Climate Chance Europe 2026 Summit

Opening plenary: What are the challenges facing the new European adaptation strategy?

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Wednesday 03 June
10:00 12:30
Climate Chance Europe 2026 Summit
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Description

As the war continues to rage in Ukraine, strategic alliances are being reshaped, and the economic vulnerabilities of the Old Continent are coming to light, the new European Commission has set a clear course for its 2024–2029 mandate: “Europe must take its independence” (Ursula von der Leyen, State of the Union address, 10 September 2025).

Previously at the heart of the Green Deal, climate policies have now taken a back seat in the EU agenda, which is increasingly structured around two strategic priorities: competitiveness and defence. The Omnibus simplification package has been perceived by some as a “green backlash,” sacrificing climate ambition in favour of economic competitiveness (Teulières et al., 2025). Others, however, argue that the return of a form of “wartime ecology”—a concept developed in France by Pierre Charbonnier following Russia’s aggression in Ukraine—could, under the pressure of conflict, help re-legitimize the energy transition and resource efficiency as drivers of sovereignty (Charbonnier, 2026).

Between these two perspectives, one reality remains: Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world and, regardless of its mitigation efforts, it must adapt. In the current context, climate adaptation is no longer just a component of climate policy: like health, military, technological, or demographic risks, climate change now represents a direct threat to the EU’s strategic priorities—namely security, competitiveness, and the defence of democratic values (von der Leyen, 2024).

Against this backdrop, what model of climate adaptation can the EU develop to address its strategic priorities without compromising its climate ambitions? Which instruments can accelerate the integration of adaptation into European investments and public policies? And how can non-state actors be effectively mobilised in this effort?

This opening plenary aims to examine the European Union’s climate adaptation model in light of the strategic priorities set by the new European Commission (2024–2029). It seeks to identify key lines of dialogue for the conference, as well as high-level recommendations to inform the future Integrated Framework on Climate Resilience and the financing of adaptation under the next Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034).

Speakers

  • Ans PERSOONS, Secretary of State for the Brussels-Capital Region, in charge of Environment, Climate, Urban Renewal, Heritage, and the Image of Brussels

  • Ronan DANTEC, President of Climate Chance, Climate Spokesperson for CEMR, Senator for Loire-Atlantique

  • Antoine GILLOD, Editor at the Climate Chance Observatory

  • Frederik CEULEMANS, Alderman for Urban Renewal, Climate, Citizen Participation, and Dutch-speaking Affairs, City of Brussels

  • Anne BARRE, Senior Gender and Climate Expert, WECF

  • Evelyne HUYTEBROECK, Former Belgian Minister for the Environment and Energy