Combating climate change becomes an everyday matter (and big business)

For quite some time, we have understood that measures to counter the climate change concern us as individuals when we decide to travel, invest or just buy our daily food. The discussion about food miles has only just begun. Now, it will also become an everyday matter in politics. The European Commission is preparing a green paper to be presented on June 19th that will set out how the EU can integrate measures to adapt to climate change into domestic and foreign policy.

The commission says a group could be set up under the European climate change programme (ECCP) to identify "essential elements of future concerted action". A resulting report in mid-2008 would form the basis for a commission communication on adaptation, says ENDS, a European Environmental report service in a recent communication. They further say that the Commission considers a new EU-funded "Global climate alliance" from 2007. The commission would contribute €50m and member states would be asked to make an "equal contribution" to the pot. It is unclear which adaptation measures would be financed.

The Stern-review has shown that there is a need for adaptation in many senses of the word, but not the least in adapting existing infrastructure to new climatic conditions. That will, of course, spell out some quite big business opportunities as well.