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EEA Report, 2024, 1: EUCRA (European climate risk assessment - Europese klimaatrisicoanalyse)

Oorspronkelijke titel: European climate risk assessment: Executive summary

Bron: europa.eu

12-03-2024

Publicatiejaar: 2024 Editie: 1/2024 Aantal pagina's: 40

This assessment identifies 36 climate risks with potentially severe consequences across Europe.

Human-induced climate change is affecting the planet; globally, 2023 was the warmest year on record.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. Extreme heat is becoming more frequent while precipitation patterns are changing. Downpours and other precipitation extremes are increasing in severity, and recent years have seen catastrophic floods in various regions.
These events, combined…

This assessment identifies 36 climate risks with potentially severe consequences across Europe.

Human-induced climate change is affecting the planet; globally, 2023 was the warmest year on record.
Europe is the fastest-warming continent in the world. Extreme heat is becoming more frequent while precipitation patterns are changing. Downpours and other precipitation extremes are increasing in severity, and recent years have seen catastrophic floods in various regions.
These events, combined with environmental and social risk drivers, pose major challenges throughout Europe. Specifically, they compromise food and water security, energy security and financial stability, and the health of the general population and of outdoor workers. In tandem, climate change is impacting terrestrial, freshwater and marine ecosystems.
Climate change is a risk multiplier that can exacerbate existing risks and crises. Cascading climate risks can lead to system-wide challenges affecting whole societies, with vulnerable social groups particularly affected.
When applying the scales of severity used in the European climate risk assessment, several climate risks have already reached critical
levels. If decisive action is not taken now, most climate risks identified could reach critical or catastrophic levels by the end of this century.
Climate risks to ecosystems, people and the economy depend on non-climatic risk drivers as much as on the climate-related hazards
themselves.
The EU and its Member States have made considerable progress in understanding the climate risks they are facing and preparing for them. Most of the climate risks are co-owned by the EU and its Member States; therefore, coordinated and urgent additional action is required at all governance levels.
Most policies and actions to strengthen Europe's resilience to climate change are made for the long term, and some actions have long lead times.
Adaptation policies can both support and conflict with other environmental, social and economic policy objectives. Thus, an
integrated policy approach considering multiple policy objectives is essential for ensuring efficient adaptation.

Bron: European climate risk assessment, p. 3-4 - 12-03-2024