At COP29 the critical role of agriculture, forestry, and other land use (AFOLU) as both a catalyst and a provider of potential solutions to rising emissions is of significant importance. “COP29 must lay the groundwork for COP30 by prioritizing sustainable land-use strategies and ensuring stronger commitments to reducing emissions from land use,” says CMCC researcher and member of the Italian delegation to COP29 Matteo Bellotta.
As the world’s leaders, scientists, and policy experts gather for COP29 in Baku, discussions around National Adaptation Plans for the most vulnerable nations, particularly least developed countries, are poised to take center stage. With climate change disproportionately impacting these regions, scientific insight from CMCC researcher Caterina Guidi highlights that adaptation is not just a policy goal but an urgent necessity for survival and sustainable development.
Climate change and biodiversity loss are intertwined crises with common causes and effects. Research, science-based tools, and collaboration are taking center stage as national and international efforts to understand, monitor and promote biodiversity ramp up. From the ongoing COP16 on Biological Diversity to the National Biodiversity Future Centre, Italy’s first National Research and Innovation Center dedicated to biodiversity, getting accurate knowledge and data to decision makers and stakeholders is key.
2024 saw yet another Mediterranean summer characterized by extreme climate and weather events. From waterspouts and wildfires to heatwaves, cyclones and floods, researchers are investigating the causes of these changes, how to better predict them, and what we need to adapt to the changes that they bring.
Climate change induced extreme weather events are on the rise, exacerbating inequalities both between and within countries on all continents. From hurricanes to heatwaves, extreme events impose costs that are not borne equally and that weigh more heavily on the poorest. “We are increasingly seeing that differing capacities for adapting to climate change are not just a matter that concerns high- and low-income countries but also the social differences within wealthy ones,” says CMCC researcher Giacomo Nicolini.
The frequency and intensity of wildfire events is on the rise due to a combination of climate and land use changes. However, the dominant approach to wildfire management, namely direct reaction and response, is starting to prove both ineffective and in some ways even contributing to megafire events. With researchers increasingly focusing on prevention and preparedness there are new solutions to creating resilient firewise communities.
What does it mean to be the world’s fastest warming continent toppling flooding, temperature and wildfire records as glaciers melt at unprecedented rates and communities suffer like never before? Understanding the latest trends in Europe’s climate, including progress in areas such as renewable energy generation and resilience to extreme events, is the key to effective adaptation and mitigation.
Urban environment and infrastructure design are among the intersections of local, national, and European adaptation policies. Evidence of these interactions is part of the New European Bauhaus, where architecture and creativity meet climate science and sustainable development goals.
We explore insights from the European Environment Agency (EEA) report ‘Urban Adaptation in Europe’, which analyses solutions to climate challenges.
Architects and planners are increasingly concerned with integrating green systems that ensure the well-being of urban communities into their projects. Livia Shamir, Head of the Research Department at Stefano Boeri Architetti, explains how this challenge plays out in different projects across the world and across income groups.
The EEA’s first ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) identifies justice as a key component of adaptation. Yet justice is not just about measuring the equity in distribution of benefits and burdens from climate impacts, it’s also intrinsically tied to the concept of resilience.
Climate scientists worked together with state property administrators and technicians towards understanding and assessing key climate hazards for buildings in Italy. A one-of-its-kind collaboration, it resulted in a step-by-step methodology to support efforts in evaluating the impacts of climate change on built heritage. The process involved examining prevalent tools in architectural and urban design, analyzing common policy frameworks, and exploring emerging trends at the community level.
The accuracy and timeliness of weather forecasts can make all the difference in decision making processes. However, as private sector actors leverage artificial intelligence to develop more accurate forecasts than traditional models, experts and journalists try to identify new ethical, political, and technological challenges for the future of weather forecasting.
