From climate risk to just action: the challenge JUSTSAFE addresses

Climate change does not affect everyone in the same way. Across Europe, extreme weather events such as heatwaves, floods, and prolonged droughts are increasingly exposing and amplifying existing social inequalities. Elderly people, children, women and girls, persons with disabilities, migrants, and low-income communities are often the most affected, yet their voices are still underrepresented in climate adaptation planning.

Too often, climate resilience strategies focus primarily on technical solutions, overlooking the social, institutional, and justice dimensions of climate risk. This can result in adaptation measures that unintentionally exclude those who need support the most, or that fail to address long-term vulnerability and wellbeing.

Participants engaged in a virtual reality training session for emergency response.

JUSTSAFE responds to this challenge by placing justice, inclusion, and participation at the centre of climate adaptation. The project works with local and regional authorities, civil society organisations, researchers, and communities to better understand how climate risks intersect with social vulnerability, and how adaptation measures can be designed to be fair, accessible, and effective for all.

By combining stakeholder and vulnerability mapping, participatory co-design processes, digital and social innovation tools, and real-life demonstrations across diverse European regions, JUSTSAFE aims to translate climate risk knowledge into concrete, people-centred action. Particular attention is given to empowering vulnerable and marginalised groups, strengthening local governance capacities, and supporting decision-makers with evidence-based tools and inclusive frameworks.

Aligned with the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, JUSTSAFE contributes to building more resilient communities by ensuring that no one is left behind in the transition towards a climate-resilient future. Over the coming years, the project will test, refine, and scale just climate resilience solutions, supported by continuous stakeholder engagement and cross-regional learning.