Program duration: 01/05/2026 - 30/04/2029

CLIMACARE

Prolepsis Institute participates as a partner in the CLIMACARE – Climate-Resilient Adaptive Environments for Urban Health and Social Equity project, implemented under the Horizon Europe Programme, within the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change (HORIZON-MISS-2025-01-CLIMA-04). The project started on 1 May 2026 and will run for 48 months. Coordinated by IRCEM (Romania), CLIMACARE brings together a multidisciplinary consortium of local authorities, universities and research institutions, civil society organisations and SMEs from Europe and New Zealand.

CLIMACARE aims to strengthen the capacity of cities and communities to respond to the growing health and social challenges associated with extreme heat and climate change. The project places local authorities and vulnerable residents at the centre of the development, testing and evaluation of systemic heat-resilience solutions. Particular attention is given to populations that may be disproportionately affected by heat, including older adults, people with disabilities, low-income residents, migrants and socially isolated individuals.

The project will implement and evaluate heat-adaptation measures in five demonstration cities: Athens (Greece), Pécs (Hungary), Sultanbeyli-Istanbul (Türkiye), Seville (Spain) and Alba Iulia (Romania). Measures will be tailored to each local context and will combine interventions in the built environment and public spaces with improved heat preparedness and governance. In Athens, the planned adaptation package includes measures such as shading structures, cooling shelters, reflective pedestrian surfaces and urban greening.

A comprehensive evaluation will assess the health, behavioural, social and equity impacts of the interventions, generating evidence on what works, for whom and under which local conditions. Combining urban adaptation, public health, community participation, digital preparedness, evidence generation and local governance, CLIMACARE contributes to the EU Mission on Adaptation to Climate Change and aims to support the development of cities that are more climate-resilient, socially equitable and protective of population health.

The CLIMACARE partnership brings together 28 organisations:

• ASOCIATIA INSTITUTUL PENTRU CERCETARE IN ECONOMIE CIRCULARA SI MEDIU ERNEST LUPAN (IRCEM), Romania
• UNIVERSITA COMMERCIALE LUIGI BOCCONI, Italy
• UNIVERSIDAD DE SEVILLA, Spain
• DIMOS ATHINAION EPICHEIRISI MICHANOGRAFISIS (DAEM), Greece
• PROLEPSIS INSTITUTE, Greece
• PECS MEGYEI JOGU VAROS ONKORMANYZATA, Hungary
• PECSI VAROSFEJLESZTESI NONPROFIT ZARTKORUEN MUKODO RESZVENYTARSASAG (PVF), Hungary
• ANGLICAN SOCIAL SERVICES (HUTT VALLEY) TRUST BOARD, New Zealand
• BALIERA GLOBAL SL, Spain
• DE SURDURULEBILIR ENERJI VE INSAAT SANAYI TICARET LIMITED SIRKETI, Türkiye
• DECARBONCITIES LTD, United Kingdom
• SULTANBEYLI MUNICIPALITY, Türkiye
• EUROPEAN PUBLIC HEALTH ALLIANCE (EPHA), Belgium
• AYUNTAMIENTO DE SEVILLA, Spain
• GEBZE TEKNIK UNIVERSITESI, Türkiye
• NATIONAL TECHNICAL UNIVERSITY OF ATHENS (NTUA), Greece
• UNIVERSITY OF LEEDS, United Kingdom
• STEINBEIS INNOVATION GGMBH, Germany
• ISTANBUL UNIVERSITESI – CERRAHPASA, Türkiye
• HUTT CITY COUNCIL, New Zealand
• MUNICIPALITY OF ALBA IULIA, Romania
• SOUTHAMPTON CITY COUNCIL, United Kingdom
• COMUNE DI OPPEANO, Italy
• CLARKE MODET Y COMPANIA S.L., Spain
• BABLE SMART CITIES IBERIA, S.L., Spain
• NEVELOK HAZA EGYESULET, Hungary
• MULTECILER VE SIGINMACILAR YARDIMLASMA VE DAYANISMA DERNEGI, Türkiye
• UNIVERSITA DEGLI STUDI DELL’INSUBRIA, Italy

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