The biennial European Climate Change Adaptation conference is convened by projects that have received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 Research and Innovation Framework Programme. ECCA 2019 – Working together to prepare for change – is the fourth such conference, to be hosted in Lisbon from 28–31 May, 2019.
In 2010, the first global conference on adaptation was held in Gold Coast, Australia under the umbrella of the UN Environment Programme of Research on Climate Change Vulnerability, Impacts and Adaptation (PROVIA). This marked the beginning of the biennial Adaptation Futures conferences, and inspired a group of European participants to organise Europe-focused events in the alternate years. The European Commission agreed to support the conference series, assigning management of the events to project coordinators of three EU-funded adaptation research projects.
ECCA 2013 – Integrating climate into action
Hamburg, 18–20 March 2013
The first ECCA was organised by EU research projects RESPONSES, CLIMSAVE, MEDIATION and ClimateCost, covering a broad range of adaptation issues. The conference focused on understanding and assessing adaptation in action with topics covering risk and vulnerability assessments, governance, and impact and effectiveness studies, as well as the economics of adaptation.
ECCA 2015 – Integrating climate adaptation action in science, policy, practice and business
Copenhagen, 12–14 May 2015
More than 750 participants from 46 countries took part in ECCA 2015 in Copenhagen. The conference offered a platform for researchers, policymakers, and businesses to share new research results, novel policy developments, and practical implementation experiences on climate change impacts and adaptation. Opportunities for business innovations to support the transition to low carbon societies were also highlighted.
Sessions were designed to combine knowledge, policy, practice and business as well as showcase how climate change adaptation in Europe can contribute to job creation and other societal benefits.
BASE, RAMSES and ToPDAd were the EU-funded projects behind the second ECCA.
ECCA 2017 – Our climate ready future
Glasgow, 05–09 June 2017
The vision for ECCA 2017 was to inspire and enable people to work together to discover and deliver positive climate adaptation solutions that can strengthen society, revitalise local economies and enhance the environment. The City of Glasgow welcomed over 850 people to the third ECCA, which featured for the first time a business and innovation programme.
Contributions from young speakers stressed the need for deeper involvement of young people in climate action and policymaking at all levels. A challenge embedded into the city’s school curricula led to an exhibition by local school children of their imaginative solutions to Glasgow’s flooding problems.
ECCA 2017 was organised by the EU-funded IMPRESSIONS, HELIX and RISES-AM projects.