DECA

Why

The average global temperature is today 0.95 to 1.20 °C higher than at the end of the 19th century. Scientists consider an increase of 2°C compared to pre-industrialised levels as a threshold with dangerous and catastrophic consequences for climate and the environment.

Public authorities are working to reduce global warming and have a key role to play in managing climate risks and vulnerabilities of their communities. Local authorities have an essential local and critical knowledge in identifying adaptation policies that will build resilience locally: some of these are mitigation actions that attract private-sector support and investment (electric vehicles, for example). But adaptation actions (for example, bigger drainage schemes to deal with fiercer rainstorms) are very expensive, and offer less attractive rates of return for the private investor – or even none at all. So public money is more important – at a time of economic difficulty across Europe.

Project objectives

DECA (Delivering Effective Climate Actions) will test and develop innovative policies and financing to increase investment, reduce costs and accelerate the effectiveness of climate change adaptation in 8 European regions.

We aim to:

• Improve governance in climate adaptation plans.
• Finance new projects.
• Work on climate risk management and community- based adaptation plans. 

This requires capacity building:

• better skills,
• clearer and more exact definition of adaptation activities,
• qualitative data,
• mutual understanding between stakeholders,
• knowledge how to prepare “adaptation investment” proposals.

The regions will: 

• Identify and share good practices to address the key problems.
• Build capacity of 8 public authorities through training and knowledge-transfer.
• Improve 8 relevant policy instruments to provide stronger leadership and better protection.