Europe unprepared for ‘catastrophic’ risks of climate crisis, major study warns
Europe’s economic losses from coastal floods alone could rise to €1 trillion
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.The European Union Environment Agency (EEA) has issued a stark warning, urging countries in the bloc to prepare for the “catastrophic” impacts caused by the climate crisis.
Its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks was released on Monday, calling for policymakers to develop more urgent plans in the face of the escalating nature of the risks facing the continent.
Europe is heating up faster than any other continent globally, doubling the average global rate, the EEA said. It also warned that the economic losses from coastal floods alone every year could rise to almost double the existing cost of all extreme weather events in the past four decades.
The report identifies 36 major climate risks that are threatening the continent, including energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health.
It says many of these risks have “already reached critical levels and could become catastrophic without urgent and decisive action”.
Even if efforts are made to slow down this warming trend, global temperatures are already over 1.2 degrees Celsius higher than pre-industrial times.
In a pessimistic scenario, the EEA painted a grim picture for the end of the century, warning that "hundreds of thousands of people would die from heatwaves, and economic losses from coastal floods alone could exceed €1 trillion per year."
This projection far surpasses the €650bn lost to weather and climate-related extremes across the European bloc from 1980 to 2022.
Leena Ylä-Mononen, the EEA’s executive director, said the risks facing Europe “are growing faster than our societal preparedness”.
“To ensure the resilience of our societies, European and national policymakers must act now to reduce climate risks both by rapid emission cuts and by strong adaptation policies and actions,” she said.
Kate Levick, associate director at climate think-tank E3G, told the Associated Press: “There’s a particular role for finance ministers to essentially look at what happens to balance sheets, in terms of assets and liabilities at the national level, as a result of climate risk.”
The agency called policymakers to act now to prepare European societies for the impacts, including improving insurance coverage, redesigning infrastructure, and implementing laws to protect outdoor workers from deadly heat.
The European Commission is set to publish its response to the EEA's report on Tuesday.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments