Climate risks and biodiversity for European resilience and a nature-positive economy

This webinar, scheduled for 9 June 2026, will bring together three flagship Horizon Europe projects, SPARCCLE, ACCREU and CROSSEU, to explore the critical intersection of a nature-positive economy and climate risks. With Europe advancing the implementation of the EU Green Deal, EU Climate Law and Mission Adaptation, it is increasingly clear that the transition to a sustainable future requires a holistic understanding of how biodiversity loss compounds socioeconomic and financial vulnerabilities.

The webinar aims to bridge the gap between advanced climate risk assessment and actionable economic policy. Contributions will include a keynote by Andrej Ceglar of the European Central Bank (ECB), who will discuss the systemic implications of biodiversity for climate transitions and financial stability. Zoi Vrontisi (E3Modelling, SPARCCLE project) will present insights into how biodiversity risks manifest within the broader economy, drawing on macroeconomic CGE models such as GEM-E3. Francesco Bosello (CMCC, ACCREU project) will focus on the agricultural impacts of pollination decline in Europe, while Kirsten Halsnæs (Danish Technical University, CROSSEU project) will present on measuring socioeconomic impacts of climate hazards in European hotspots for drought, heat, storms, floods and sectoral spillovers.

The session will conclude with a panel discussion, inviting dialogue between scientists, policymakers and practitioners on the characteristics of societal transformations required for a nature-positive and climate-resilient transition.

The discussion will explore how to quantify the economic burden of biodiversity loss and its interaction with extreme climate hazards, demonstrate synergies between nature-positive strategies and climate mitigation and adaptation efforts, and support decision-making for EU and national authorities through high-resolution, policy-relevant data.

The event is designed for EU and national policymakers, including DG CLIMA and the JRC, as well as representatives from the finance and insurance sectors such as NGFS, scientific researchers and civil society actors engaged in climate and nature advocacy.

The two-hour session will include a keynote presentation, followed by project presentations from SPARCCLE, ACCREU and CROSSEU with dedicated discussion time, and will conclude with a moderated panel discussion and Q&A.