​​The European Committee of the Regions (CoR) welcomes the new EU Strategy on Adaptation to Climate Change adopted by the European Commission on 24 February 2021. The CoR regrets, however, that even though it enables the move from planning to action it still lacks concrete climate adaptation targets. The new strategy sets out how the European Union (EU) can adapt to the impacts of climate change. From 1980 to 2016, the total economic losses caused by extreme weather in Europe amounted to over EUR 436 billion. The COVID-19 pandemic has only exacerbated the need to build a healthier and safer environment for all. The CoR called for a new EU climate adaptation strategy in an opinion adopted at the December 2020 plenary session.

Kohaliku ja piirkondliku tasandi juhid rõhutasid täna, et Euroopa peab tegema COVID-19 kriisist õiged järeldused ja sillutama teed keskkonnahoidlikule taastumisele, andes linnadele ja piirkondadele võimaluse juhtida kliimamuutuste vastast võitlust. See sõnum esitati Euroopa Regioonide Komitee liikmete arutelus Saksamaa keskkonna-, looduskaitse- ja tuumaohutuse ministri Svenja Schulzega. Euroopa Regioonide Komitee kutsus samuti kõiki ELi 27 liikmesriigi riigipäid ja valitsusjuhte üles näitama suuremat ambitsioonikust ja leppima sel nädalal kokku vähemalt 55% heitkoguste vähendamise eesmärgis 2030. aastaks.

CoR members Karl-Heinz Lambertz (BE/PES) and Declan McDonnell (IE/AE), as well as Gisela Erler from the State Ministry of Baden-Württemberg in Germany and Bassem Asseh, Deputy Mayor of Nantes in France, debated in a panel 'Citizens' engagement in times of COVID-19: lessons from EU cities and regions' in the framework of the European Citizen Engagement and Deliberative Democracy Festival and presented the citizen engagement initiatives that they are conducting in their cities or regions. They expressed unanimously that COVID-19 pandemic with its uncertainties and shared responsibilities makes is even more pertinent to mobilise citizens to share with them not only relevant knowledge, but also to involve them on the governance of political agenda and crisis. Against this background, they call for a launch the Conference on the Future of Europe as soon as possible.

Täiskogu istungjärgul #CoRplenary toimub ka mõttevahetus Saksamaa ministri ja nelja Euroopa Komisjoni volinikuga kliimaeesmärkide, integratsiooni, põllumajanduse, laienemise ja ELi strateegilise mõtlemise üle.​