Adaptation to climate change not sufficiently taken into account in Ile-de-France, according to a study

The first obstacle to addressing this issue, according to the Ile-de-France urban planning agency, is the difficulty of measuring the vulnerability of the territory and its sensitivity to climate events, a complex, costly exercise that is sometimes considered secondary after studying the pathways for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The IPR also regrets the lack of cross-functionality of adaptation measures and calls on communities not to work in silos.

For example, when it comes to the energy renovation of buildings, few transition plans "incorporate the issue of adaptation" to an increase in heat waves and "summer comfort," the study notes.

Among the adaptation measures identified, three-quarters mainly relate to regulatory or political change, such as integrating climate issues into the local urban planning plan (PLU) or defining sustainable development rules.

In addition, there are 11% of measures called "green actions", or "nature-based adaptation solutions", 3% of "grey actions", linked to the deployment of infrastructure or the construction of buildings, and 10% of measures which combine these two solutions.

These figures, however, come from the study of 25 transition plans dating from the end of 2021, the theoretical year of a mid-term review after the adoption in 2018 of the "territorial climate-air-energy plans" (PCAET) in inter-municipalities with more than 20.000 inhabitants.

The development of these PCAETs was delayed, and by the end of 2021, only 42% of the affected Paris region communities had one. However, by October 2024, 72% had a plan in place.

The lessons of this study are "still relevant," argues Sandra Garrigou, Climate Plan and Adaptation Project Manager and author of the report. Adaptation is "still a challenge" for local authorities, who "still need to organize themselves" to address this issue, she explains to AFP.

Last week, the government decided to double the amount allocated to inter-municipal authorities to finance their energy transition and climate change adaptation projects, increasing it to €200 million by 2025.

The third national climate change adaptation plan (PNACC) was also launched by the government in early March and focuses on the implementation of around fifty measures at the local level.

Illustrative image of the article via Depositphotos.com.