The CLIMAAX consortium was delighted to participate in the 7th biennial European Climate Change Adaptation Conference (ECCA2025), one of the largest conferences on climate change adaptation, that took place on 16-18 June in Rimini, Italy.

The parallel session “Turning Knowledge into Adaptation Action: Lessons Learnt, Barriers and Enablers through the Experience of EU-funded Projects” (June 17, 11:00-12:30 CEST) brought together diverse voices, reflecting on how scientific knowledge can drive real-world climate adaptation.

Organised by the European Climate Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA), the session gathered speakers from five innovative EU-funded projects – CLIMAAX, KNOWING, PIISA, NL-NASCCELERATE, and METROADAPT – to discuss concrete results, persistent barriers and emerging opportunities.

Our project coordinator Frederiek Sperna Weiland (Deltares) shared experiences from developing a climate risk assessment framework used by the 69 CLIMAAX regions across Europe. A key lesson: while scientific models are vital, language and communication must be adapted for regional actors. Strong interest from local authorities was evident, but effective implementation required co-development, continuous support, and translation of complex data into actionable insights.