The Office of the National Centre for Research and Development in Brussels together with the Office for the Promotion of Science of the Polish Academy of Sciences of the Polish Academy of Sciences in Brussels invite you to the webinar “EU Mission: Adaptation to Climate Change — How to Achieve Climate Resilience by 2030”, which will take place on Thursday, January 20, 2022, from 10:00 a.m. to 12:15 p.m.

Climate change is happening all over the world — including Europe — with increasing intensity. Thus, the vulnerability of the planet and people to the threats associated with them increases. Stopping all greenhouse gas emissions would still not prevent the negative climate impacts that are already occurring. They will continue for decades, even if global and European efforts to cut emissions prove successful. Therefore, in 2021, the European Commission adopted a new strategy for adapting to climate change: it must be done faster, smarter and more systematically; it is necessary to prevent what cannot be adapted to and adapt to the inevitable.

Adaptation to the effects of climate change is a key task for Europe and the contribution of research and innovation is essential, both for risk assessment, for the process of social transformation and for final solutions. One of the forms of investment in research and innovation for climate change adaptation is the actions of the European missions in Horizon Europe. The objective of the Climate Mission is to support at least 150 regions and communities in achieving climate resilience by 2030. The support will be carried out in three phases: (a) helping regions to better understand, prepare for and manage climate risks; (b) accelerating the transition to climate resilience — supporting and testing innovative solutions; (c) using large-scale transformation demonstrators systemic.

The meeting will be attended by: Representative of the European Commission — Clara de la Torre, Mission Manager and Deputy Director General for Climate Action (DG CLIMA), who will talk about the main objectives and strategies of the Climate Change Adaptation Mission, Prof. Zbigniew Kundzewicz, member of the Assembly at the Council of the Climate Change Adaptation Mission, and experts representing the fields of science, business, innovation and the social side. During two panel discussions, they will discuss the role that research and innovation can play in the development of climate change adaptation transformation plans and how to mobilize citizens and local communities, including private capital, to take on the role of co-creator and co-implementer in the adaptation process. At the end of the meeting, a question and answer session with the speakers is scheduled.

Since 1 September 2019, Clara de la Torre has been Deputy Director-General in the European Commission's Directorate-General for Climate Action. Previously, her professional career focused on research and innovation. From 2016 to 2019, she was Director of Transport in the Directorate-General for Research and Innovation. Previously, since 2014, she was responsible for Key Assistive Technologies, after three years as Director in the area of Innovation. In her first position as Director, from 2008 to 2010, she dealt with interinstitutional and legal issues related to the Framework Programme of the European Commission. In the late 1990s, she was engaged in National Research Policies and Intergovernmental Cooperation. She worked at the EU Joint Research Centre in Brussels and Seville, where she was Advisor to the Director of the Institute for Prospective Technological Studies.

We invite those interested in the topic of European missions to take part in this event.

Registration is available at: Mission “Adapting to Climate Change” (clickmeeting.com)

We cordially invite you!

NCBR Office in Brussels/BSP and PolSCA PAN Office in Brussels