Case studies analysis is an essential part of the COACCH project method. The “inverted approach” applied by COACCH starts from the social and economic shocks that especially preoccupy stakeholders and proceeds backward to assess the climatic conditions that have led to these preoccupations. Thus situations grounded in reality are the basic starting points of the process. This novel inverted approach makes it possible to:
- identify the triggering of climatic conditions,
- characterize the probability of their occurrence,
- investigate the implications for policy-making,
- improve understanding of risk attitudes,
- assess the performance of different policy (mitigation and adaptation) strategies against different decision criteria.
The range of case studies studied in close engagement with policy, investment and business actors will provide concrete insights into the costs of climate change and recommendations for cost-effective, robust and resilient responses for key European sectors and policy domains. Such targeted case studies will eventually translate the knowledge generated by the project into modified behaviour and practices.