Public-private partnerships and adaptation of European economic sectors: between legislation, financing, and innovation for enhanced sovereignty?

In the face of accelerating climate change impacts, investment needs for adaptation in Europe are estimated at nearly €70 billion per year, within a broader context of a global investment gap exceeding €300 billion annually, according to the Institute for Climate Economics (I4CE). At the same time, the European Union seeks to strengthen its industrial sovereignty and the competitiveness of its economic sectors, notably through initiatives such as the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act.

In this context, public–private partnerships (PPPs) appear as a strategic lever to finance and deploy climate adaptation infrastructure and solutions, while mobilising economic stakeholders. However, their structuring raises major challenges: limited short-term profitability, integration of climate risks, risk-sharing between public and private actors, and alignment with European regulatory frameworks.

This workshop aims to explore the conditions required to design effective climate-resilient PPPs, by bringing together perspectives from financial, institutional, economic, and operational stakeholders. It highlights the financial tools, regulatory frameworks, and practical lessons learned needed to secure investments, strengthen infrastructure resilience, and embed these projects within a sustainable and competitive transition pathway at European level.

Given an estimated need of €70 billion per year for climate adaptation in Europe and a global investment gap of more than €300 billion per year (I4CE), how can climate-resilient public–private partnerships (PPPs) be structured, financed, and governed to support climate adaptation while also strengthening industrial sovereignty in line with the forthcoming Industrial Accelerator Act and enhancing the competitiveness of European economic sectors?