EIB Group unveils €30bn climate adaptation push

The European Investment Bank Group has launched a new climate adaptation initiative aiming to provide at least €30 billion in financing by 2030. The Adaptation Plan Phase 2 for 2026–2030 will double the Group’s climate adaptation financing compared with the previous five years. The plan is designed to help Europe and climate‑vulnerable regions cope with heatwaves, droughts, wildfires and floods by directing capital to projects that strengthen resilience across key sectors.

The new financing will support investments in energy networks, public buildings, water systems and climate‑resilient agriculture. It also seeks to reinforce transport and other infrastructure against the impacts of torrential rain and flooding. The package combines loans, guarantees and advisory services to accelerate adaptation investment and make projects easier to structure and fund.

A central goal of the plan is to safeguard water supplies, food production and ecosystems. Financing will back water‑efficient irrigation, storage and reuse, as well as climate‑resilient farming practices. Nature‑based solutions, including the restoration of wetlands, forests and floodplains, are targeted to help manage drought and flood risks while supporting healthy ecosystems.

The initiative positions climate adaptation as an economic and competitiveness issue, in response to growing physical climate risks. The EIB links recent wildfires, floods and heatwaves in the European Union to tens of billions of euros in economic losses, with projections of substantially higher cumulative impacts in the coming years.

The €30 billion package is structured to expand the pipeline of adaptation projects and mobilise public and private capital. Advisory support will help public authorities, businesses and financial institutions identify climate risks early and design suitable adaptation measures. A key priority is to make it easier, especially for smaller businesses, to classify and finance adaptation investments.

To support this, the EIB Group will roll out ClimateSET, an open‑access digital tool developed with the Copernicus Climate Change Service and due to launch later this year. ClimateSET will be integrated into an enhanced Green Checker, enabling users to pinpoint investments that respond to climate risks in specific locations. Through the TechEU initiative, the Group will further help European companies bring adaptation technologies such as cooling systems, resilient energy solutions and water‑saving technologies to market.

While much of the adaptation plan targets the European Union, the EIB Group will also step up support for climate‑vulnerable nations, in particular small island developing states and least‑developed countries. Planned areas include water management, coastal protection, early‑warning systems, resilient transport and broader disaster‑risk management. These activities are intended to help develop investable projects and strengthen sustainable economic partnerships.

Alongside adopting Adaptation Plan Phase 2, the EIB and European Investment Fund Boards have approved €11.8 billion in new financing for a range of projects. This includes €5.5 billion aimed at strengthening Europe’s energy autonomy and reducing power costs through energy infrastructure, renewable energy and efficiency investments in several EU countries. Additional financing will support Europe’s life‑sciences sector and business competitiveness in innovation, digitalisation, clean energy and cleantech, as well as climate‑resilient water infrastructure and improved access to drinking water and sanitation outside the EU.