Res 3. Climate Adaptation Against Inequalities

Time is up: the climate has changed. The 1.5°C target has been missed and it is
foreseen that 2027
will set a new record. Europe and the Mediterranean are warming faster than the
global average and face severe heat, wildfires, and water risks, including
droughts, floods, extreme precipitation, and glacier melting.

Mitigation remains indispensable, but adaptation can no longer be postponed.
Climate change amplifies inequalities: wealthier people and businesses can buy
protection, insurance, cooling and relocation, while poorer people rely on
public infrastructure and services for relief.

The crisis is visible. In summer 2026, Europe’s fifth heatwave affected around
300 million people. Paris, London and Brussels experienced unprecedented
temperatures, associated with an estimated 35,000 deaths across the continent,
totalling 200,000 over the past four years. Heat and drought pushed rivers to
record lows and expanded wildfire risks beyond traditional southern hotspots.
The agricultural sector is facing declines in yields, changes in growing areas
and new pests. Floods, such as Storm DANA in Valencia, Spain, and landslides in
Sicily, have caused severe losses and damage.

Climate change is a threat multiplier while adaptation itself can actually
deepen inequalities through green gentrification and unequal access to
protection. According to the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC)
and the European Environment Agency (EEA), older people, children, pregnant
women, people with chronic conditions and outdoor workers are the most
vulnerable, having fewer resources to adapt while facing greater exposure. Rural
communities dependent on agriculture and tourism, people encountering housing
and energy poverty, and densely-populated
neighbourhoods are more vulnerable to extreme weather.

While right-wing politicians continue to minimise such problems, the Greens must
promote inclusive, cooperative adaptation that protects people now while, at the
same time, addressing structural causes, both locally and internationally.

Adaptation must be inclusive: affected communities must shape planning; EU
funding must include social-justice criteria; and public infrastructure must
take priority over private protection solutions.

Adaptation must be coordinated: governments, communities and businesses should
share information, align investments and address interconnected risks, ensuring
local adaptation does not create risks elsewhere.

Adaptation must be based on functioning ecosystems: public investment should
prioritise innovative nature-based solutions, whereas the private sector can
complement these efforts.

We need practical measures able to make an immediate impact on daily life.

Heat: guarantee free drinking water and cooling spaces; introduce heat health
plans; enforce temperature thresholds and compensation for outdoor workers when
work is unsafe; adapt school and office schedules and invest in insulation, cool
roofs and green spaces.

Wildfires: strengthen firefighters, civil protection and critical
infrastructures; improve early warnings and preparedness; establish firebreaks;
balance active land management through diversification, restoration and the
rewilding of ecosystems; increase cross-border cooperation.

Agriculture and water: prioritise naturally climate-resilient crops, soil and
water conservation and sustainable irrigation; ensure fair water allocation and
prioritise essential needs and ecosystems.

Floods and landslides: invest in flood management and restore ecosystems that
retain water and stabilise landscapes and urban spaces.

Adaptation has limits: when ecosystems collapse, people are forced to move.
Migration can be an adaptation strategy when people have resources and choices,
but when systems fail it becomes a necessity. Europe must prepare for internal
displacement and increasing migration from neighbouring regions.