The Danish Climate Adaptation Strategy

The next decades of climate change will require Denmark to adapt significantly in a number of sectors.

The UN Climate Change body, the IPCC, estimates that in the future we can expect higher temperatures, increasing water level and more extreme weather phenomena.
 
Climate change occurs gradually over a very long time, and the societal consequences of climate change will depend on when and to what extent such changes occur. In any event, the design of infrastructure and buildings will have to be adapted to accommodate the expected changes in climate. The government’s aim in adopting its Climate Adaptation Strategy is therefore to ensure that Denmark manages to adapt to climate change in time.

Guidelines for authorities
The strategy includes a number of guidelines for authorities, businesses and citizens, enabling them to respond promptly and flexibly to the challenge that climate change poses for society. The strategy describes the vulnerability of sectors where future climate change is likely to have an impact, and also includes an initiative for effectively targeting information, a professional research strategy as well as the establishment of an organisational body to ensure a coordinated effort between the public authorities.

Relation between reductions and adaptation
All over Denmark initiatives have been taken to meet the unfortunate consequences of future climate change. These initiatives range from the study and analysis of new regulations and agreements to concrete proposals, for example to ensure that buildings are resilient to future flooding.

The government's climate adaptation strategy should be read in conjunction with efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. Reducing emissions and adaptation is not an either/or situation, but rather both/and.