BEACONSplus

Current measures of reducing greenhouse gas emissions and additionally extracting CO2 from the atmosphere fail to achieve the rates needed to reach the 1.5°C goal of the Paris Agreement through "net-zero emissions". As a consequence, sea level-rise and more frequent and more severe extreme events will cause damage to coastal infrastructures and economies and jeopardize human health, well-being and livelihood in coastal communities. Through trans-, multi- and interdisciplinary approaches and pathways, BEACONSplus will enhance the capacities of coastal communities on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean for climate change-adaptation and support them in increasing their resilience. The pathway towards this aim includes co-design and co-creation with coastal communities for identifying common and regionally specific challenges, developing, expanding and mutually sharing a range of solutions, and through giving local communities a voice and global visibility for raising mutual awareness of challenges and pathways to socio-ecological adaptation. Through the network of coastal Beacon Sites and a digital interface and communication platform, all solutions, good practices and failures will be made fully accessible to all communities. To this end, a comprehensive coastal resilience toolbox, incl. approaches and guidelines towards conserving and restoring coastal ecosystems, and both scientific and traditional knowledge, will be implemented and tested by and throughout BEACONSplus. With this aim, BEACONSplus will build on parts of the existing All-Atlantic Network of Coastal Resilience Beacon Sites, further develop the All-Atlantic Coastal Resilience Hub, and implement a Resilience Similarity Platform and the Atlantic Together Initiative. BEACONSplus views empowerment and agency of coastal communities as central goals, achieved by enabling communities to participate actively in decision-making through a multi-actor approach rather than having solutions imposed from outside.