Regions Leading the Way: Highlights from the Fourth Mission Forum on Adaptation to Climate Change

The Fourth Forum of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change brought together more than 450 participants in Wrocław and online, under the Polish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This year’s event focused on the Mission Charter Signatories and the real progress being delivered by regions since the Mission began three years ago. 

Day 1: Imagining Our Climate Resilient Future 
The Forum opened with a creative and collaborative session where participants co-developed a “Newspaper from the Future,” imagining a world where climate adaptation has succeeded. The headlines captured ambition, innovation and the strength of local leadership in making resilience a reality. 

In the evening, participants gathered for a reception where senior representatives from the European Commission, national ministries and local authorities expressed their commitment to a shared climate agenda. Their unified messages made it clear that building a resilient future requires collaboration across all levels of government and society. 

Day 2: From Commitment to Action
The second day began with a press conference featuring the Paulina Hennig-Kloska, Minister of Climate and Environment, Republic of Poland and Wopke Hoekstra, the European Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth. Commissioner Hoekstra’s opening keynote then underlined the importance of resilience by design. The announcement of 16 new Mission Charter Signatories marked another step forward, signalling growing momentum and expanding commitment.

Quote from Wopke Hoekstra: “This leaves us with no choice but to continue at full speed with our climate action efforts. We need to mitigate and we need to do more in Europe and beyond. But on top of that, we need adapt to our changing environment, be better prepared and more resilient. This is why this Forum, and the EU Mission on Adaptation, are so important.

It's truly a landmark initiative.

You're all here, from across the EU, as representatives of regions, cities, and local authorities working on how to better prepare for, withstand, and recover from climate impacts.”

Throughout the day, regions shared practical examples of how they are adapting to climate challenges. From water reuse and heat adaptation to flood resilience and nature-based solutions, participants exchanged knowledge and tools that are already shaping more resilient communities.

Three Years On: A Mission Delivering Results
Now three years in, the Fourth Forum demonstrated the Mission’s shift from ambition to implementation. Local and regional authorities are not only key players in climate adaptation, they are also generating real outcomes that protect people, economies and ecosystems.

A sincere thank you to everyone who took part, and to the Polish Presidency for hosting this year’s Forum. As the Mission continues, the message is clear. Collaboration, shared learning, and strong local leadership will remain central to a climate-resilient Europe.

View the highlights video

View the slide deck and recording