With a climate that has already changed, taking action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is no longer enough. We now also need to prepare for the impacts of climate change, in other words, we need to adapt.
In France, public authorities are driving all stakeholders to address adaptation issues as part of their decision-making process, taking into account the national reference warming trajectory. This so-called réflexe adaptation echoes with the resilience by design principle discussed at the EU level.
Nevertheless, we are still far from ready: not all of our investments are +4°C compatible and, despite progress in recent years, the resources dedicated to adaptation, whether financial or human, are too limited.
Furthermore, important decisions remain to be made regarding how to adapt to this new climate context. Certain expenditures will be unavoidable to better understand vulnerabilities and respond more effectively to crises. Others will require trade-offs to decide what to preserve and what to transform (which developments, which sectors, which activities, etc.). To help inform these choices, I4CE is studying the economic and financial models of the various adaptation options: Which investment needs? How to distribute costs and benefits, considering the capacities and prerogatives of public and private actors? How can the necessary financial resources be mobilized?
The aim is not only to put the issue on the agenda of national and local decision-makers, but also to help ensure that public money is used as effectively as possible and that the necessary cooperation is established to enable the emergence of a genuine ambition for adaptation.
