The first half of 2026 has been a productive period for FEDARENE’s Climate Resilience Working Group, marked by new leadership, stronger policy engagement, and the publication of key resources supporting adaptation efforts across Europe.
The year started with bidding farewell to Thekla Heinel, our former Chair of the Climate Adaptation Working Group (WG). Her support and leadership have been decisive in shaping and strengthening our activities on climate adaptation, in line with FEDARENE core services (interact, inform, influence), through projects, advocacy and communications activities. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with her in new capacities and wish her every success in future endeavours.
Following her departure, new co-chairs were appointed to lead our newly renamed Working Group on Climate Resilience. We are delighted to welcome Benedetta Bringhenti, President the Modena Energy and Sustainable Development Agency (AESS) and Raúl García Brink, Councillor for Environment, Climate, Energy, and Knowledge of Cabildo de Gran Canaria (CIEGC) as our new co-chairs.
“By fostering dialogue and bringing our members’ perspectives into European discussions, the Working Group helps connect local practice with broader policy developments, supporting the wider uptake of effective climate action.”
— — Benedetta Brighenti, Vice-president for Climate Neutral Cities and Regions
“The challenge is no longer to demonstrate that solutions exist, but to ensure that they can be strengthened, scaled up, and replicated beyond individual territories. FEDARENE’s Working Group on Climate Resilience aims to contribute to this goal.”
— — Raúl García Brink, vice-President for Grid Capacity and Flexibility
The WG was renamed from the Climate Adaptation Working Group to the Climate Resilience Working Group to better reflect the systemic and integrated approach we aim to promote in addressing climate challenges. The new name also aligns with the upcoming EU Climate Resilience Framework, currently under development by the European Commission and expected to be published by the end of the year.
In line with this evolving policy landscape, we actively contributed to related consultation processes, including those led by the Committee of the Regions (CoR). We also engaged with key EU decision-makers, notably during an event we organised as part of REGILIENCE + project in May (key takeaways are available here). Through these exchanges, we shared key recommendations focusing on four main areas: targets and scenarios, governance, funding and financing, and dedicated support for regional and local authorities. These recommendations are presented in detail in our position paper.
The first months of 2026 were also marked by the publication of our catalogue of best practices, featuring 13 on-the-ground examples of climate action. Together, they reflect a diverse range of approaches, from local initiatives to more established regional strategies, and demonstrate that resilience building depends on collaboration, knowledge exchange, and sustained support and investment, emphasizing the importance of sharing and scaling effective solutions to achieve lasting impact while strengthening Europe’s competitiveness and security.
Finally, June marked the last sprint before the quieter summer months. It started with our first 2026 WG meeting held on the June 1st. The meeting provided an opportunity to formally introduce the new co-chairs, review our policy work, exchange regional perspectives from Gran Canaria, Østfold County, Emilia-Romagna and Madeira, and discuss opportunities arising from projects such as REGILIENCE+, AdaptationHubs, and future project proposals. Members can find the recording and slides in the Members Hub.
During June we also attended two major EU-level conferences focused on climate resilience and climate adaptation issues: the Climate Chance Summit and EURESFO. The 2026 Climate Chance Brussels Summit brought together a diverse community of climate stakeholders to develop sectoral contributions to the upcoming new EU Climate Resilience Framework which were brought together in a collective call, the Brussels Declaration (more details available here). Later in the month, the 13th European Urban Resilience Forum took place in Guimarães, Portugal. Inspired by Guimarães’s long-standing commitment to embedding sustainability into its cultural fabric, the focus of this edition was to explore integrated approaches to climate resilience that go beyond adaptation alone.
The second half of 2026 promises new opportunities to shape Europe’s climate resilience agenda, and we look forward to continuing this work together with our members and partners.
Stay tuned for more updates on our activities and collective efforts towards #ClimateResilientRegions
