• The most vulnerable territories have insisted on the need to keep global temperature rise below 1.5 degrees Celsius
• LIFE COSTAdapta is a project that aims to protect coasts from rising sea levels

Brussels, 15 December 2023. The United Nations Conference on Climate Change held in Dubai (also known as COP 28), closed last Tuesday, December 12, with a warning message from the countries most vulnerable to climate change about its eventual disappearance. The constant rise in sea level is the main threat to island territories such as Tuvalu, Kiribati or the Fiji Islands, states that have hardly any altitude and for which the fight against climate change is at the top of the agenda. A problem that the European project LIFE COSTAdapta aims to tackle by addressing the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise.

The Alliance of Small Island States (AOSIS) has exposed once again at this last COP the imperative need to keep the rise in global average temperature below 1.5 degrees. This body, which brings together 39 territories particularly vulnerable to climate change, warns that they are already suffering with the current level of warming, and that losses and damages will increase with each increase in temperature.  “For our islands, there can be no alternative. This is our red line,” they point out.

In addition, AOSIS also issued a statement criticizing some aspects of the final agreement of this COP 28. The organization regrets that no commitment was made to reach peak emissions in 2025. AOSIS refers to the lack of attention being given to scientific rigor in this aspect, by not taking the relevant measures in order to act in line with what science says should be done.

The LIFE COSTAdapta project, which was present at COP 28, aims to show the problems that sea level rise can cause if we do not act in time in this regard. Precisely, it is in line with the main objective of the LIFE COSTAdapta project, to address the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise. 

About LIFE COSTAdapta

The main objective of the LIFE COSTAdapta project is to address the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise through an innovative methodology. To this end, a progressive tidal pool-reef system will be designed and tested, combining traditional tidal pool construction techniques with advanced solutions.

This will contribute to the progressive adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to climate change, which is crucial given the high vulnerability of the Canary Islands to climate impacts, including sea level rise. In addition to strengthening the resilience of coastal areas, LIFE COSTAdapta seeks to conserve habitats characteristic of these areas and protect the local tourism economy. The project will ensure economic sustainability by providing solutions to flooding and maintaining the region’s tourist attraction, which in turn will support coastal stability.

The project, with a duration of 7 years and a total budget of EUR 3,409,864 (EUR 2,045,818 subsidized by the European Union through the LIFE Program), is coordinated by the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC) of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, with the support of its seven partners.