Active climate change policy focuses on the adoption of measures and the implementation of infrastructure activities in two directions:
- Anticipation of negative impacts and adaptation to climate change, e.g. repair of river channels and dams to prevent flooding; creation of buildings that are more resilient to the elements and are autonomous systems; improving the efficiency of water resource use through the introduction of new technologies, etc.)

Adaptation aims to reduce the adverse effects of climate change, e.g. from devastating natural disasters.

- Mitigating or reducing (mitigation) the negative effects of climate change, e.g. through the creation of carbon sinks to limit greenhouse gas emissions, including the construction of forest belts and carbon sequestration arrays, the introduction of technologies to limit emissions from solid fuel heaters and vehicles, improving the energy efficiency of infrastructure, etc.

The goal of mitigation is to limit the greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change, i.e. to take active preventive action to reduce or replace them.

Both approaches are equally important for addressing the negative impacts of climate change on ecosystems. They need to be applied in parallel, thus amplifying their effects.

The two policies (adaptation and mitigation) have many intersections, which are related, for example, to increasing public understanding of the measures to be taken, introducing new energy systems (e.g. green hydrogen), taking measures to reduce water consumption and limit water losses from the water supply network, actively working to protect the environment and biodiversity, achieving smart growth based on information technology, promoting local supply chains, etc.

Adaptation to climate change

In relation to adaptation, it is necessary to carry out a review and analysis of critical infrastructure and identify its weaknesses, followed by measures to address them. This involves improving existing infrastructure and building new infrastructure, e.g. to cope with floods and fires.

All EU Member States currently have a national adaptation strategy or plan. Adaptation is included in the EU's policies and long-term budget.

The National Climate Change Adaptation Strategy and Action Plan 2030. present a set of measures for the adaptation of different sectors of the national economy to climate change.

The platform Climate-ADAPT is a key starting point for knowledge on adaptation.

Mitigating climate change

Climate change mitigation aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions causing climate change due to the increase in the Earth's temperature. This means taking active preventive action to reduce or replace them, for example:
- Achieving transport sustainability - introducing electric or hydrogen fuel cell vehicles; introducing green mobility
- Improving energy efficiency in industry (e.g. replacing machinery stock with high-performance energy-efficient machinery and equipment)
- Improving the energy neutrality of buildings (public, private and industrial) through their renovation or the construction of so-called passive buildings
- Increasing the share of energy produced from renewable energy sources
- Reducing waste generation and managing it effectively, etc.

International agreements to limit climate change

There are three main international agreements to limit climate change:
1. The 1992 UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
2. The Kyoto Protocol of 1997.
3. The 2015 Paris Agreement on climate change

In 1992, the world's nations signed the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change with the goal of stabilizing greenhouse gas concentrations "at a level that would prevent dangerous anthropogenic (man-made) interference with the climate system."

In 1997, further steps were taken with the Kyoto Protocol, which introduced measures and binding emission reduction targets for developed country signatories. As part of the Kyoto Protocol, developed countries also committed to setting policies and measures to help achieve the Protocol's emission reduction targets in a sustainable manner. The UNFCCC Secretariat monitors and reports on the implementation of the Convention and the Kyoto Protocol.

The Paris Agreement (2015) is signed by 197 countries. It aims to limit global average temperature rise to "well below" 2°C above pre-industrial levels and to promote efforts to limit global average temperature rise "further" to 1.5°C above these levels. The Paris Agreement does not introduce binding emission reduction targets for signatories - instead it requires each country to set a national contribution to the overall goal of limiting global temperature rise. This contribution includes both the reduction of man-made emissions at source and the removal ('carbon sinks') of greenhouse gases.