Together for the future: Financing for climate adaptation in Orscholz!

Together for the future: Financing for climate adaptation in Orscholz!

The 104th Environment Ministers' Conference (UMK) took place in Orscholz on May 16, 2025. The event was dedicated to important topics such as financing for climate adaptation measures, compulsory natural hazard insurance and crisis-proof water supplies. During the discussions, the participants agreed to take targeted measures to adapt to the changed climate conditions. This year's chairmanship was taken over by the Saarland Ministry of the Environment.

Saarland Environment Minister Petra Berg (SPD) emphasized the urgency of joint financing of climate adaptation and nature conservation measures. The states demanded additional resources from the federal government, with unbureaucratic access to these funds being considered particularly important. Possible financing models by the federal government were already presented in the previous UMK. A specific proposal predicted the establishment of a new community task as a funding instrument for nature conservation and climate adaptation, which could facilitate the financing and implementation of such projects.

Financial challenges and solutions

Financial constraints often represent a barrier to adaptation measures at the local level, particularly for smaller municipalities. [Federal Environment Agency] points out that knowledge of available adaptation finance and funding from international, EU, national and local sources is essential. This allows municipalities to specify compliance with financial framework conditions and better assess resource requirements.

The options for integrating adaptation measures into urban planning are not only important for reducing resource requirements, but also promote exchange and cooperation with other municipalities. Joint funding applications with neighboring municipalities could save human resources and improve the quality of the applications. Collaboration with universities and companies also offers significant potential for financing and implementing climate adaptation projects.

Funding sources and strategies

Various approaches are important for identifying sources of financing for adaptation measures:

• Eigene Haushaltsmittel einplanen, etwa durch einen speziellen Haushaltstitel „Klimaanpassung“.
• Fördermittel der EU, des Bundes und der Länder nutzen.
• EU LIFE-Programm für Kofinanzierung von Projekten.
• EU-Forschungsprogramm Horizon Europe für spezifische Klimaanpassungsprojekte.
• Bundesumweltministerium fördert Anpassungskonzepte und innovative Modellprojekte.
• Kredite von Banken und Finanzinstituten als Finanzierungsoption in Betracht ziehen.
• Den Privatsektor als wichtigen Akteur einbeziehen, zum Beispiel durch Investitionen in Anpassungsmaßnahmen.
• Alternatives Finanzierungsmodell wie Crowdfunding durch Bürgerbeteiligung anwenden.

In order to increase the chances of success when applying for funding, it is essential to use the specialist knowledge of colleagues and promote awareness of existing funding opportunities at federal and state levels. Building human resources and expertise is also a key aspect of effectively meeting the challenge of climate adaptation.

Overall, the UMK results show that there is an urgent need to provide financial resources for climate adaptation measures. This is the only way to effectively design the necessary adaptation process to the changed climate conditions in order to remain sustainable and crisis-proof.