Adaptation Frameworks – national adaptation in an international context

Investment in climate adaptation today can reduce the costs and damage of climate change in the future. Planning for adaptation spending, however, requires intensive research into the expected damage and the necessary and actual expenditures for climate adaptation. The research project Adaptation Frameworks aims to strengthen national climate adaptation policy in Germany with scientific knowledge. One particular research interest here is the possible damage and costs that arise from the consequences of climate change: they must be determined and quantified. In addition, research is investigating how to systematically document adaptation investments by the public sector. This research, which on the one hand records expected damage and costs and on the other hand helps to document adaptation spending, also benefits Germany internationally: the project will better prepare Germany for international requirements and reporting obligations, for example from the EU or the UNFCCC.

Adaptation Frameworks increases the visibility of climate adaptation policy and makes it easier to evaluate policy instruments for climate adaptation. To this end, adelphi is developing concepts for measuring the damage and costs of climate change, classifying public spending and embedding national adaptation policy in the international framework. adelphi and INFRAS are carrying out the project on behalf of the Federal Environment Agency (UBA) and with support from Dr. Friederike Otto of the Environmental Change Institute at the University of Oxford.

The project team is developing a climate damage register to systematically record the damage and costs caused by climate change. They are also working on a classification system to track and document adaptation-relevant expenditure by the public sector in Germany. In addition, the project will consolidate existing and new international requirements, in particular reporting obligations, for the further development of the German climate adaptation strategy.