The interplay between urban mitigation and adaptation strategies to face climate change in two European countries

The growing recognition of the contribution of urban areas to adaptation and mitigation strategies implemented in response to climate change has led to several policy initiatives. Among others, the “Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy” is the most acknowledged, providing local governments with the opportunity to overcome the mitigation-adaptation dichotomy and enhance urban resilience. In this context, the main aim of this paper is to analyse the synergy between adaptation and mitigation actions in some European Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans at an urban level. We will do this through: (1) the proposal of a novel classification model of climate change mitigation and adaptation measures, which will be capable of classifying, in a common way, the best practices carried out at an urban level; and (2) a comparison of the best climate change management practices carried out by two European countries (Italy and Spain). The classification model is based on three urban sectors: (1) Urban Adaptation and Health (UA&H), (2) Transport & Infrastructure (T&I), and (3) Energy (NRG). Urban management measures have been classified as soft (more focused on environmental information), gray (more focused on buildings), and green (more focused on nature-based solutions). The overall comparative analysis between Italy and Spain shows that in large and medium-sized Italian cities, mainly soft (52%) and green (28%) adaptation measures have been integrated into local energy-environmental planning in combination with mitigation actions. However, in both countries, decisions regarding the type of measures to be implemented are taken independently of the size of the city. This paper, in line with other research, highlights the importance of nature-based solutions as a first step in the integration process between adaptation and mitigation strategies at an urban level.