Climate change impacts, risks and adaptation

Europe is not prepared for rapidly growing climate risks

Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, and climate risks are threatening its energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, financial stability, and people’s health.

Extreme heat, drought, wildfires, and flooding, as experienced in recent years, will worsen in Europe even under optimistic global warming scenarios and affect living conditions throughout the continent. The EEA has published the first ever European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) to help identify policy priorities for climate change adaptation and for climate-sensitive sectors.

According to our assessment, many of these risks have already reached critical levels and could become catastrophic without urgent and decisive action.

How are extreme weather events influencing adaptation policies?

Climate risk assessments that take account of threats like heatwaves, droughts, floods and wildfires are increasingly being used to inform and improve national adaptation policies.

Heatwaves, droughts, floods and increasing wildfires were the top extreme weather events reported by national authorities in 2023. Many countries also reported that they expected an increase of frequency and intensity of these events.

Europe's regions will need to prepare for different impacts

While climate change impacts are felt throughout the EU, the impacts felt in different regions will vary. Our assessment also shows that some regions are more vulnerable:

• Changes in rainfall will differ considerably throughout Europe, with expected heavy rain in the north. Combined with more frequent heatwaves, lower rainfall will present a greater risk of drought and forest fires in the south. 
• Storm intensity is projected to increase across Europe, but changes in frequency are projected to differ across regions. 
• Snowfall is projected to decrease in central and southern Europe, whereas mixed changes are anticipated for northern Europe.
• Sea levels will rise in all areas except the North Baltic Sea. 
• Sea surface temperature is projected to increase in all European seas. Europe’s seas are also expected to become more acidic.

Inequality leaves some communities more vulnerable

The most vulnerable in the EU are most likely to be exposed to climate change-related environmental health impacts. 

• Vulnerable groups like the elderly, children and those in poor health tend to be more adversely affected by environmental health hazards than the general population. 
• Groups of lower socioeconomic status tend to be more negatively affected by environmental health hazards because of greater exposure and higher vulnerability. 
• Urban areas have disproportionate exposure to air pollution, noise, and high temperatures — especially among lower socioeconomic groups.

Cities are key to a climate-resilient Europe

The EEA report ‘Urban adaptation in Europe’ highlights the urgent need to adapt European cities to climate change and provides an overview of actions they are taking.

As European cities increasingly feel the impacts of climate change, such as heatwaves and floods, there is a clear case for investing in urban societal resilience, the EEA report states. Cities have an essential role in the implementation of adaptation actions.

European cities are adapting to climate change through a wide range of effective actions, including urban planning and building codes, economic incentives and insurance, early-warning systems and information campaigns. Emerging areas of opportunity for adaptation include promoting urban agriculture, creating more liveable public spaces and protecting cultural heritage.

They are also increasingly implementing nature-based solutions, which are included in 91% of local adaptation plans analysed in the report.

What are cities doing to adapt?

The Climate-ADAPT platform, which is maintained by the EEA, targets governmental decision-makers as well as the organisations supporting them in the development, implementation, and evaluation of climate change adaptation strategies, plans and actions at all governance levels in Europe. The platform currently includes 134 case studies for learning and to inspire action.

According to the new EEA briefing 'Preparing society for climate risks in Europe — lessons and inspiration from Climate-ADAPT case studies', the recently published European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) stressed the need to scale up adaptation measures and actions across all policy sectors and governance levels to address escalating climate risks like extreme heat, drought, wildfires and flooding.

Other topics you might be interested in:

• Agriculture and food system
• Climate
• Climate change mitigation: reducing emissions
• Energy
• Energy efficiency
• Environmental inequalities
• Extreme weather: floods, droughts, and heatwaves 
• Forests and forestry
• Health 
• Land use
• Renewable energy
• Seas and coasts 
• Sustainability challenges
• Sustainable finance

External links:

• Climate-ADAPT  - 10 case studies
• Climate-ADAPT - European Climate and Health Observatory
• Climate-ADAPT – Country profiles national adaptation strategies and plans
• Copernicus in-situ component
• Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S)
• United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) processes