Cohesion Policy and Climate Change

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Cohesion Policy and Climate Change
Tallinn, 4 October 2007

• Viktoria Bolla
• DG ENV Unit C.1 Climate strategy, International
  Negotiation and Monitoring of EU Action

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Outline

• Role of Structural Fund and Cohesion Fund
• Regulatory background
• Best Practices

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Role of Structural Funds in climate change
mitigation and adaptation
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Mainstreaming climate change in EU Cohesion
Policy (1) assessment stage
Make use of existing instruments such as the
Strategic Enviromental Assessment (SEA) and
Environmental Impact Assessment
(EIA) Implementation of the requirements of both
SEA and EIA directives is planned to prevent
potentially damaging projects to be funded by
SF/CF Ideally assessment should be broadened
to include impacts on GHG emissions climate
change impacts in a thorough and systematic
manner
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Mainstreaming climate change in EU Cohesion
Policy (2) project opportunities

• We need to act locally. Climate change mitigation
  and adaptation can be financed from Structural
  Funds. Under the European Regional Development
  Fund Regulation and specifically the Convergence
  objective (Article 4) eleven priorities are set
  up, including
• Environmental investment - aid to mitigate the
  effects of climate change
• Prevention of natural risk
• Integrated strategies for clean transport
• Energy investments including renewable energy and
  energy efficiency

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Mitigation challenge No silver bullet to reduce
GHG emissions
Sources of greenhouse gas emissions in the EU
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Mitigation under the Cohesion Policy in practice

• Community Strategic Guidelines for Cohesion (SGC
  2007-2013) give priority to
• waste and waste-water infrastructures
• management of natural resources
• decontamination of land
• sustainable transport
• energy efficiency and renewable energies
• EU funds should support low-emitting projects.
  Few examples
• all new buildings and reconstructions should be
  highly energy efficient
• new car fleet and all machinery should be fuel
  efficient
• renewables in accordance with country
  specificities
• clean transport modes

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Adaptation is needed in the EU

• Climate change has significant influence on the
  probability and hazard of natural risks in all
  regions. It is crucial to make regions more
  resilient. Majority of adaptation projects has
  inter-regional aspects
• Cohesion Policy aims at reducing the disparities
  between EU regions. Climate change affects
  regions differently, potentially further
  increasing disparities
• Climate proofing of all medium and long-term
  investment projects is not a luxury but an
  economic necessity, and should be the first step.
• Cohesion Policy should support specific
  adaptation projects.

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Adaptation under the Cohesion Fund in practice

• Impacts on water cycle and water resources
  management and prediction of extreme events
• Marine resources and coastal zones and tourism
• Human health
• Agriculture and forestry
• Biodiversity
• Regional planning, built environment, public and
  energy infrastructure,
• Urban planning and construction

• Can be financed from the Structural Funds under
  risk prevention
• This aspect shows very different level of
  consideration in Member States

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Where to look for best practices?

• French tool on carbon neutrality
• Greening Regional Development Policies
• http//www.environment-agency.gov.uk/grdp/1393647
  /1739700/1739726
• Ideas Paper
• http//www.environment-ency.gov.uk/grdp/1393647/17
  39700/1739726
• European Network of Environmental Authorities
  Climate Change and Cohesion Policy Working Group
• Espace project putting adaptation at the heart
  of spatial planning
• http//www.espace-project.org/
• Cities for climate Protection (ICLEI)
• http//www.iclei.org/index.php?id800
• New projects under INTERREG IV

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Conclusions IHuge opportunity not to be missed!

• Urgent action required to reduce GHG emissions.
• New industrial revolution unique opportunity to
  incorporate decarbonization of the economy into
  Cohesion Policy.
• New co-financed infrastructure wearing the EU
  logo provides ample opportunities to serve as
  example that low-carbon development is feasible.
• Opportunity to take full account of potential
  climate change impacts on long-term
  infrastructure investments and to adapt design
  adequately.
• Systematic assessment of greenhouse gas impacts
  and potential risks due to climate change impacts
  are the first steps (climate proofing).

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Conclusions II

• The same principles should apply for
• any new infrastructure investments
• planning and developing transport systems
• constructions and reconstruction
• water management
• ..Regardless of the origins of the funds
  Community, national, regional , public, private
  investments should all build on the principle of
  climate protection and climate proofing.

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• Climate Change Financingcommunity instruments

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Community instruments

• Total EU budget for 2007-2013 about 864,3 billion
  euros including
• RTD FP 7 (7th Framework Programme)
• Structural/Regional funds
• CAP (Common Agricultural Policy)
• CIP (Competitiveness and Innovation framework
  Programme)
• Mid-term budgetary review / next financial
  perspective 2014

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THANK YOU FOR YOUR ATTENTION!
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