Adaptation

European Climate Change Programme II

Stakeholder Meeting

24 October 2005, Brussels

Adaptation Working Group Session

Jan KowalzigClimate Change CampaignFriends of the Earth Europewww.foeeurope.org/climate

The next 10 minutes

• What: adaptation

• Adaptation vs mitigation

• Adaptation & environmental justice

• Adaptation & development co-operation

What: adaptation

„ [...] adjustments in ecological, social or economic systems in response to actual or expected climatic stimuli and their effects or impacts [...] “

IPPC TAR, 2001

What: adaptation

Conclusion: „adaptation“ in the context of the ECCP must also deal with the climate impacts we will not be able to avoid through reducing vulnerability and increasing resilience. The ToR of the ECCP adaptation working group should explicitly mention this need.

Adaptation vs Mitigation

Adaptation vs Mitigation

The more governments fail to agree and implement effective mitigation strategies, the higher will be the economic and social burden Europeans will have to shoulder for adaptation and damage restoration.

Adaptation vs Mitigation

Conclusion: adaptation needs must be communicated to the public as a con-sequence of failed mitigation efforts, thus increasing public support for the latter. The ToR of the adaptation working group should include the request to work on such communication strategies.

Adaptation & Environmental Justice

Adaptation & Environmental Justice

It‘s the less wealthy who:

• live near noisy streets

• inhabit badly insulated houses

• buy low-quality food and products

Climate change & the need to adapt may exacerbate the situation.

Adaptation & Environmental Justice

• Risk of flooding will decrease property prices. Who is to blame? Who will compensate?

• Increased insurance premiums will affect the less wealthy more than others

• Costs of adaptation (e.g. more resilient housing): who will pay?

Adaptation & Environmental Justice

Adaptation under the ECCP II must avoid disproportional burdens for the less wealthy, both with regard to adaptation policies as well as climate impacts. Policies should have Polluter-Pays-Principle as a basis.

Adaptation & Environmental Justice

Conclusion: The adaptation working group under the ECCP review must develop answers around the question who will pay for adaptation and how to integrate the Polluter-Pays-Principle (e.g. financing adaptation through taxationon fossil energies).

Adaptation & Development Co-operation

Adaptation & Development Co-operation

Adaptation must recognise the historic responsibility for causing the problem.

• Use Polluter (of the past) Pays Principle;

• Provide resources for adaptation as much as the EU is responsible for the crisis;

• Consider this not as charity or aid.

Adaptation & Development Co-operation

Conclusion: The ECCP must come up with a response to the issue of historic & present responsibility for creating adaptation needs in developing countries, including the issue of compensation for climate change impacts. This should be made explicit in the ToR of theadaptation working group.

Summary

• Mitigation is the best „adaptation strategy“!

• Integrate damage restoration & relief (=live with the level of climate change we cannot avoid)

• Address social implications: who will pay?

• Acknowledge historical responsibility towards the developing world