BDI is one of 8 partners involved in the ADAPTO project, funded under the Interreg Europe program. Launched in May, this project aims to put in place measures to support adaptation to the inevitable consequences of climate change, in order to increase the resilience of European Union territories. As the economic development agency of the Brittany Region, BDI’s action will focus on supporting Breton companies.
Adapting to climate change, a strategic challenge for Europe at local level
Climate change is set to increasingly affect our society, our economy and our territory. In response, numerous “mitigation” strategies have been put in place at various levels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, the main cause of global warming. This is the case, in particular, of the European Green Pact, which led to the entry into force, in July 2021, of the European Climate Act. Through this, the European Union is committed to achieving carbon neutrality by 2050.
The development of local green energy projects (marine renewable energies, renewable hydrogen, etc.) is part of this framework.
At the same time, climate change is forcing the whole of society to anticipate and adapt to its inevitable consequences. “Adaptation to climate change” refers to our ability to absorb climatic disturbances, by applying concrete measures to adjust existing systems and modes of operation. Adaptation is therefore an essential element of current public policy-making, and calls for coordinated action between different levels of government and different environmental and economic activities.
Institutions have taken up the issue, and policies have emerged. In 2021, the European Commission adopted its strategy for adapting to the effects of climate change, while the Horizon Europe program launched its Mission “Adapting to climate change and societal transformations”, to strengthen the climate resilience of European regions.
Recently, the French Ministry of Ecological Transition invited all players to take up this challenge and set up its Trajectoire de réchauffement de référence (TRACC), with the aim of coordinating adaptation efforts at French level on the basis of a +4°C scenario in 2100.
Brittany Region’s first climate change adaptation strategy was adopted in 2019, in line with the second National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (PNACC 2). It comprises 6 axes, including one dedicated to supporting economic sectors.
Interreg Europe ADAPTO project: the benefits of interregional collaboration
How can we translate these strategic orientations into concrete actions capable of preparing territories and their stakeholders for the effects of a changing climate? This is the challenge at the heart of this new European project, selected by the Interreg Europe program from 146 applications and 78 winning projects.
With Interreg Europe ADAPTO, Brittany joins a network of 5 other European regions, representing Cyprus (Lead Partner), Greece, Poland, Ireland and Lithuania, to share knowledge, pool practices and develop regional climate adaptation policy. Officially launched in Cyprus in May 2024, and running until 2028, this project aims to increase the resilience of the territories concerned to the impacts of climate change, through inter-regional exchanges on the design, development and implementation of adaptation policies. The project analyzes the current state of each territory, supports the identification of best practices and offers public authorities and their stakeholders a collaborative framework to guide their strategy.
“While the local scale is the most appropriate for providing responses that take account of the realities on the ground, the challenge of adaptation is European, if not global. Working on an inter-regional level with several European regions means sharing tools and methodologies, and drawing on feedback from experience to meet common challenges: raising awareness and mobilizing the ecosystem, initiating a structured, systemic approach, supporting virtuous projects, etc.,” emphasizes Sara Minisini, European project manager in charge of the Interreg Europe ADAPTO project. “The exchange is all the more interesting with regions exposed to the same climatic risks as we are, such as maritime regions.”
The results of this work will then be adapted on a regional scale in order to implement actions in line with the needs of each region and its stakeholders.
BDI to support economic players
BDI represents the Brittany Region within the European partnership. As an economic development agency, its action will be more focused on supporting Brittany’s economic players.
With increasingly extreme climatic events (heat waves, floods, drought, etc.) and growing societal and regulatory pressure, adaptation is becoming a necessity for all companies and their sectors. The challenge is to protect their infrastructures and the health of their personnel, to ensure supplies, to guarantee the continuity of their activity, but also to preserve the attractiveness and competitiveness of their business over the long term.
But the subject needs to be better understood. “While many companies are aware of the need to anticipate climate risk, very few are integrating it into their strategy, for lack of knowledge or resources. Our aim is to help them develop their skills in this area, and thus contribute to their resilience,” asserts Sara Minisini. And in this process, the collective dimension and synergy with other local players are essential to provide a coherent response.
“We will have the will to create a community of stakeholders to encourage exchange and learning, and bring out projects that meet this need for resilience and adaptation in connection with the territory.”
Are you a company (SME, large group) interested in adapting to climate change?
Contact: Sara Minisini – European Project Manager – s.minisini@bdi.fr
Project website: https://www.interregeurope.eu/adapto
Cover photo: Flooding in Saint-Malo. Photo credit: ©Adobe Stock
