Technical Summaries & Good Practices

Regions4Climate partners presented their work at the 47th Annual Conference of the International School Psychology Association (ISPA 2026), held in Lyon, France. The presentation explores how community-based preparedness exercises can help adolescents respond to climate-related disasters. Drawing on a flood exercise involving 233 students aged 15–18 in Sitia, Crete, it highlights the importance of realistic drills, clear communication, trusted adults, emotional support and strong social connections in building young people’s resilience.

The presentation provides an overview of the exercise, the students’ responses and the main lessons for schools, communities and emergency responders.

This policy brief synthesises the Regions4Climate project’s governance and policy insights related to transformative adaptation for Challenge Suite 3: Systemic Adaptation in the Regions4Climate regions of Castilla y León, Nordic Archipelago (South-West Finland1), Sitia and Troodos. In their Regions4Climate Innovation Packages, this group of regions is working to strengthen their climate resilience, with a focus on protecting strong local cultures and unique community features, and promoting innovative solutions to adapt economic activity that is vulnerable to climate pressures. Although this Challenge Suite focuses their Innovation Package activities that support systemic adaptation, the recommendations take a more comprehensive perspective based on insights related to smarter, faster and systemic adaptation.

This policy brief synthesises the Regions4Climate project’s governance and policy insights related to transformative adaptation for Challenge Suite 2: Smarter Adaptation in the Regions4Climate regions of Burgas, Køge Bay, Pärnumaa and Uusimaa. In their Regions4Climate Innovation Packages, this group of regions is working to improve the evidence base for their adaptation work through digital twins, modelling, as well as improving the understanding of vulnerability to climate impacts. Although this Challenge Suite focuses on their Innovation Package activities that support smarter adaptation, the recommendations take a more comprehensive perspective based on insights related to smarter, faster and systemic adaptation.

This policy brief synthesises the Regions4Climate project’s governance and policy insights on transformative adaptation for Challenge Suite 1: Faster Adaptation in the Regions4Climate regions of: the Azores, the Basque Country, South Aquitaine and Tuscany. In their Regions4Climate Innovation Packages, this group of regions is working to accelerate their adaptation efforts to reduce coastal risks (sea level rise, coastal erosion, storm surge and ocean warming) and protect and restore the integrity of coastal ecosystems. Although this Challenge Suite focuses their Innovation Package activities that support faster adaptation, the recommendations take a more comprehensive perspective based on insights related to smarter, faster and systemic adaptation.

The Climate Resilience Maturity Assessment for Regions tool is an online self-assessment tool developed as part of the EU project, Regions4Climate. It is a qualitative tool for guidance and reflection: it aims at supporting regions to evaluate their level of climate resilience maturity, identify potential gaps, and inform the prioritisation of suitable policies to advance climate resilience and to justify funding of specific measures.

The tool recognizes the crucial role of regions in climate adaptation and resilience-building, in alignment with the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change. In fact, the Mission emphasises
the importance of regions as key agents of change, to design pathways of transformation addressing regional and local needs in the face of increasing challenges, including climate change. At the same time, there is a lack of tools specifically targeting the regional level to help navigate resilience-building processes, taking in consideration the diversity of regional administrative structures and governance contexts.

This tool aims to address this gap to better support regional governments in climate-resilient development.

Climate change poses a growing threat to regions across Europe, with more frequent and severe weather events disrupting communities, economies, and ecosystems. Adaptation is essential to build resilience and protect vulnerable areas, but it requires adequate planning, coordination, and policies.

Innovation helps regions address climate challenges through new ideas, collaboration, and solutions adapted to local contexts.

Developed within the R4C Horizon Europe project, the Common Innovation Framework (CIF) provides a consistent and replicable approach to strengthening climate resilience. It guides regional actors from identifying challenges to implementing and scaling effective solutions, supporting long-term systemic transformation.

Within the Climate Resilience Maturity Level Analysis of the Regions4Climate (R4C) project, multiple actions were identified as good practices.

These actions represent tools and approaches that enabled the participating regions to strengthen their climate resilience. The good practices range from emergency response strategies to stakeholder engagement and have been implemented across Europe.

Some of the initiatives were developed before the implementation of the R4C project and with external funding, providing pre-existing plans, tools, and strategies that helped the R4C regions to serve as exemplary models, within the framework of the project.

The Good Practices leaflets are designed as practical examples and learning references for local (municipal) and regional administrations and their technical teams for planning and implementing climate adaptation and resilience actions in a socially just transition.