AdaptationHubs is an EU-funded initiative of the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change, working to establish 27 National Adaptation Hubs across Europe. In so doing, AdaptationHubs boosts coordination on climate adaptation, while helping national and local governments to share solutions and strengthen their approaches to managing climate risks. 

The project, also known as National Adaptation Hubs, supports European countries as they enhance preparedness for climate change impacts. Its network of 27 National Adaptation Hubs will foster collaboration among governments, regions, cities, experts, and communities to turn climate strategies into real action. This will be accomplished through an impactful combination of peer learning, twinning, partnerships, and exchange programmes. A Central Support Facility is to be created to increase access to expert guidance, training, and shared resources, while supporting a helpdesk connected to EU tools like Climate-ADAPT. AdaptationHubs supports the European Green Deal, the EU Adaptation Strategy, and the EU Climate Law, and aims to make European communities more resilient, safer, and better prepared for the future. 
 

  • 27 National Adaptation Hubs established and operational 
  • 135 working sessions coordinated through national hubs 
  • 1 Central Support Facility established 
  • 19 peer-learning and capacity-building activities 
  • 1 EU-wide grouping scheme developed 
  • 54 regional twinning partnerships supported by NAHs 
  • 1 EU pilot twinning programme launched 
     

2025: 

  • Inception of National Adaptation Hubs (NAHs) & Central Support Facility 

2026-2027: 

  • National Adaptation Hubs operational
  • Twinning, grouping, and cross-cutting activities 
  • Global outreach activities, matchmaking, & mutual learning webinars
  • Central Support Facility and HelpDesk for all NAHs within and beyond EU-27 
Project Timeline

The Central Support Facility (CSF) provides targeted support to National Adaptation Hubs through a coordinated set of activities. A dedicated helpdesk responds to hub inquiries on funding, good practices, and operations, while proactively sharing relevant insights on the Adaptation Mission and related initiatives. It also synthesises feedback from hubs into policy recommendations for key European actors. Overall, the facility supports hubs in implementing their activities, strengthening their capacity, expanding outreach beyond the EU-27, and ensuring continuous monitoring and knowledge exchange across the project. The facility also facilitates structured peer learning exchanges among national partners to share experiences, governance approaches, and practical tools. An initial baseline assessment and follow-up surveys support continuous learning on multi-level governance. Overall, the CSF helps hubs implement their activities, build capacity, expand outreach beyond the EU-27, and ensures ongoing monitoring and knowledge exchange across the project.

The project will bring regions together, including across EU borders, through a dynamic programme built on grouping and twinning approaches, inspired by the EU twinning methodology. By connecting territories facing similar climate risks—or those already leading the way in solutions—the programme enables practical, experience-based learning across national and European levels. Through flexible groupings and targeted twinning exchanges, participants will share knowledge, explore common challenges, and co-develop pathways for climate resilience. The programme will prioritise support for less advanced and more vulnerable regions, while also engaging new actors beyond the EU Mission community. Structured exchanges, mentoring from frontrunners, and cross-border collaboration will help regions strengthen their capacities, test solutions, and translate learning into concrete policy actions—creating lasting partnerships and accelerating adaptation efforts across Europe and beyond.

A further capacity building mechanism to support National Adaptation Hubs in their implementation of planned actions involves the set up of facilitated peer learning exchanges among national partners. This will involve conducting a baseline assessment, mapping enabling conditions and 'Key Community Systems' as well as obstacles the hubs might face during their establishment.  Lessons learnt and example strategies will be shared with other National Hubs for their context. As part of this national peer learning, a multilevel governance assessment will also be undertaken. 

Multilevel Governance Perspective

Multi-level governance (MLG) is a term used to describe how different actors participate in the exercise of power and how these actors share such power amongst themselves.

  • Horizontal: refers to co-operation arrangements between actors sitting at the same level and to the participation in the policy process of other actors and relevant stakeholders from the same level as the corresponding administrative levels​.
  • Vertical: refers to the linkages between higher and lower levels of government including their institutional, financial, and informational aspects.​

Transdisciplinary is another valuable aspect, which emphasises the benefit of cross-sectoral, horizontal governance. 
 

Multistakeholder Governance