On 25 February 2026, the project partners organized an online event titled Extreme Weather Events and Businesses: How to Prepare for New Energy Risks – “CLIMATE RISK Index of the CLIMASAFE Project.” The event addressed one of the key challenges of our time: how companies, particularly energy-intensive SMEs, can prepare for increasingly frequent climate-energy risks.
The event was held via the Zoom platform and was first conducted for Slovenian-speaking participants and then for Italian-speaking participants. It brought together representatives of support institutions, energy experts, and companies from the Italy–Slovenia programme area.
Climate Risk as a Business Risk
In the first part of the event, the broader issue of climate change as a structural factor directly affecting the business environment was presented. As emphasized during the presentation, climate risk today means:
- higher and more volatile energy prices,
- increased risk of electricity supply disruptions,
- higher insurance and investment costs,
- more difficult access to financing,
- additional pressure on companies’ competitiveness.
Particular attention was given to energy-intensive SMEs, where energy costs represent a significant share of the company’s value added.
Presentation of the CERI Index – An Operational Decision-Making Tool
The central part of the event was dedicated to the presentation of the CERI Index (Climate–Energy Risk Index), which represents a composite indicator of climate-energy risk for SMEs.
The index is based on three key components:
- Climate Risk (R)
- Energy Exposure (E)
- Adaptive Capacity (A)
Mathematically, the risk is expressed as:
The index enables companies to:
- assess their exposure to climate-energy risks,
- classify risks according to levels,
- identify critical processes,
- define priority adaptation measures,
- monitor changes over time.
It is a practical and methodologically transparent tool that helps companies move from a reactive response to crisis situations toward long-term strategic resilience planning.
From Analysis to Concrete Solutions
The following part presented the next steps of the CLIMASAFE project, which include:
- pilot activities with at least 25 energy-intensive SMEs in the programme area,
- development of operational support tools,
- testing of a digital platform,
- simulations of climate-energy risk scenarios,
- support for companies in planning adaptation measures.
The focus of the new phase of the project is the transition from risk identification to concrete, transferable solutions that strengthen the energy resilience and long-term competitiveness of companies, and that can also be transferred to a broader European context.
