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SESSION PROPOSAL

Download the submission template and complete the 5 steps of the form to submit your session proposal. 
Read the submission guidelines below.

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Choose a Theme

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You can learn more about the Session Types in the guidelines

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SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

Thank you for your interest in submitting an application. On this page you can download the document with all the necessary information and instructions. Please read them carefully before proceeding with your application.

Proposals must be submitted through the official online form, by completing all the required fields, and must be in English.

The deadline for submissions is February 03 2025

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ECCA2025 COMMITTEES

THEMES

Session proposals should align with the five ECCA2025 themes:

Communities, organizations, and individuals are facing escalating impacts from climate extremes such as floods, heatwaves, droughts, and storms, which call for urgent adaptation across homes, workplaces, and the environment. There is a need to support local solutions that can strengthen our systems to be prepared for a future marked by extreme weather events. We also need to understand the changing nature of climate threats, as well as the concurrency of multiple catastrophes. Sessions under this theme will explore both successful and challenging examples of adaptation in different settings (e.g., coastal, rural, and urban areas), encouraging discussions on equitable solutions, representation of underrepresented groups, and case studies on resilience and interactions between communities, policymakers, and practitioners. Topics exploring technological advancements, such as early warning systems, progress metrics, and the role of cross-sector cooperation in building resilience to climate extremes, are also welcome.

Over the last 10 years, significant scientific, methodological and practical advances have supported urban climate adaptation. Despite progress, many European cities remain vulnerable to complex, interconnected and often compounding climate risks. There is an urgent need to scale up existing solutions to a wider range of urban environments. Contributions under this theme can address transformative urban planning, scalable climate services and solutions, innovative financing mechanisms, governance strategies, integrating adaptation with mitigation. Emphasis will be put on addressing barriers to scalability and replicability, tools and methodologies that reflect the diverse needs of cities and addressing the lack of data in planning using digitalization, artificial intelligence, and improved data infrastructure. The aspects of balancing long-term climate strategies with immediate socio-economic needs, while focusing on climate justice and inclusive transitions, will be of paramount importance. Sessions may also explore the acceleration of urban adaptation through innovative multi-level governance approaches, public-private partnerships, as well as place-based approaches to climate risks, and innovative research methodologies (narratives, climate storytelling, implementation of adaptation pathways, etc.).

As climate change intensifies, coastal and mountain regions face critical risks that require targeted adaptation strategies. Coastal regions face rising sea levels, severe storms, coastal erosion, inundation, and coastal heat waves all of which threaten ecosystems, infrastructure, and communities. This theme will cover adaptation strategies and measures such as engineered defences and nature-based solutions, including marine restoration and dune reinforcement. CoastPredict’s Global Coast initiative can serve as a reference for climate resilience planning. Sessions will explore actionable strategies for coastal resilience, focusing on predictive modelling, digital twin of coastal areas, adaptive land use, and community engagement that integrates ecological and socio-economic needs.

Mountain regions are also particularly affected by climate change with temperatures rising faster in higher altitude, and natural hazards accelerating. By the end of the century, European mountains are predicted to have changed radically: large glaciers will have experienced significant mass loss; changes will also impact the lower, mid-hills, and floodplain environments. Changes are also predicted in socio-economic contexts (e.g. tourism flows changing). Adaptation in mountain areas requires an integrated approach involving water management, spatial planning, agriculture, forestry, and tourism. Sessions will highlight existing challenges, best practices, nature-based solutions, and the latest knowledge and complementarity between local initiatives, national policies, and global frameworks, in increasing the resilience of European mountain regions.

Climate change is a risk multiplier with socio-economic, environmental and cultural consequences. In line with the European adaptation agenda that endorses the UN “Leave No One Behind” principle, this theme will feature sessions that explore the human, political and legal dimensions of adaptation efforts.

For the human aspect of this theme, sessions should focus on the fair distribution of benefits of adaptation responses, the avoidance of maladaptation, and broader discussions on environmental justice and social vulnerability in adaptation responses. Sessions should also deal with the evolving architecture of climate change politics, at different governance levels as well as the policy challenges of adaptation. More particularly, contributions that explore innovative approaches to climate change, coupling cross-policy and inter-agency collaboration, to advance progressive and pragmatic understandings of adaptation policies, are welcome.

On the legal dimension, sessions should cover litigation as an emerging tool to address adaptation, with attention to its role in managing business risks for the private sector, as well as challenges for public administrations. Emphasis will be placed on its impact on climate governance, its potential to strengthen adaptation efforts in Europe, and the implications of human rights and due diligence obligations in such cases.

Finally, sessions on addressing other conference themes through legal and governance lens are welcome.

Adaptation finance is a continuing challenge for Europe. With impacts accelerating, global adaptation needs are considerably larger than flows, widening the adaptation gap (UNEP, 2024). The World Bank estimates European investment needs as between €15bn and €64bn a year through to 2030 (World Bank, 2024). The Adaptation Mission recognises finance as a key enabling condition to create a climate resilient Europe (European Commission 2023).

Contributions under this theme will explore new and innovative approaches to boost the supply of adaptation finance. These will include estimating and assessing adaptation finance needs and flows of the EU, Member States and Regions, translating adaptation plans into bankable programmes and projects, engaging the private sector, and developing innovative financial instruments and business models. The theme will also address solutions which help close the insurance protection gap and discuss enabling environments for adaptation including in building adaptive capacity, governance arrangements, policies and regulation, legal instruments, and economic valuation methods. By showcasing real-world examples, this theme aims to advance understanding of how finance can support resilient and inclusive adaptation for communities across Europe.

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