Today, the European Commission has published new technical guidance on
climate-proofing of infrastructure projects for the period
2021-2027.
The guidance will help mainstream climate considerations in
future investment and development of infrastructure projects from
buildings, network infrastructure to a range of built systems and
assets. That way, institutional and private European investors
will be able to make informed decisions on projects deemed
compatible with the Paris Agreement and the EU climate
objectives.
The guidance adopted today will thus help the EU deliver the
European Green Deal,
implement requirements under the European Climate Law and make EU
spending greener. It is aligned with a greenhouse gas emission
reduction pathway of -55% net emissions by 2030 and climate
neutrality by 2050; follows the ‘energy efficiency first' and ‘do
no significant harm' principles; and fulfils requirements set out
in the legislation for several EU funds such as InvestEU,
Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), European Regional Development
Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Just Transition Fund
(JTF).
The impacts of climate change are already having repercussions
for assets and infrastructure with long lifetimes such as
railways, bridges or power stations, and these impacts are set to
intensify in the future. For example, building in areas that are
likely to be affected by sea level rise requires particular
attention; similarly, heat tolerance for railway tracks needs to
account for the projected higher maximum temperature rather than
historical values. It is therefore essential to clearly identify
– and consequently to invest in – infrastructure that is prepared
for a climate-neutral and climate-resilient future.
Climate-proofing is a process that integrates climate change
mitigation and adaptation measures into the development of
infrastructure projects. The technical guidance adopted today
sets out common principles and practices for the identification,
classification and management of physical climate risks when
planning, developing, executing and monitoring infrastructure
projects and programmes. The process is divided into two pillars
(mitigation, adaptation) and two phases (screening, detailed
analysis) and the documentation and verification of
climate-proofing forms is considered an essential part of the
rationale for making investment decisions.
Specifically, for infrastructure with a lifespan beyond 2050, the
guidance stipulates that the operation, maintenance and final
decommissioning of any project should be carried out in a
climate-neutral way, which may include circular economy
considerations, such as the recycling or repurposing of
materials. The climate resilience of new infrastructure projects
should be ensured through adequate adaptation measures, based on
a climate risk assessment.
Additional technical guidance on the climate-proofing of
investments other than infrastructure is available in Commission
Notice (2021/C 280-01).
Background
The new technical guidance on climate-proofing of infrastructure
projects has been developed by the Commission in close
cooperation with potential implementing partners for InvestEU
along with the EIB Group.
It is primarily intended for project promoters and experts
involved in the preparation of infrastructure projects. It may
also be a useful reference for public authorities, implementing
partners, investors, stakeholders, and others.
Based on lessons learnt from climate-proofing major projects over
the period 2014-2020, this guidance also integrates
climate-proofing with project cycle management (PCM),
environmental impact assessments (EIA), and strategic
environmental assessment (SEA) processes, and it includes
recommendations to support national climate-proofing processes in
Member States.
For More Information
New technical guidance on
climate-proofing of infrastructure projects
EU Strategy on Adaptation
to Climate Change
Adaptation to climate
change webpage
