The European Commission on Tuesday presented proposals to improve its response to the climate crisis, following the first study by the European Environment Agency (EEA) that assesses the biggest risks in the European Union (EU).
Stressing that investing in reducing the EU’s vulnerability to climate risks will always cost less than recovering from events such as drought, floods or bushfires, the community leader calls for closer collaboration between national, regional and local levels to ensure that knowledge and resources are provided where they are most effective.
In the adopted communication, the European Commission also states that it will improve existing data and access to it to better understand the links between climate risks, investments and long-term financing strategies.
From a sectoral perspective, the Commission presents proposals for action in six main impact areas: natural ecosystems, water, health, food, infrastructure, environment and economics.
Risks from extreme heat, such as the impact of bushfires and drought, are already at “critical levels” in Portugal and elsewhere in Europe, according to the EEA’s first assessment, published on Monday, identifying 36 climate risks in the EU. EU, Southern Europe.
“Some regions of Europe are hotspots for multiple climate risks. Southern Europe is particularly vulnerable to the risk of bushfires and the impact of heat and water shortages on agricultural production, outdoor work and human health,” the AEA lists.
In the summer of 2022, for example, between 60,000 and 70,000 premature deaths in Europe were heat-related, despite significant investment in heat-related health plans.
The agency also emphasizes that “Europe’s adaptation policies and actions have not kept pace with the rapid increase in risks.”
Climate change, exacerbated by human actions, is affecting the planet, and globally, 2023 was the hottest year on record, with average global temperatures between February 2023 and January 2024 exceeding pre-industrial levels by 1.5°C.
Europe is the continent recording the fastest warming in the world.