The end of 2025 marked the launch of the National Adaptation Hubs (NAHs) across the EU. These hubs aim to strengthen climate resilience by improving coordination and cooperation across national, regional, local and EU levels. Set up in each Member State, either as new structures or by building on existing ones, they bring together public authorities from different governance levels alongside key horizontal stakeholders. This creates a shared space where needs, opportunities and barriers to adaptation can be more effectively identified and addressed.

The hubs are expected to support more integrated adaptation planning and policymaking, and to strengthen the implementation of national and subnational adaptation strategies. By promoting a multi-level governance approach, they help ensure that cities, regions and municipalities are better involved while also improving the flow of information between governance levels. In addition, they support capacity building and peer learning, and encourage cooperation and knowledge exchange, including through twinning activities and collaboration with other European initiatives and countries beyond the EU.

Relevance for Local and Regional Energy and Climate Agencies

The NAHs offer opportunities for Local and Regional Energy and Climate Agencies that wish to engage in ongoing climate adaptation processes. Agencies can do so either by following developments through their national partners or by becoming directly involved in relevant hub activities, depending on the national context and priorities. Some entry points include:

  1. Access to multi-level governance exchanges through hub sessions and stakeholder dialogues.
  2. Engagement in discussions on adaptation planning, implementation and long-term strategies.
  3. Participation in regional and local peer-learning and knowledge exchange activities.
  4. Improved connection to ongoing EU and national policy developments.

The starting point: the AdaptationHubs project

Backed by the AdaptationHubs project, a flagship initiative of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, the NAHs will receive support during their first two years with the aim of ensuring that they become fully operational and well integrated into national governance frameworks.

The consortium brings together 27 national partners and 5 horizontal partners. The national partners support the set-up and facilitation of the hubs, lead their establishment, and work closely with climate-related authorities. This enables a gradual transfer of ownership and helps ensure long-term sustainability beyond the duration of the project.

The five horizontal partners consist of networks and expert institutions in the fields of policy, climate adaptation, and peer-learning (namely IEECP, ICLEI, ERRIN, ENC and FEDARENE). They support project management, including internal coordination, monitoring of activities and dissemination, as well as internal and external reporting. Each of these partners is also responsible for one of the five regional clusters in which the 27 national partners are organised, ensuring coordination, proper support and and follow-up.

FEDARENE work within AdaptationHubs

FEDARENE acts as a regional coordinator, following the development of the NAHs in Greece, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Croatia, and Romania, while also supporting and monitoring the implementation of twinning activities across all 27 hubs.

The twinning activities were launched this month with an orientation meeting organised by FEDARENE together with other partners, which provided key information and guidance to support the implementation of the twinning schemes and ensure a shared understanding of the approach across the hubs. The twinning programme aims to connect regions facing similar challenges or working on related adaptation topics, either within countries or across borders. It enables structured exchanges between pairs or groups of regions and municipalities, supporting peer-learning and discussions on climate risks and vulnerabilities, adaptation solutions, and/or resilient pathways. These exchanges are based on a common grouping methodology and supporting materials developed within the project.

Want to know more or get involved?

For further information or follow-up, contact Lesly Barriga at lesly.barriga@fedarene.org.