Conference on Environmental Science and Technology

Climate change presents increasingly complex and urgent challenges that demand inclusive, adaptive, and democratic governance. Traditional top-down policy making has proven insufficient in addressing the societal impacts of extreme weather events and long-term climate risks. In response, the CLIMAS project (Climate Adaptation and Resilience Toolbox for EU Regions) introduces an innovative, participatory approach to climate adaptation planning through the development of the CLIMAS Toolbox—a suite of seven co-created tools that support citizen engagement in local and regional climate policymaking. The Toolbox promotes a shift toward a “resilient by design” society by embedding deliberative, values-based, and citizen-driven processes into climate adaptation strategies. It includes: (1) a methodology for participatory future scenario building; (2) guidelines for establishing Climate Assemblies; (3) tools for integrating citizen science; (4) a scenario prioritization framework using Multi-Criteria Analysis (AHP); (5) mechanisms to embed outcomes into dynamic adaptation planning; (6) a Knowledge and Evidence-Based Support (KEBS) tool for agenda setting; and (7) a multilingual digital platform integrating all functionalities. Each tool is designed to enhance inclusivity, knowledge co-production, and long-term policy impact. Tested in three regional Climate Assemblies (Catalunya, Riga, and Edermünde) and three Living Labs (Ebro Delta, Chios, and Vilnius), the Toolbox demonstrates how structured citizen participation can generate socially relevant scenarios, improve trust in decision-making, and support evidence-informed adaptation policies. The CLIMAS project thus contributes actionable insights and methodologies for scaling participatory climate governance across the European Union.