The European Climate Change Adaptation Conference 2013 will bring together scientists and practitioners working on adaptation to the impacts of climate change. The conference will create a European forum bringing together world-class science, with the aim of fostering a creative dialogue with climate adaptation policy makers and practitioners. The theme of the conference is "Integrating Climate into Action".

Even under the most optimistic greenhouse gas emission reduction scenario we are facing already a certain level of future climate change. The first impacts of climate change are now observable in Europe and internationally. These impacts create new risks and vulnerabilities, while also generating opportunities for some. But while the need to manage climate vulnerabilities and to adapt is now widely understood, questions about whether, how and when to adapt are often hard to answer. New knowledge from science and practice is critical to making judgements, choices and decisions in the context of uncertainties.