Meet the regions
A programme is born: 2023
Launched in 2023 as a flagship initiative of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, Pathways2Resilience was designed with a clear ambition: to give local and regional authorities the tools, training, and support they need to prepare for the mounting impacts of climate change. From its earliest days, the programme offered far more than guidance documents, it promised a genuine transformational journey.
The first cohort: October 2024
In October 2024, the programme took its first major step forward. Selected from a competitive pool of 164 applicants, 39 regions and communities across Europe formally began their resilience journeys. Together, they represent a population of more than 53 million people and face a wide spectrum of climate hazards, from prolonged droughts to devastating wildfires.
Each of the 39 participants embarked on an 18-month programme structured around the Regional Resilience Journey, a step-by-step transformational adaptation framework. The journey includes capacity-building activities, knowledge-exchange opportunities, and access to a comprehensive climate resilience toolbox. By its end, each region will have produced not merely a climate resilience strategy, but also a detailed action plan and an accompanying investment plan.
Scaling up: the second cohort joins
The momentum has since grown considerably. In January 2026, sixty-two additional regions, home to approximately 55 million people, joined Pathways2Resilience as a second cohort, bringing the total to 100 participating regions and communities across Europe. Combined, these regions represent over 100 million people committed to adapting to our changing climate.
100
Regions & communities participating
100M+
People represented across Europe
164
Original applicants for the programme
Tackling the biggest climate threats
The newly selected regions face urgent and varied climate challenges. Drawing on their own vulnerability assessments, they have collectively identified three priority hazards, each of which is already affecting infrastructure, public safety, and cultural heritage across the continent.
| Climate Hazard | % of Regions Affected |
|---|---|
| Coastal and river flooding | 43% |
| Heat stress | 36% |
| Droughts | 21% |
Real support for real change
What distinguishes Pathways2Resilience is the depth and practicality of its support. Each participating region receives a comprehensive package designed to move climate ambition from policy language into tangible local action.
€210,000 in grant funding
Dedicated financial support for each participating region to fuel local adaptation planning.
Tailored tools & guidance
Bespoke climate planning resources custom-fit for each participating region's unique context.
Peer learning opportunities
Interactive space for exchange and dynamic collaboration with a Europe-wide network of peers.
Expert mentoring
Dedicated guidance and feedback from adaptation specialists throughout the 18-month journey.
Over 18 months, each region will develop a robust climate resilience strategy alongside action and investment plans, a suite of documents designed not merely to sit on a shelf, but to drive real, fundable change at the local level.
As the growing risks of drought, extreme precipitation, coastal flooding, and heat stress make plain, the need for systematic adaptation has never been more pressing. With 100 regions now committed, and millions of Europeans directly represented, Pathways2Resilience stands as one of Europe's most ambitious and practical responses to the climate crisis.