As climate change and its impacts intensify, accelerating and scaling up adaptation policies and investments is crucial. Yet limited evidence on the costs, benefits, and macro-economic implications of adaptation continues to hinder national governments’ ability to fully assess their needs and invest at scale. This technical workshop brought together policymakers, researchers and OECD experts to advance the assessment of the costs and benefits of climate change adaptation. It explored approaches to valuing adaptation cost and benefits and estimating national adaptation funding needs. Through the exchange of methodological innovations and practical country experiences, the workshop aimed to strengthen evidence-based decision-making while highlighting remaining analytical gaps to inform future OECD work priorities.

Opening remarks

• Ashley Diggins, UK Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

Scene-setting

• Macro-fiscal costs for Belgium, Grégory Truong (CERAC)

Session 1: Cost-benefits analysis of adaptation

• The triple dividend framework and its application to value co-benefits of adaptation in the UK, Harald Heubaum, SOAS Centre for International Studies and Diplomacy
• Approaches of cost-benefit of adaptation in Israel, Amiel Vasl, Ministry of Environmental Protection
• Developing a priority-setting framework for climate adaptation based on socio-economic value, Malin Niemi, Swedish Expert Council for Climate Adaptation

Session 2: Estimating the cost of public adaptation

• Analysis of adaptation investment needs in Germany, Linda Hölscher, Adelphi
• Estimating the cost of adapting to a +3°C global warming - insights from France, Vivian Dépoues, I4CE
• Costing and economic analysis of national adaptation strategies, Paul Watkiss, Paul Watkiss Associates

Closing remarks

• Catherine Gamper, Team lead, Climate Adaptation and Resilience, OECD Environment Directorate