Climate change is already impacting all regions of Europe, posing complex challenges for human well-being, ecosystems, and the economy. Even though significant progress has been made over the past years, the forthcoming European Climate Resilience and Risk Management Framework (ECRRMF) must take a more ambitious approach to ensure resilience and preparedness across Europe by 2050.

This scientific opinion paper outlines key recommendations - based on 20 years of experience in Germany - to strengthen the design and implementation of the ECRRMF and proposes key objectives for the framework, as well as actionable pathways across enabling governance mechanisms, the climate adaptation policy cycle and cross-cutting considerations.