When RegionsAdapt was launched in December 2015, at COP21, its founding members shared a general feeling that bolder action was needed to shed light on the contributions of regional governments to climate change adaptation. Hence, the creation of this initiative aimed at balancing mitigation and adaptation within the scope of actions undertaken by regional governments on the international stage, as well as stressing the importance of these actors within the global adaptation agenda. Filling these gaps would benefit not only regional governments but also the climate change regime as a whole, taking into account the crucial importance this specific level of jurisdiction has for adaptation.
The contributions of regional governments to adapting society to climate change can occur either directly or indirectly. Examples of direct contributions are manifold, ranging from addressing water scarcity to adopting ecosystem-based solutions or dealing with extreme weather events. Indirectly, regional governments also contribute to adapting communities to climate change by backing the actions undertaken at other levels of jurisdiction. They can support municipalities, facilitate the implementation of global decisions at the local level through vertical integration, and even offer inspiring and innovative solutions to national governments. Such regional governments´ strategic role is especially meaningful in contexts in which they counterbalance setbacks arising from decisions adopted at the national level.