• The Consejo Insular de la Energía de Gran Canaria (CIEGC) of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria, lead partner of the project, has been in charge of presenting it at the National Conference of the Covenant of Mayors 2024.

• LIFE COSTAdapta, which addresses the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise, aims to become a benchmark and be replicated in those coastal areas suffering the consequences of climate change.

Brussels, 31 January 2024. The European LIFE Costadapta project, which aims to address the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to sea level rise, is present these days (30 and 31 January) at the National Conference of the Covenant of Mayors 2024 in Gran Canaria and Tenerife, with the project’s lead partner, the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria. This project aims to become a benchmark and be replicated in coastal areas that suffer the impact of strong waves.

The conference, organised by the Island Councils of Gran Canaria and Tenerife and in collaboration with the Canary Islands Federation of Municipalities, focuses on relevant issues for municipalities such as adaptation to climate change, energy poverty, energy communities, collaboration between municipalities and companies and the analysis of successes and obstacles in the implementation of climate measures at local level.

The Canary Islands are in a position of high vulnerability to the impacts of climate change, as pointed out by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), showing a significant increase in sea levels affecting its coasts. In response to this problem, the main objective of the LIFE COSTAdapta project is to address the adaptation of the coast of Gran Canaria to rising sea levels by means of an innovative methodology. To this end, a progressive tidal pool-reef system will be designed.

In addition to strengthening the resilience of coastal areas, LIFE COSTAdapta aims to conserve habitats characteristic of these areas and protect the local tourist 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.

With a duration of 7 years and a total budget of EUR 3,409,864 (EUR 2,045. 2,045,818 EUR subsidised by the EU through the LIFE Programme), COSTAdapta is a project coordinated by the Gran Canaria Island Energy Council (CIEGC) of the Cabildo de Gran Canaria with the support of 7 partners: University of Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (ULPGC), University of Cantabria (UC), INGECID, Raley Estudios Costeros, ECONCRETE, the Canarian Foundation for Recycling and Sustainable Development and the Finnova Foundation.