All official European Union website addresses are in the europa.eu domain.
See all EU institutions and bodiesDo something for our planet, print this page only if needed. Even a small action can make an enormous difference when millions of people do it!
Press Release
This report makes strikingly clear that many regions and sectors across Europe are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Implementation of adaptation actions has only just started. We need to intensify such actions and improve information exchange on data, effectiveness and costs.
Prof. Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA
The report 'Impacts of Europe’s changing climate', based on 40 key indicators, stresses the consequences of both observed and projected changes, including an increased risk of floods and droughts, losses of biodiversity, threats to human health and damage to economic sectors such as energy, transport, forestry, agriculture, and tourism.
The report highlights that vulnerability to climate change varies widely across regions and sectors in Europe. It shows that the main vulnerable areas in Europe are mountainous regions, coastal zones, the Mediterranean and the Arctic.
The report underlines that, in addition to enhanced global greenhouse gas emission reductions, pro-active adaptation measures are also needed to moderate effects. Many of today’s adaptation activities are focused on flood management and defence so there is scope for more action in other sectors.
The expected European Commission paper on adaptation will frame a European adaptation strategy. Furthermore, many countries are developing and implementing national adaptation strategies. The report will assist in the development and implementation phase of these plans, for example through the use across all countries of the indicators presented in the report.
The study also calls for a co-ordinated effort by countries, the European Commission and other organisations to fill key information gaps. We need improved monitoring and reporting of climate data and observed impacts, more detailed spatial and socio-economic scenarios; better information on vulnerability; more information on good practices in adaptation actions and their costs and better information exchange mechanisms.
"This report makes strikingly clear that many regions and sectors across Europe are vulnerable to climate change impacts. Implementation of adaptation actions has only just started. We need to intensify such actions and improve information exchange on data, effectiveness and costs", says Professor Jacqueline McGlade, Executive Director of the EEA.
The report proposes the setting up of a European Clearing House on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation to make such data widely available to users, with the support of the EU Shared Environmental Information System (SEIS), the EU Kopernikus programme on global monitoring for environment and security, and in collaboration with the WHO Climate, Environment and Health Information System (CEHAIS).
About the European Environment Agency (EEA)
The EEA is based in Copenhagen. The agency aims to help achieve significant and measurable improvement in Europe's environment through the provision of timely, targeted, relevant and reliable information to policy makers and the public.
About the JRC
The European Commission’s Joint Research Centre has contributed extensively to sections of the report on air quality, river floods and droughts, soil, agriculture and forestry. The JRC is the reference centre of science and technology for the European Union, serving the common interest of the Member States, while being independent of special interests, whether private or national.
About the WHO Regional Office for Europe
The WHO Regional Office for Europe has contributed to the report’s sections on human health. WHO Europe supports the 53 countries of the European Region, representing almost 900 million people, improve the health and wellbeing of their populations. Its activities on climate change include support to programmes to prevent the consequences of heat and floods, combat infectious disease, improve water and sanitation services, respond to natural disasters and provide information to the public on how to avoid risks. The Office also coordinates the review of the scientific evidence on the links between climate and health.
About the European Topic Centre
The European Topic Centre on Air and Climate Change (ETC/ACC) contributed to the report’s sections on cryosphere, marine and terrestrial biodiversity and ecosystems. It is a consortium of European institutes lead by the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL) contracted by the EEA to contribute to EEA’s work on air quality and climate change.
For media inquiries:
European Environment Agency
Òscar Romero: oscar.romero@eea.europa.eu - office +45 33 36 72 07
Gulcin Karadeniz: gulcin.karadeniz@eea.europa.eu – mobile +45 23 68 36 53
Joint Research Centre
Berta Duane: berta.duane@ec.europa.eu – phone +39 0332 789743
WHO Regional Office for Europe
Cristiana Salvi: csa@ecr.euro.who.int – mobile +39 348 0192305
For references, please go to https://www.eea.europa.eu/media/newsreleases/europe-needs-to-intensify-actions-to-adapt-to-climate-change-impacts or scan the QR code.
PDF generated on 10 Dec 2024, 12:58 AM
Engineered by: EEA Web Team
Software updated on 26 September 2023 08:13 from version 23.8.18
Software version: EEA Plone KGS 23.9.14
Document Actions
Share with others