Climate change adaptation starts at the local level
Climate change and biodiversity loss pose serious risks to global economies. While reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains essential, adapting to climate change has also become increasingly important. In this context, it is more cost-effective to act early on both mitigation and adaptation.
Kuvaaja: Lassi Häkkinen / Lahden kaupunki
Greenhouse gas emissions are inherently global: they accumulate in the shared atmosphere regardless of where they are produced.
Emissions are also relatively easy to measure and price, which, in theory, enables the selection of the most cost-effective emission reduction measures. In practice, however, this is often not the case. While countries aim to mitigate climate change, they also continue to support fossil-fuel-based economies in various ways.
Although mitigation is essential, it is not sufficient on its own. Increasingly visible impacts of climate change make adaptation to changing conditions necessary. Earlier, global climate policy mainly emphasised mitigation; now, it includes adaptation.
Adaptation is rooted in local action
Climate change adaptation is fundamentally local. One of the key messages from audit institutions is that adaptation measures must be planned together with communities. Cities and municipalities, therefore, play a central role.
However, implementation is often hindered by insufficient cooperation between different actors. Challenges exist both between administrative sectors and across different levels of governance. Although the EU Adaptation Strategy identifies the local level as the cornerstone of adaptation, most municipalities are unaware of the strategy, and fewer than half have developed an adaptation plan. This was highlighted in a survey by the European Court of Auditors.
Adaptation can also make the global nature of climate change more tangible. The impact of a single city’s emissions reductions on global emissions can be difficult to grasp. In contrast, local adaptation measures help people understand how climate change affects their immediate environment – and provide concrete perspectives on a global phenomenon.
Funding alone is not enough without effectiveness
Because climate change impacts vary by region, successful adaptation depends on local conditions. For instance, some areas may experience drought due to changes in the water cycle, while others may face heavy rainfall and flooding, underscoring the importance of tailoring responses to specific regional challenges.
Short-sighted adaptation can steer development in the wrong direction. The European Court of Auditors has identified several harmful examples: expanding irrigation rather than shifting to less water-intensive crops, building coastal barriers rather than guiding land use, and investing in snowmaking rather than developing year-round tourism. These are often short-term solutions that give insufficient attention to long-term impacts.
Policy coherence improves cost-effectiveness
While leading a global Working Group on Environmental Auditing, National Audit Office of Finland highlighted the need for greater policy coherence. Contradictions are not confined to climate action and fossil fuel subsidies; tensions may also emerge between closely related areas, such as climate and biodiversity policy. Though these often align, renewable energy development, for instance, can weaken biodiversity. On the other hand, nature-based solutions may both reduce emissions and enhance biodiversity.
Based on audit findings, it is necessary to actively integrate mitigation and adaptation policies rather than design and implement them separately. Stronger coordination is needed to identify synergies, with cities and the local level playing a key role. Immediate efforts to coordinate policies at all levels are crucial.
