UNP+ at European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2025
As climate and biodiversity crises intensify, spatial planning is increasingly recognized as a key tool for delivering climate resilience and sustainable development.
On 17 June, during the European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2025 (ECCA2025), a session titled “Aligning Spatial and Urban Plans with EU Nature & Climate Laws: Readiness, Challenges, and Opportunities” brought together nearly 90 in-person and around 20 online participants—including policymakers, practitioners, and researchers—to explore how urban planning frameworks can rise to meet these urgent challenges.
The session, chaired by Gemma Garcia (Tecnalia), spotlighted the implications of the European Climate Law and the Nature Restoration Regulation—two legislative pillars driving transformative change in land use, ecosystem restoration, and urban resilience across the EU.
Ben Rolles (DG Environment – Biodiversity, European Commission) particularly highlight the catalyst role that the Nature Restoration Regulation can play for climate action. Anna Bruen (ICLEI Europe), and Alessandro Deserti (Politecnico di Milano) highlighted the emerging opportunities—from Urban Nature Plans to leverage multifunctional urban nature—and how the integration of biodiversity and climate objectives into urban design is gaining momentum. They also examined the readiness of spatial planning systems to meet these legal ambitions, reflecting on key barriers such as policy fragmentation, limited resources at the local level, competing land-use demands, and the need to strengthen participatory planning approaches.
Practical examples from Italy and Spain were shared by Maria Chiara Pastore (Politecnico di Milano) and Marc Montlleó (Barcelona Regional), who showcased how cities can move beyond siloed strategies toward holistic, nature-positive planning models, while acknowledging the importance of local context.
This policy-focused dialogue underscored both the urgency and the promise of aligning spatial planning with the EU’s climate and biodiversity commitments—demonstrating that while challenges persist, the momentum for transformative change is growing stronger.
UNP+ at ECCA 2025 "Aligning Spatial and Urban Plans with EU Nature & Climate Laws: Readiness, Challenges, and Opportunities”.
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