DISTENDER presents the culmination of years of research delivering a new foundation for climate-resilient decision-makin

The EU-funded DISTENDER project has released "Integrating Adaptation and Mitigation for Climate-Resilient Decision-Making", an evidence-based synthesis of the project's scientific achievements, methodologies, and policy insights from across ten European regions.

DISTENDER's final publication offers a complete, integrated account of how the project has advanced climate adaptation and mitigation planning by combining high-resolution climate science, socio-economic foresight, sectoral impact assessments and innovative decision-support tool.

Download it here.

More specifically, it presents the results of the core case studies, five follower cities, and hundreds of scientific analyses into an accessible resource designed for policymakers, planners, researchers and practitioners:

Key topics featured include:

· Co-created methodologies combining adaptation and mitigation in a single, integrated framework

· Localised socio-economic and climate scenarios developed with stakeholders

· Advanced climate downscaling translating global projections into local, decision-ready datasets

· Sectoral risk and vulnerability analyses spanning water, energy, agriculture, health, mobility, ecosystems and urban systems

· Economic evaluations (CBA, MCA) revealing feasibility, trade-offs, synergies and distributional impacts

· Cross-case study comparison and lessons learned, showcasing patterns, challenges and transferable solutions

· Evidence-based policy recommendations aligned with the European Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, the Paris Agreement and the SDGs

These findings collectively highlight how integrated climate planning can reduce risks, improve public health, support green transitions and strengthen institutional capacity.

Alongside the scientific results, the Final Publication presents a new decision support system (DSS).

The DSS is a user-friendly platform that enables:

· Exploration of indicators (climate, health, air quality, water, energy, agriculture) across multiple scenarios

· Ranking of adaptation and mitigation strategies through transparent multi-criteria analysis

· Testing of "what-if" scenarios, supporting robust and evidence-based decision-making

A European effort validated in 10 territories

The Final Publication showcases results from the core case studies Austria, The Netherlands, Dehesas/Montados (Spain/Portugal), Turin (Italy), and Guimarães (Portugal) and the follower cities of Lviv (Ukraine), Miskolc (Hungary), Nova Gorica (Slovenia), Valencia (Spain), and Alcorcón (Spain), which together provided a unique testing ground for evaluating scenarios, impacts, and strategies across diverse climates, governance structures, and socio-economic conditions.

A contribution to European and global climate goals

The Final Publication demonstrates how integrated approaches, co-designed with stakeholders, can support major policy priorities, including:

· The European Green Deal

· The EU Adaptation Strategy

· National energy and climate plans (NECPs)

· The Paris Agreement

· The UN Sustainable Development Goals

By linking climate science to policy design and practical implementation, DISTENDER offers a pathway for more coherent, equitable and effective climate action.

The Final Publication is now available online and includes links to DISTENDER's datasets, tools and

detailed case study reports.

· Download the Final Publication.

· Explore the DISTENDER DSS!

· Discover our Policy Briefs.

· Visit DISTENDER's website

Contacts:

Project Coordinator:

Roberto San José, roberto@fi.upm.es

Communication & Press contact:
Eylul Aksekili: eylul.aksekili@icons.it
Project website: www.distender.eu
Cover image credit: Foto di Akil Mazumder

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