Climate Change Adaptation is the second priority area of the LIFE Climate Action Sub-programme. Its key task is to support and consolidate project ideas, new technologies, methods and solutions that contribute to the adaptation to the adverse effects of  climate and weather changes caused by the greenhouse gases already emitted into the atmosphere, at local, regional and/or international levels. Proposals submitted in  this priority area will receive grants totalling EUR 24.52 million in 2016.

Concrete objectives of the Climate Change Adaptation priority area are especially the following:

• facilitation of the development and implementation of the EU policy related to adaptation, including ecosystem-based approaches;
• improvement of the knowledge base required for the development, assessment, monitoring, evaluation and implementation of the climate change adaptation actions and measures;
• among others, the facilitation of the development and implementation of integrated approaches of strategies and action plans targeting climate change adaptation at local, regional or national level, with focus on ecosystem-based approaches if necessary;
• contribution to the development and demonstration of innovative technologies, systems, methods and tools targeting climate change adaptation, suitable for replication, transfer or general application in other areas.

Key EU strategies and legal regulations related to the topic:

• Roadmap for moving to a competitive low carbon economy in 2050 /Com(2011) 112/
• EU Strategy on adaptation to climate change /COM(2013)0216/
• Policy framework for climate and energy in the period from 2020 to 2030 /COM(2014)015/

• Directive 2003/87/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 13 October 2003 establishing a scheme for greenhouse gas emission allowance trading within the Community and amending Council Directive 96/61/EC (EU ETS Directive)
• COMMISSION DECISION 2011/745/EU of 11 November 2011 amending Decision 2010/2/EU and 2011/278/EU as regards the sectors and subsectors which are deemed to be exposed to a significant risk of carbon leakage
• REGULATION (EC) NO 1005/2009 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 16 September 2009 on substances that deplete the ozone layer
• REGULATION (EC) NO 842/2006 OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL of 17 May 2006 on certain fluorinated greenhouse gases
• Directive 2012/27/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 25 October 2012 on energy efficiency
• Directive 2010/31/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 19 May 2010 on the energy performance of buildings
• Directive 2009/28/EC of the European Parliament and of the Council of 23 April 2009 on the promotion of the use of energy from renewable sources
• Decision No 529/2013/EU of the European Parliament and of the Council of 21 May 2013 on accounting rules on greenhouse gas emissions and removals resulting from activities relating to land use, land-use change and forestry and on information concerning actions relating to those activities

Priority areas of climate change adaptation in 2016:

• Vulnerable areas: transnational flood management, transnational coastal zone management,
• Urban planning and urban spatial planning (Urban adaptation)
• Mountainous areas and islands,
• Sustainable water management – prevention of desertification and forest fires in arid areas;
• Green infrastructure and ecosystem-base approaches;
• Vulnerability estimations and adaptation strategies, including transnational projects.

Any “traditional” LIFE proposal related to the theme referenced above, that:

• is a pilot or
• demonstration or
• best practice project.

There have not been any successful Hungarian projects yet.