DECA

The average global temperature is today 0.95 to 1.20 °C higher than at the end of the 19th century. Scientists consider an increase of 2°C compared to pre-industrialised levels as a threshold with dangerous and catastrophic consequences for climate and the environment.
Public authorities, from the European Union to municipalities, are working to reduce global warming and have a key role to play in managing climate risks and vulnerabilities of their communities. Local Authorities have also an essential local and critical knowledge in identifying adaptation policies that will build resilience locally: some of these are MITIGATION ACTIONS that attract private-sector support and investment (electric vehicles, for example). But ADAPTATION ACTIONS (for example, bigger drainage schemes to deal with fiercer rainstorms) are very expensive, and offer less attractive rates of return for the private investor – or even none at all. So public money is more important – at a time of economic difficulty across Europe.
DECA (Delivering Effective Climate Actions) will accelerate and intensify Public Authories response to the adaptation crisis; eight European regions will concentrate on INNOVATIVE FINANCING, ie better use of funding opportunities, cross-sectoral approaches, different accounting protocols, value of non-financial benefits, creative partnerships, robust investment planning. In turn this requires CAPACITY-BUILDING, ie better skills, clearer and more exact definition of adaptation activities, quality data, mutual understanding between stakeholders, how to prepare “adaptation investment” proposals.
The regions will:
* Identify and share good practices to address the key problems
* Build capacity of 8 public authorities through training and knowledge-transfer
* Improve 8 relevant policy instruments to provide stronger leadership and better protection