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As the climate crisis intensifies, European mayors are increasingly leading efforts to adapt their cities to the growing impacts of climate change. With 2023 confirmed as the hottest year on record, the inability to curb global emissions means the need for climate adaptation has never been greater.

Despite this urgency, adaptation efforts remain severely underfunded. According to the UNEP Adaptation Gap Report, the annual finance gap for adaptation sways between USD 194 billion and USD 366 billion, while in comparison, 91% of tracked climate finance goes toward mitigation efforts.

In Europe, with 75% of the population living in urban areas, cities face mounting risks, including floods, droughts, heatwaves and wildfires, that threaten city infrastructures, local businesses and people’s health.

With local governments implementing 70% of EU legislation, cities have a central role in achieving the EU’s goal of climate resilience by 2050. As outlined in the Eurocities Pulse Mayors Survey 2024, climate action is the top priority for European mayors.

However, cities are constrained by issues including limited financial resources, fragmented governance, and the need for better collaboration across all levels of government and the private sector.

Cities’ catalytic role

In response, city leaders have made it clear that to meet the EU’s ambitious 2050 climate resilience targets, they must be provided with specific metrics to guide the implementation of adaptation plans, more direct access to EU and national funding, and improved EU and national governments frameworks recognising their prominent role.

This was the message delivered by representatives from cities at a recent seminar in Brussels which focused on the challenges and opportunities of climate adaptation in cities.

The seminar, titled ‘The catalytic role of cities in adaptation,’ brought together policymakers, experts, and city leaders from Barcelona, Brussels, Enschede and Turku, to discuss how cities can overcome the challenges they face. Organised by Eurocities and CIDOB’s Global Cities Programme, the event explored strategies to further develop urban climate resilience.

Opening the event, Eugenia Mansutti, Senior Policy Advisor at Eurocities, emphasised the importance of coordinated action. “Climate adaptation is no longer an option, it’s a necessity,” she stated. “Cities are leading the way, but they cannot do it alone. We need stronger partnerships at all levels of governance to close the funding and policy gaps.”

Supporting this position, Ricardo Martinez, Senior Research Fellow at CIDOB’s Global Cities Programme, highlighted the critical need for support from the European Commission. “Cities require clear commitments from the European Commission to prioritise adaptation alongside mitigation efforts,” said Martinez. “This includes providing both financial support and regulatory frameworks that empower local governments to act swiftly.”

How are cities leading climate adaptation?

Delivering the keynote presentation at the meeting, Marta Olazabal, Ikerbasque Research Associate at the BC3 Basque Centre for Climate Change, pointed out that Europe is warming faster than any other continent, which amplifies the need for cities to act swiftly.

“Cities are where the impacts of climate change are most acute,” Olazabal said. “Governments must address the growing risks through innovative strategies that include nature-based solutions, infrastructure redesign, and policies that reduce social vulnerability.”

European cities are already implementing ambitious strategies tailored to their specific climate challenges.

In Barcelona, water scarcity and droughts have become pressing issues as the region faces rising temperatures and diminishing rainfall. Eduard Carrasco, Director of Urban Resilience and Transversal Projects at Barcelona City Council, explained the city’s focus on integrating nature-based solutions into its urban infrastructure.

“We are creating green roofs, rainwater harvesting systems, and reforesting urban areas to improve water management,” said Carrasco. Additionally, Barcelona is piloting projects like the ‘Superblock’ initiative, which reorganises urban space to prioritise pedestrian areas and green zones, which is reducing heat islands and improving air quality.

In the Brussels Capital Region, the challenge is how to adapt urban areas to climate change while preserving the city’s dense, historic urban fabric. Pierre Lemaire, Project Manager in Territorial Strategy for Brussels, highlighted ongoing efforts to enhance flood protection by redesigning public spaces.

“Brussels is expanding green infrastructure, such as parks and wetlands, to absorb stormwater and reduce the risk of flooding,” Lemaire said. Brussels is also investing in permeable pavement technology, which allows rainwater to seep into the ground, thereby alleviating pressure on the city’s aging drainage systems.

Meanwhile, the Dutch city of Enschede is dealing with increasingly intense rain events that can sometimes overwhelm the city’s infrastructure. Lies Rubingh, Advisor on Climate Adaptation, explained: “We’ve transformed public squares and streets into water retention areas, turning these spaces into reservoirs during heavy rains.”

An example is the Water Square project, which doubles as a recreational area during dry weather but can store water during floods. Enschede has also implemented smart technology to monitor water levels and optimise the use of green spaces to prevent overflows.

In addition, Turku in Finland, is focusing on both adaptation and mitigation, demonstrating how cities can address climate challenges while reducing their carbon footprint. Niina Ruuska, Senior Specialist from Turku, explained, “Our goal is to be carbon-neutral by 2029, and we’re aligning our adaptation strategies with this vision. We’ve increased tree planting across the city, improved urban planning to create cooler environments, and focused on expanding green roofs.”

Turku is also restoring natural floodplains along the Aura River to manage rising water levels and prevent floods while simultaneously boosting biodiversity in urban areas.

What constraints do cities face?

While cities are leading in climate adaptation, they face substantial constraints. The most significant challenge continues to be financing. Marta Olazabal emphasised, “Adaptation remains the lesser-funded sibling of mitigation, even though cities need both to survive and thrive in the face of climate change.”

The cities explained that public sector funding alone is insufficient to close the financial gap, and many urban areas struggle to secure private funding for large-scale projects.

In addition, governance fragmentation can limit the ability of cities to fully implement their adaptation strategies. Eugenia Mansutti stated the need for cities to have clearer frameworks and more autonomy in decision-making. “Many city governments lack the authority to implement wide-scale adaptation projects, as there is a lack of clear and measurable targets at EU and national level to drive action. We need to go beyond strategies, and multilevel governance is critical to enabling cities to take swift and effective action,” she said.

Cities also need more technical expertise to develop tailored solutions for their unique challenges. Pierre Lemaire noted that while Brussels has begun integrating climate resilience into urban planning, “more training and capacity-building are needed” to ensure the long-term success of these projects.

Collaboration between the public and private sectors is another area where cities see both challenges and opportunities. Niina Ruuska highlighted how Turku has been able to advance its resilience agenda through partnerships with local businesses.

“We are working closely with the private sector to ensure that our adaptation measures also generate economic and social benefits,” she explained. “But this requires building trust and fostering long-term relationships, which can be challenging in the current economic climate.”

What do cities want from the new European Commission?

During the discussions, city leaders expressed their expectations for the new European Commission to support their climate adaptation efforts.

Ricardo Martinez emphasised the importance of supportive policies and funding mechanisms. “Cities require clear commitments from the European Commission to prioritise adaptation alongside mitigation. This includes providing both financial support and regulatory frameworks that empower local governments to act swiftly,” he stated.

In addition, cities are calling for better collaboration with EU institutions to ensure that local needs are adequately represented in EU policies.

Today, CIDOB and @EUROCITIES, with the support of @bcn_ajuntament, brought together policymakers and experts to discuss the challenges and opportunities of climate adaptation in cities, in a seminar organised in the frame of the #EURegionsWeek
🔗https://t.co/vrUZ8aME67 pic.twitter.com/nT9LhLRjGA

— CIDOB (Barcelona Centre for International Affairs) (@CidobBarcelona) October 8, 2024

Eduard Carrasco stated: “We need the European Commission to engage with cities as partners in developing and implementing climate adaptation strategies. Our local governments are often the ones facing the impacts of climate change directly, and our voices must be heard in EU decision-making processes.”

Pierre Lemaire stressed how often in cities there is a need to look for quick practical solutions to overcome an imminent challenge, but this doesn’t lead to proper consideration of social aspects. The key for effective adaptation actions is breaking silos and taking a holistic approach, and the new EU adaptation plan needs not to facilitate this.

From her side, Lies Rubingh, stated the pivotal role that water has to play in the future adaptation policy, and the need to work on privately owned areas in a more systematic way, especially when it comes to addressing water-related climate hazards, avoiding lock-ins and having agile climate resilience approaches that can evolve with the changing climate.

How are cities financing climate adaptation?

While financing adaptation remains a persistent obstacle for many cities, several local administrations are implementing creative, and sometimes ground-breaking, solutions.

Brussels has turned to both EU funding and innovative public-private partnerships, through tools like the European Urban Initiative, to finance its projects. “Brussels is using innovative financing models to support the construction of green infrastructure, such as new parks and rain gardens, which will mitigate flood risks,” said Pierre Lemaire.

In Enschede, Lies Rubingh explained that the city has secured funding for its Water Square project and other water management initiatives through local government funds and private investment. “These partnerships allow us to spread the costs of adaptation, but we still face a significant funding gap when it comes to scaling these projects citywide,” she said. Rubingh also put forward the idea of paying for adaptation measures via local sewage taxes, stressing that adaptation is crucial to ensure the ongoing delivery of water to citizens.

Similarly, Turku is exploring new funding mechanisms, such as green bonds, to finance its ambitious carbon-neutrality and adaptation goals. Niina Ruuska stated: “Turku is also looking into green financing tools to secure long-term funding for projects that enhance both adaptation and mitigation, such as restoring natural floodplains and creating urban forests.”

Turku becomes the first Finnish city to join a growing global initiative CitiesWithNature aimed at protecting and enhancing nature, and building resilience in cities across the world. 🌿🌷#Turku @CitiesWNature 👉https://t.co/psS15xsGga pic.twitter.com/Y7jVjoOgqn

— City of Turku (@cityofturku) May 29, 2024

Towards climate resilience

As Europe moves toward its 2050 climate resilience goals, cities like Barcelona, Brussels, Enschede, and Turku are demonstrating leadership in climate adaptation through innovative strategies and ambitious projects.

However, they are also constrained by financial gaps, governance complexities, and the need for more technical expertise.

If these challenges are to be overcome, and the target of climate resilience by 2050 is to be met, the EU and national governments must establish better partnerships with cities and improve long-term planning strategies, so they integrate both adaptation and mitigation measures that will ensure more resilient urban areas for everyone.

Marta Olazabal stated: “The path to climate resilience is clear. Cities have the strategies and the will to adapt, but we need to act faster, smarter, and with stronger collaborations across sectors and governments.” Olazabal added that many cities introduced climate adaptation strategies but lack the tools and know-how to implement them efficiently.

Eurocities will continue to investigate the difficulties faced by cities, working with CIDOB to understand what is needed to support the capacity of cities as they strive to implement adaptation measures.

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This article covers discussions at the seminar “Climate Resilience by 2050: The Catalytic Role of European Cities in Adaptation,” organised by Eurocities and CIDOB’s Global Cities Programme.

To learn more, read the essay ‘The catalytic role of European cities in climate adaptation,’ published by Ricardo Martinez, Senior Research Fellow, Global Cities Programme CIDOB; Eugenia Mansutti, Senior Policy and Project Coordinator, Eurocities Heather Brooks, Policy and Project Advisor, Eurocities.