The kick-off meeting for the research project “Testing the Resilience of Public Finances to Climate Risks: The Case of Croatia” (FISCAL-CLIM) took place on Friday, 6 November 2026. The project is funded by the Croatian Science Foundation under its Installation Research Projects programme. The principal investigator is Assistant Professor Tanja Fatur Šikić, PhD, of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Rijeka.
The project examines how climate risks and the transition to a low-carbon economy affect public finances, and which fiscal policy measures and public investments could strengthen Croatia’s economic resilience. The research will analyse fiscal and climate data, assess the sustainability of public finances, and examine the effects of climate shocks and fiscal policy responses under different scenarios.
The meeting covered the project’s objectives, planned activities and expected outcomes. The team focused on first-year priorities, including collecting and harmonising data, developing a research database and preparing research papers.
The project runs from 1 October 2026 to 30 September 2029. The research team, led by Tanja Fatur Šikić, includes Leonarda Srdelić, PhD, of the Zagreb School of Economics and Management, Romina Agbaba, PhD, of the Faculty of Tourism and Hospitality Management at the University of Rijeka, and Kristina Kregar of the Faculty of Economics and Business at the University of Rijeka.
The findings will provide an evidence base for designing fiscal policies and guiding public investment to support climate change adaptation.