The Regions4 "Regions in Action" report showcases the progress by subnational governments in the integrating of climate justice in climate change adaptation

20/12/2023

The Regions4 network of subnational governments has published the RegionsAdapt 2023 progress report, which analyses how subnational governments integrate vulnerable populations and the dimensions of climate justice in their climate adaptation assessments, action planning and reports.

This year's assessment is based on an exhaustive review of the literature, interviews with regional governments and data of the Carbon Disclosure Project (CDP) of 36 RegionsAdapt members, representing over 263 million people. The report features 16 case studies of regional governments that lead climate justice by means of community-driven innovative policies and initiatives, such as promoting climate justice, inclusive planning, monitoring and assessing adaptation, skills development and sharing knowledge.

These include the guide prepared by Ihobe and Emakunde, which analyses the causes, effects, leadership and participation in climate action from the gender perspective.

Arantxa Tapia, Chair of Regions4 and the Basque Government's Minister for Economic Development, Sustainability and the Environment, stressed that "the Basque Country is proud to be leading this international effort, where regions collaborate, learn from each other and work together for a more sustainable, just and resilient future. In the Basque Country, our commitment to inclusion and equity drives us to address climate justice holistically, as can be seen from our course of action to integrate the gender perspective in climate change initiatives. Climate policies are not neutral from the gender perspective; they can perpetuate inequalities if they do not converge with gender equality policies”.

In turn, Benoit Charette, the Quebec Government's Minister of the Environment, explained that “this report properly details the progress achieved by subnational states in the action for climate justice. It illustrates how they are at the cutting-edge of adaptation actions as they deploy measures that address climate change taking the social problems into account, which highlights the scope of the progress made and underscores the best practices. This ultimately fosters innovation and encourages boldness in our public policies".

Since 2016, this annual report has showcased the crucial role of subnational governments in the efforts of climate resilience and has disseminated its progress in the commitments assumed by the regions by means of the RegionsAdapt global initiative. In 2023 alone, the participating regions reported 174 adaptation actions.

RegionsAdapt, the flagship climate initiative of Regions4, has support regional governments in the implementation of climate change adaptation strategies since 2015. With over 70 signatory members that impact over 300 million citizens, RegionsAdapt is testimony to the collaborative endeavours in climate adaptation.