Climate change is making extreme weather events more frequent and severe, increasing the vulnerability of Europe’s cities . Heatwaves, flooding, droughts and water scarcity are already affecting citizens, infrastructure, and economic activity, and continued urbanisation further intensifies these challenges.
As the European Chapter of the World Green Infrastructure Network (WGIN), we publish today a new position paper ahead of the upcoming publication of the European Climate Resilience Framework, planned for release during Q4 2026. We call the Commission to ensure that the t Climate Resilience Framework:
- Embed a mandatory “resilience-by-design” principle across EU planning, public spending, and sectoral policies.
- Establish a clear EU definition of a climate-resilient city, adaptable to national and regional contexts.
- Require climate risk assessments for urban areas, including pathways to scale up blue-green infrastructure solutions.
- Prioritise urban areas, buildings, and critical infrastructure, ensuring renovation policies deliver future-proof, climate-resilient buildings.
Strengthening climate resilience in Europe must start with cities and the built environment.
Read our full set of recommendations here.
