Horizon Europe Mission Area: Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation

Read on to learn more about the Horizon Europe Mission Area, ‘Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation’.

Mission area: Background and aim

What are Horizon Europe missions and mission areas?

EU missions are commitments to solve major societal challenges like fighting cancer, adapting to climate change, protecting our oceans, living in greener cities and ensuring soil health and food.

As an integral part of the Horizon Europe framework programme beginning in 2021, they are a new way to deliver on these commitments.

Each mission will operate as a portfolio of actions – such as research projects, policy measures or even legislative initiatives – to achieve a measurable goal that could not be achieved through individual actions. The missions will contribute to the goals of the European Green Deal, Europe’s Beating Cancer Plan as well as the Sustainable Development Goals.

About this mission

The unavoidable climate change already showed many threats to human beings. Europe must be prepared and act upon scientific evidence in a coordinated way to adapt to climate change.

This mission aims to create a climate-resilient Europe, protect lives and assets. The impact of the EU’s support will be maximised upon catalysing innovative research solutions, demonstrating the relevance for society and citizens and accelerating social transformation by addressing new communities beyond usual stakeholders.

By 2030, the mission will:

1. Prepare Europe to deal with climate disruptions;
2. Accelerate the transformation to a climate-resilient future;
3. Build deep resilience by scaling up actionable solutions triggering societal transformations.

Timeline of the Mission Area: Adaptation to climate change including societal

• In September 2020, the Mission Board handed in the final recommendations to the European Commission
• A preparatory phase to decide upon detailed actions, investment strategy and performance indicators began in November 2020 and lasted a maximum of 12 months.
• In the last half-year of 2021, the mission was officially launched and entered the implementation phase.

Horizon Europe further reading:

• Horizon Europe work programme reference documents
• Horizon Europe Overview
• Horizon Europe Missions
• Visit the European Commission overview page for “Adaptation to climate change including societal transformation”