MAIA policy implications and recommendations: a regional and local level approach

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MAIA is an EU-funded Horizon Europe project (2022-2025) which seeks to amplify the impact of European climate research by creating synergies between existing projects. It aims to maximize the joint impact of such research by enhancing connections between knowledge and networks.

Introduction

Regions and municipalities are on the frontline of climate action, translating EU and national strategies into context-specific solutions. This brief distils lessons from MAIA events and case studies across Europe, and highlights priority actions to empower subnational governments as central drivers of Europe’s resilience.

This Policy Brief distils knowledge and best practices collected through MAIA Policy Roundtables, Policy-Science Dialogues, Assemblies and Workshops, with a focus on climate action initiatives designed, coordinated, and implemented at the subnational level.

Across Europe, regions and local authorities play a decisive role in turning national and EU climate strategies into context specific and locally tailored, actionable solutions. Four priority themes emerged as essential levers for effective and inclusive climate action at this governance levels: Knowledge sharing and accessibility, multi-level governance coordination, financing and resource mobilisation and integrated planning and evaluation.

Four priority themes

1. Knowledge sharing and accessibility: Local actors face fragmented datasets, low interoperability in data and tools (including digital twins) that lead to limited capacity to turn knowledge into action. Solutions include investing in open access and interoperable platforms, like the MAIA Climate Connectivity Hub, AI-assisted knowledge aggregation and extraction tools, like the MAIA SummarAIse and SumQA, promoting citizen science for local data collection that complements existing databases, and translating scientific knowledge into actionable guidance.
2. Multi-level governance coordination: Institutionalized mechanisms are needed to connect municipalities, regions, national agencies, and EU institutions. Formal frameworks, peer networks, and inclusive engagement strengthen trust, policy coherence, and capacity.
3. Financing and resource mobilization: Public budgets alone cannot meet climate action needs. Regions will need to blend EU, national, and regional public funding with private sector investments and innovative mechanisms such as regional climate funds, well designed carbon markets for regional and local contexts, and resilience bonds.
4. Integrated planning and evaluation: It is critical to embed climate resilience in all sectoral policies to ensure effectiveness and coherence, in particular for those related to climate mitigation transitions. Data-driven tools, harmonized monitoring indicators, and adaptive management approaches are essential for responsive and accountable action.

Key recommendations

• Invest in digital infrastructures for data discovery, tools for knowledge extraction and capacity-building programmes to make climate data accessible and usable at the local level by public institutions and all stakeholders;
• Promote multi-level governance platforms and encourage local (municipalities) and regional participation in EU networks;
• Simplify funding access for regions and small municipalities;
• Enhance cross-sectoral planning with adaptive management and harmonised monitoring indicators.

Disclaimer

Created with funding from the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the granting authority. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.

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