Today, the European Commission has published new technical guidance on climate-proofing of infrastructure projects for the period 2021-2027. The guidance will help mainstream climate considerations in future investment and development of infrastructure projects from buildings, network infrastructure to a range of built systems and assets. That way, institutional and private European investors will be able to make informed decisions on projects deemed compatible with the Paris Agreement and the EU climate objectives.
The guidance adopted today will thus help the EU deliver the European Green Deal, implement requirements under the European Climate Law and make EU spending greener. It is aligned with a greenhouse gas emission reduction pathway of -55% net emissions by 2030 and climate neutrality by 2050; follows the ‘energy efficiency first' and ‘do no significant harm' principles; and fulfils requirements set out in the legislation for several EU funds such as InvestEU, Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), Cohesion Fund (CF) and the Just Transition Fund (JTF).
The impacts of climate change are already having repercussions for assets and infrastructure with long lifetimes such as railways, bridges or power stations, and these impacts are set to intensify in the future. For example, building in areas that are likely to be affected by sea level rise requires particular attention; similarly, heat tolerance for railway tracks needs to account for the projected higher maximum temperature rather than historical values. It is therefore essential to clearly identify – and consequently to invest in – infrastructure that is prepared for a climate-neutral and climate-resilient future.
Climate-proofing is a process that integrates climate change mitigation and adaptation measures into the development of infrastructure projects. The technical guidance adopted today sets out common principles and practices for the identification, classification and management of physical climate risks when planning, developing, executing and monitoring infrastructure projects and programmes. The process is divided into two pillars (mitigation, adaptation) and two phases (screening, detailed analysis) and the documentation and verification of climate-proofing forms is considered an essential part of the rationale for making investment decisions.
Specifically, for infrastructure with a lifespan beyond 2050, the guidance stipulates that the operation, maintenance and final decommissioning of any project should be carried out in a climate-neutral way, which may include circular economy considerations, such as the recycling or repurposing of materials. The climate resilience of new infrastructure projects should be ensured through adequate adaptation measures, based on a climate risk assessment.
Additional technical guidance on the climate-proofing of investments other than infrastructure is available in Commission Notice (2021/C 280-01).
Background
The new technical guidance on climate-proofing of infrastructure projects has been developed by the Commission in close cooperation with potential implementing partners for InvestEU along with the EIB Group.
It is primarily intended for project promoters and experts involved in the preparation of infrastructure projects. It may also be a useful reference for public authorities, implementing partners, investors, stakeholders, and others.
Based on lessons learnt from climate-proofing major projects over the period 2014-2020, this guidance also integrates climate-proofing with project cycle management (PCM), environmental impact assessments (EIA), and strategic environmental assessment (SEA) processes, and it includes recommendations to support national climate-proofing processes in Member States.
今天，欧盟委员会发布了关于2021-2027年基础设施项目气候防护的新技术指导。该指南将有助于将气候因素纳入未来基础设施项目投资和开发的主流，包括建筑、网络基础设施、一系列建成系统和资产。这样，欧洲的机构和私人投资者就能够在被认为符合《巴黎协定》和欧盟气候目标的项目上做出明智的决定。因此，今天通过的指导方针将有助于欧盟实现欧洲绿色协议，实施欧洲气候法的要求，并使欧盟的支出更加环保。它与2030年净排放量为-55%、2050年为气候中立的温室气体减排路径相一致;遵循“能效第一”和“不造成重大伤害”的原则;并满足InvestEU、欧洲连接基金(CEF)、欧洲区域发展基金(ERDF)、凝聚力基金(CF)和公正过渡基金(JTF)等几个欧盟基金的立法要求。
气候变化的影响已经对铁路、桥梁或电站等寿命较长的资产和基础设施产生了影响，而且这些影响在未来还会加剧。例如，在可能受海平面上升影响的地区建设需要特别注意;同样，铁路轨道的耐热性需要考虑预计的更高的最高温度，而不是历史值。因此，必须明确确定为气候中性和气候适应型未来做好准备的基础设施，并对其进行投资。气候防护是将减缓和适应气候变化措施纳入基础设施项目发展的过程。今天通过的技术指南规定了在规划、开发、执行和监测基础设施项目和规划时确定、分类和管理实物气候风险的共同原则和做法。该过程分为两个支柱(缓解、适应)和两个阶段(筛选、详细分析)，气候防护形式的文件编制和核实被认为是作出投资决定的基本理由之一。具体来说，对于寿命超过2050年的基础设施，该指南规定，任何项目的运营、维护和最终退役都应以气候中性的方式进行，这可能包括循环经济方面的考虑，如材料的回收或再利用。应在气候风险评估的基础上，通过适当的适应措施，确保新基础设施项目的气候弹性。委员会通知(2021/C 280-01)提供了关于基础设施以外的投资抵御气候变化的其他技术指导。
背景
委员会与投资投资联盟的潜在执行伙伴以及欧洲投资银行集团密切合作，制定了关于基础设施项目抵御气候变化的新技术指南。它主要面向参与编制基础设施项目的项目发起人和专家。它还可以为公共当局、执行伙伴、投资者、利益攸关方和其他方面提供有用的参考。根据2014-2020年期间应对气候变化重大项目的经验教训，本指南还将应对气候变化与项目周期管理(PCM)、环境影响评估(EIA)和战略环境评估(SEA)流程相结合，它还包括支持成员国国家应对气候变化进程的建议。
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