By Richard J. T. Klein
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As strategies go, this one is pretty good. It observes the EU’s principle of subsidiarity by not getting in the way of what is already happening at local, regional and national levels. And yet the EU Adaptation Strategy raises the profile of adaptation to climate change as a key element of the European Green Deal and identifies opportunities for the EU to advance adaptation at all levels.
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In the context of adaptation to climate change, justice has received much less attention. But here too, justice matters, and not only for seafront property owners wishing to be compensated if a giant sea wall were to block their view. First and foremost, just resilience is about addressing fundamental inequalities in society, and about protecting the weakest and most vulnerable.
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Almost one third of the coffee imported into the EU comes from Brazil. If Brazilian coffee production declined, roasters and retailers in Sweden, Germany or Italy will take a hit. But they can adapt by changing or diversifying their supply.
The hit will be far more painful for smallholder farmers in Brazil, who rarely have unemployment insurance, or a financial buffer to draw on in dire straits. They face the double whammy of climate change and the adverse effects of adaptation decisions by European importers. And they have much less of a public voice than Polish miners.
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