The Support Center for Climate Action has a Climate Council

by Rares Halbac-Cotoara-Zamfir

The Support Center for Climate Action Has a Climate Council

Why a Regional Climate Council Marks a Turning Point for Climate Governance in Western Romania

As climate risks intensify across Europe, the question is no longer whether we need better climate governance, but how fast we can build it. Floods, droughts, heatwaves, and soil degradation are no longer distant projections but they are already reshaping economies, infrastructure, and the social fabric of communities. In this context, Western Romania has taken a significant institutional leap by establishing a Climate Council under the Support Center for Climate Action (CSAC).

This Council is more than a formal body; it is a strategic, multidisciplinary engine of climate governance, designed to bring science, policy, and community engagement to the same table. Its mission responds directly to the biggest gap in local and regional climate action today: the absence of integrated, science-based, participatory decision-making structures.

A Regional Answer to a Global Need

Across Europe, advisory climate councils have emerged as critical tools for connecting experts with policymakers. The European Green Deal, the updated EU Adaptation Strategy, and national climate frameworks all emphasize the importance of institutions capable of transforming data into action.

This is exactly the role of the CSAC Climate Council:

• to help authorities navigate complexity,
• to improve the scientific basis of decisions,
• to ensure long-term coherence,
• and to make climate action a shared responsibility.

In Romania, where the impacts of climate change are uneven, region-specific, and often under-monitored, such structures are still rare. The establishment of a Climate Council therefore represents institutional innovation at a time when local adaptation capacity is urgently needed.

What Makes This Climate Council Different?

Unlike traditional expert committees, the CSAC Climate Council is structured deliberately to reflect the interconnected nature of climate risks. Hydrology affects agriculture; soil degradation influences water retention; urban mobility affects air quality; energy choices reshape community vulnerability.

To match this complexity, the Council includes experts in:

• hydrology and flood risk
• soil science
• climate mitigation and modelling
• environmental policy
• communication and public participation
• local governance and administration

This interdisciplinarity is its strength. Climate change does not operate in silos; neither should climate governance.

A Collaborative Platform, Not a Top-Down Authority

The Council's role is consultative, strategic, and integrative. It does not impose measures; rather, it:

• advises CSAC on strategic directions,
• prioritizes areas where action is most urgent,
• aligns local initiatives with European frameworks,
• translates scientific evidence into practical guidance,
• connects institutions that rarely collaborate but urgently need to.

It functions as a regional "knowledge bridge" between academia, authorities, NGOs, and citizens—precisely what modern climate governance requires.

Why Western Romania Needs a Climate Council

The region faces a combination of climatic pressures that requires coordinated, science-based action:

• More frequent flash floods
• Growing exposure to prolonged drought
• Intensifying heatwaves affecting urban centers
• Declining soil quality
• Unequal adaptive capacity among local authorities
• Under-utilization of nature-based solutions
• Overlapping administrative responsibilities

Individually, institutions often lack capacity to address these challenges. Collectively, however (with a shared platform like the Climate Council) they can act more strategically and efficiently.

From Expertise to Impact

The Climate Council aims to transform the region's approach to climate governance in four key ways:

1. Strategic Alignment

Ensuring that all CSAC initiatives reflect EU climate policies, the national adaptation strategy, and the latest IPCC recommendations.

2. Institutional Strengthening

Helping local authorities understand and integrate climate risks into planning, investments, and public services.

3. Socio-Economic Resilience

Supporting solutions that protect vulnerable communities and minimize economic losses from extreme events.

4. Operational Efficiency

Guiding CSAC actions and investments toward measures with high impact and replicability, especially nature-based solutions, green-blue infrastructure, and risk reduction systems.

An Essential Step Toward a Regional Climate Governance Model

What is most promising about the Climate Council is not only what it is, but what it can become. It lays the foundation for:

• a future regional network of climate councils,
• a Climate Risk Observatory for Western Romania,
• deeper partnerships with European research networks,
• stronger alignment between municipalities, counties, and regional agencies,
• and a culture of participation and trust between experts and communities.

The Council is not a symbolic structure but it is a living, adaptive governance mechanism designed to evolve with climate realities.

A New Standard for Regional Climate Leadership

In a time when climate impacts outpace the capacity of institutions to respond, the establishment of the CSAC Climate Council sets a new standard for the region. It shows that Western Romania is not waiting passively for change but is actively building the frameworks needed to navigate it.

The Support Center for Climate Action has taken a decisive step:
climate action is no longer fragmented, reactive, or isolated. It is strategic, participatory, and grounded in science.

This is what climate leadership looks like. And it is the model that the region, and Romania, needs now more than ever.