must be smarter, faster, more systemic and must step up international action for climate resilience, through stronger global engagement and exchanges.
To contribute to the implementation of the EU Adaptation Strategy, the European Commission launched the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. The EU Mission focuses on supporting the EU regions, cities and local authorities to better understand the climate risks they are and will be confronted with in the future, to develop their pathways to be better prepared and cope with the changing climate, and to test and deploy on the ground innovation solutions needed to build resilience. The Mission will support more than 150 European regions and communities to become climate resilient by 2030, by supporting research and innovation, sharing knowledge and best practices, engaging citizens in the development of the adaptation policy.
NeuroClima, a three-year Research and Innovation Initiative funded by the European Union under the Horizon Europe programme, aims in this direction. It seeks to develop innovative practices, raise awareness and ensure the sustainable use of climate adaptation strategies. NeuroClima exploits the potential of artificial intelligence to continuously monitor digital media searching for emerging trends in the online debate about Climate Change, Climate adaptation and other climate-related topics. It will employ the use of reliable data and information sources to promote the development of frameworks, toolkits, recommendations, and to support that foster citizens’ climate literacy.
