This report provides an overview of different projects that are being undertaken in Europe to mitigate and help people and ecosystems adapt to climate change using ecosystem-based approaches. Through the case studies, the report shows what is being and can be done, and provides an assessment of good practice, barriers and lessons learned in Europe.  The climate has changed over the last 100 years, with a global increase in temperature of 0.74 °C, changes to precipitation patterns and an increase in extreme weather events (Solomon et al. 2007). According to the European Environment Agency‘s global and European temperature indicator, the average temperature for the European land area for the last decade (2001 - 2010) was 1.2 °C above the 1850 - 1899 average, which is higher than the global mean (EEA 2011). Projected global future climate change of between 1.1-6.4 °C, as well significant changes to precipitation and weather events over the next 100 years (Solomon et al. 2007), signifies the need to not only mitigate as far as possible but also to adapt to new conditions. In Europe, projected changes for the period 2080 - 2100 compared with the 1961 - 1990 indicate average temperature increases of 2.5-7 °C, with higher increases in Southern Europe in the summer and higher increases in Northern Europe in the winter; average projected summer precipitation ranges from -60 % in Southern Europe to +20% in Northern Europe and average projected winter precipitation ranges from -20 % in Southern Europe to +50 % in Northern Europe (van der Linden & Mitchell 2009).

Case studies on ecosystem-based approaches to mitigation involved peatland restoration or conservation (11 projects) and forest conservation, restoration and reforestation (2 projects). Case studies on ecosystem-based approaches to adaptation were divided into inland waters (28 projects), coastal zone (10 projects), agriculture and forestry (11 projects) and cities (9 projects).