Workshop 'Science-Policy interactions in national adaptation policy'

"Europe adapts to Climate Change"

This workshop was held on September 14-15, 2009 at the Academiegebouw Utrecht, the Netherlands with its objective to exchange views and experiences on science-policy interactions in support of the development and implementation of adaptation strategies in Europe, to further research and policy development, and explore opportunities for international collaboration. Read the proceedings of the workshops.

Workshop background
After focusing on mitigation for the last decades, Europe now started to adapt to climate change. Many countries are currently in the same phase of developing adaptation research and policy, but are yet searching for the most effective and efficient way of developing and using relevant scientific information. There appears to be ample scope for information exchange and collaborative research at the European level. The complex nature of climate adaptation requires science and policy to interact closely. The awareness has grown that in addition to pure science on climate change, now co-produced and tailored knowledge is needed at all governance levels to assist policy makers in developing adaptation strategies to reduce the impacts and vulnerabilities and enhance adaptive capacity of systems. In response, European countries have started to design specific science-policy processes, targeted research programmes, policy instruments, and internet-based and other tools to provide scientific and technical information to support policy development. The PEER report 'Europe adapts to climate change' has made a first inventory of the activities of European Member states in developing national adaptation strategies. One of the main conclusions is that there are many similarities and differences between countries and there is a large potential for mutual learning.

The workshop covered the following topics:

• How countries are dealing with science-policy interactions at national level
• Designing targeted adaptation research programmes and stakeholder participation
• Experiences in developing methods and tools to disseminate information about climate change impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation options
• Discuss methods and tools to assist and support actors in adaptation practices
• Dealing with uncertainties in communication about climate change adaptation

Conference organisation
The workshop was organised (programme) by the Dutch 'Knowledge for Climate' research programme in collaboration with the German Aerospace Centre, the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, and the CIRCLE ERA-Network. The workshop programme committee exists of:

• Rob Swart, Coordinator International Climate Change Adaptation Research, Wageningen University and research centre, the Netherlands
• Chris West, Director of the UK Climate Impacts Programme, United Kingdom
• Timothy Carter, Finnish Environment Institute, Finland
• Gregor Laumann, DLR, Germany
• Reija Ruuhela, Coordinator Climate Change Adaptation Research Programme ISTO, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry, Finland

If you've got any questions or remarks regarding this workshop, please contact the organiser Robbert Biesbroek (robbert.biesbroek(at)wur.nl).

Presentations (all pdf-documents)

Plenary session 1

• Theories on science-policy interactions in climate change adaptation, by Chris West, UK Climate Impacts Programme
• The role of research in implementation of the Finland’s National Adaptation Strategy, by Tiia Yrjölä, Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry.
• Science-policy interactions for climate-proofing the Netherlands, by Peter Driessen and Kees van Deelen, Knowledge for Climate program
• Science-policy interactions for climate change adaptation in Norway, by Halvor Dannevig and Grete K. Hovelsrud, CICERO
• Science-policy interactions for climate change adaptation in Sweden, by Louise Simonsson, Center for Climate Science and Policy Research Linköping Universit
• Science-policy interactions for climate change adaptation in Germany, by Henk van Liempt, BMBF
• Science-policy interactions for climate change adaptation in the United Kingdom, by Kathryn Humphrey, Defra
• Science-policy interactions for adaptation to climate change in Denmark, by Svend Binnerup, NERI
• Science-policy interactions for climate change adaptation in France, by Bertrand Reysset, ONERC

Parallel session 2

• Science policy interactions at the national level - group 1, by Timothy Carter, SYKE
• Science-policy interactions at the national level - group 2 by Gregor Laumann, DLR

Plenary session 3

• European Union adaptation to climate change: White paper, by Jacques Delsalle, EU-DG Environment
• FP7 Roadmap and adaptation research, by Wolfram Schrimpf, EU-DG RTD
• ERA Networks on impacts, vulnerabilities and adaptation (CIRCLE), by Tiago Capela Lourenço, University of Lisbon

Plenary session 4

• Role of perceptions and attitudes for climate change adaptation at local and regional level, by Nick Pidgeon, Cardiff University
• Adaptation lab Zuidplaspolder, by Hasse Goossen, Alterra
• Science-policy interactions in local and regional adaptation practices, by Susie Ohlenslager, Oxfordshire County Council

Opening Day 2

• Opening day 2 – Introduction to the day’s programme, by day-chair Gregor Laumann, DLR

Plenary session 5

• General principles and different approaches to uncertainties in climate change adaptation, by Suraje Dessai, University of Exeter
• New scenario development ahead of the IPCC AR5, by Timothy Carter, SYKE
• Dealing with uncertainties in the Netherlands: the Delta Commission, by Pavel Kabat, Wageningen University

Plenary session 6

• Comparing the set-up of web based instruments within the European Union: an overview of the CCCRP June 2009 workshop, by Juha Karhu, Finnish Meteorological Institute
• ADAM Digital Compendium, by Jochen Hinkel, Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research
• European Climate Impact Indicators, by Andre Jol, European Environment Agency
• German climate service centre, by Lutz Cleemann from the Sustainable Business Institute