On 13 July, the Federal Cabinet adopted a draft of the Federal Ministry for the Environment, Nature Conservation, Nuclear Safety and Consumer Protection (BMUV) on climate adaptation. This still has to be discussed in the Bundestag and Bundesrat, and should come into force in 2024.
The aim of the draft law is “the precautionary risk-based adaptation of society, the economy and infrastructure as well as nature and ecosystems to the consequences of climate change“, pursueing “integrated approaches”. When the law enters into force, the federal government and the Länder will each have to draw up their own climate adaptation strategies, which would be regularly evaluated and updated. At the municipal and local level, climate adaptation concepts are to be drawn up, particularly on the basis of risk analyses. In addition, the federal government is to collect data on the amount of damage caused by extreme weather events.
Another important point of the draft law is a Consideration Clause (“Berücksichtigungsgebot”). According to this, public authorities would have to take the goal of climate adaptation into account in all planning and decision-making.
Further details can be found in the “Information on the Climate Adaptation Act” and in the draft bill.