Adaptation to climate change and the financing of  infrastructures

As underlined in the 4th report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), greenhouse gas emissions reduction actions will not suffice to avoid major climate change through the XXIst century. Our society must take steps to face it. That is why the Mission Climat at the Caisse des Dépôts, under the aegis of the APREC, has decided to launch a new research program about climate change adaptation and the financing of infrastructures.

One of the tasks of the Association for the Promotion of Research into the Economy of Carbon is to finance the development of research programs in relation with the economy of climate change, while the Caisse des Dépôts has engaged with determination in the setting up of economic instruments to mitigate greenhouse gas emissions.

For more information about adaptation to climate change and the programme on adaptation undertaken by Mission Climat, please click here.

The research programme encompasses five modules:

• North/South problems
• Cities and local government
• Water, agriculture and forests
• Industrial infrastructure
• Financial sector

The program’ organization will be similar to that of the 2007-2008 program for the ex post evaluation of the European GES quotas market, with the final publication of a reference book on infrastructures adaptation to climate change, based on academic research and empirical case studies.

Concrete actions already undertaken by Mission Climat:

• 16th january 2008: the Mission Climat launches preliminary studies for the APREC through a series of high level conferences with Dr Pachauri, Chairman of the IPCC (conference in partnership with the Université Paris-Dauphine). The best French and international experts will be attending.
  
  
• First Quarter 2008 : following the conference with Dr Pachauri, kickoff of the international research program, steered from the Mission Climat, in partnership with two or three international research centers, yet to be identified.
  
  
• Constitution of a Cities, Territories and Climate Change Club,the first work topic of which will be the issue of infrastructures and their adaptation to climate change. Intended for local authorities, still deprived of information about their role in the field, this part of the program will result in practical recommendations for infrastructure financing as early as 2009. In that perspective, quarterly meetings with the participation of large French local authorities will be held. Several contacts have been established with mayors from large cities with a peculiar concern for the consequences of climate change.
  For more information about the club ViTeCC, please click here.
  
  
• 7-8 April 2008: Participation in the OECD workshop on “Economic aspects of adaptation”.
  Presentation of Mr de Perthuis.
  
  
• Realisation of maps representing impacts of climate change in France and in the world.