2.9 Governance of climate change mitigation and adaptation

Climate governance, for the purposes of this briefing, refers to the framework and mechanisms designed to set targets or objectives, and plan and monitor progress towards them. This briefing provides an overview of European-level climate governance to achieve a climate-neutral and resilient Europe. This is interconnected with international and sub-national governance efforts. It strongly focuses on climate policy frameworks in Europe, and the EEA member and cooperating countries.

Key policies

The EU climate governance framework is established via a comprehensive set of adopted policies and initiatives. Key policies include the 2021 European Climate Law and 2018 Governance Regulation, which outline key targets and governance mechanisms for achieving them. These are in line with the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change governance processes for targets, contributions and transparency/monitoring. These policies are also supported by the 2023 Fit for 55 package, the 2023 REPowerEU plan and the 2021 EU Adaptation Strategy, among others.

Past trends (10-15 years)

Improving trends/developments dominate

In the area of climate change mitigation, the greenhouse gas (GHG) monitoring mechanism Decision was established in 2004, in line with the Kyoto Protocol, followed by the Monitoring Mechanism Regulation in 2013. The 2018 Governance Regulation repealed this, providing an integrated approach for national planning — through means of national energy and climate plans for 2030, and long-term strategies for 2050 — and monitoring progress towards targets (Figure 1).

Through an iterative process, the European Commission (EC) can provide recommendations for achieving national and EU targets. It further provides public consultation and sets out accessibility requirements as well as establishing opportunities for multi-level dialogue. While there is evidence that this kind of dialogue has not been implemented sufficiently, the approach represents a decisive legislative requirement for inclusive governance. The Governance Regulation was evaluated in 2024 and highlighted the need for additional improvements in the timeliness and quality of plans and monitoring data.

The 2013 EU Adaptation Strategy put climate adaptation on the political agenda and ensured it was being mainstreamed across key EU policies. The 2021 EU Adaptation Strategy goes further in advocating for systemic, swift and smart adaptation alongside for stepping up international action.

Since 2019, all EU Member States have had a dedicated adaptation policy in place (Figure 2). In 2024, 18 out of the 38 EEA member and cooperating countries had adopted national climate laws with provisions for adaptation. Almost all countries now have national coordination bodies and mechanisms to support mainstreaming adaptation via multi-sectoral policies and multi-level governance coordination.

Driven by national policies and EU initiatives such as the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy and the Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, the number of local adaptation strategies is increasing; in 2022, 51% of large European cities had dedicated adaptation plans.

Outlook (10-15 years)

Improving trends/developments dominate

Developments in the governance framework at international- and EU-level, if followed through, offer a positive outlook.

For climate change mitigation, the current governance framework is laid out robustly up to 2030, in line with the Paris Agreement. However, in order to establish the framework to 2040, a 2040 target must be developed (the EC currently recommends a net reduction of 90% greenhouse gas emissions, compared to 1990 levels). It is also necessary to increase the timeliness and quality of plans, addressing the ambition gaps (i.e. Member State’s targets/contributions not achieving EU-wide targets) and public participation as well as reduce administrative burdens.

The 2021 Adaptation Strategy outlines a vision of a climate-resilient EU society by 2050. The European Climate Law requires Member States and the EU to enhance their adaptive capacity, strengthen their resilience and reduce their vulnerability to climate change. The first European Climate Risk Assessment (2024) was followed by the EC’s communication on managing climate risks, outlining actions to address growing climate-related risks. Further, the European Climate Resilience and Risk Management – Integrated Framework (previously known as the European Climate Adaptation Plan) is currently being prepared. Member States are also further developing their policy frameworks by adopting climate acts, sectoral or regional strategies and plans. Discussions are ongoing to define measurable targets for adaptation and establish indicators to measure progress.

Prospects of meeting policy targets 2030/2050

2030: No specific policy targets

2050: No specific policy targets

Robustness

The knowledge base backing climate governance and policies is robust, driven by advances in climate science, data availability, policy research and international collaboration. The Governance Regulation sets out rules for integrated reporting and monitoring by the EU and Member States. Therefore, data and process-based information are available from the Member States reporting to the EC via the EEA.

However, data and information gaps persist and there is currently not enough information on the implementation of climate action at different governance levels (e.g. on limitations stemming from absent monitoring, reporting and evaluation frameworks at the national level, missing databases on sub-national actions, a lack of understanding of the energy system behind GHG projections and a lack of impact/cost data reported for policies and measures).

While data quality has improved over time, work is still required to ensure that reporting on policy impacts and costs is complete. Continued investment in research, data infrastructure and capacity-building is crucial to address the challenges with financial, technical and human capacities, and ensure evidence-based decision-making in climate policy formulation and implementation.

Charts/maps

Figure 1. Overview of climate governance in the EU

Figure 2. Overview of adaptation policies in Europe