Structural and Cohesion Funds – an Important Tool to Support

Climate Protection

Improving the climate resilience of Cohesion Policy

Funding Programmes: results and strategies for the future – report produced within the

framework of ENEA-MARuslan Zhechkov 18 February 2011

Contents of the Presentation

• Introduction of REC• Context – ENEA-MA WG on Cohesion Policy

and Climate Change• Report – Improving the Climate Resilience

of the Cohesion Policy’s Funding Programmes

• Content of the report• Key messages of the report

Regional Environmental Center for Central and Eastern Europe (REC)

• “… is an international organisation with a mission to assist in solving environmental problems (…)”

• The REC is legally based on a charter signed by the governments of 29 countries and the EC

• 190 staff (some 30 nationalities)

• Offices in 17 countries

• Operations beyond Central and Eastern Europe

www.rec.org

ENEA-MA (European Network of Environmental and Management Authorities) Working Group‘Cohesion Policy and Climate Change’

• Kick-off: 2008

• Chair: EC and Regional Environmental Center for CEE

• Participating countries: Austria, Belgium, Germany, Finland, Hungary, Italy, Slovakia, Spain, Sweden and UK

• Target groups: Member States, Managing Authorities, European Commission

www.rec.org

Report: Improving Climate Resilience of the Cohesion Policy’s Funding ProgrammesObjectives• Inspire decision makers to improve climate resilience of the programmes• Summarise knowledge, tools and measures in MS• Facilitate information sharing, know-how transfer across MSBasis •Stocktaking of innovative practices across EU-27Content of the report

• Integrating CC into strategic planning development • Climate proofing the project cycle• Project and Programme monitoring and evaluation• Climate Change as an economic driver• Conclusions and recommendations

www.rec.org

1. Climate Proofing the Project Cycle Programming – Integrating Climate Change into Strategic Planning Development

• Examples of tackling Climate Change in the NSRF (UK, France, Austria, Hungary, Slovakia)

• Examples of encouraging Climate Change positive investments (OP Berlin)

• Possible revision of the OPs to reduce their carbon intensity

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2. Climate Proofing the Project Cycle

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2. Climate Proofing the Project Cycle

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2. Climate Proofing the Project Cycle

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3. Project and Programme Monitoring and Evaluation

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4. Climate Change as an Economic Driver

Opportunities for growth and employment through investments:

•CC mitigation projects

•Adaptation projects

•Project that make the economic case of investments into low carbon economy

•Examples of how conventional economic projects were adapted to reduce their carbon intensity

•Skills/education based projects

www.rec.org

Key Messages (1)

General:

• A combination of approaches is needed

• Restrict financing of projects with negative impact on climate change but when it is unavoidable – others should counterbalance the impact – neutrality

• Integration of Climate Change in all projects, not only environmental

• Stronger demands from the EC - gradually make a shift from voluntary demands to obligatory requirements for Member States

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Key Messages (2)

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Key Messages (3)

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Key Messages (4)

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Key Messages (5)

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The report is available at http://ec.europa.eu/environment/integration/pdf/enea/climate_resiliance_cfr_pr.pdf

Thank you for your attention!

rzhechkov@rec.orgwww.rec.org