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The European Environment Agency (EEA) warned on Monday that Europe could suffer “catastrophic” consequences from climate change unless it takes urgent action.
In its first Europe-wide analysis of climate-related risks, the EEA listed 36 climate-related threats in Europe, 21 of which required immediate action and eight of which it said were “particularly urgent”.
The report said risks include fires, water shortages and impacts on agricultural production, with low-lying coastal areas facing threats from flooding, erosion and saltwater intrusion.
Why should Europe worry?
According to the EEA, Europe is the world’s warmest continent, warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. Even if countries are able to slow global warming, global temperatures are already more than 1 degree Celsius warmer than before the industrial revolution.
EEA Commissioner Leena Ira Mononen said: In the summer of 2022, between 60,000 and 70,000 people in Europe will die prematurely due to heat.
The agency said regions of southern Europe were most at risk. However, that does not mean that Northern Europe is immune to negative impacts, as recent floods in Germany and forest fires in Sweden have shown.
At the top of the list for analysis were risks to ecosystems, primarily related to coastal and marine areas.
Report should be ‘final wake-up call’
The EEA said that without more urgent action, most of the 36 climate risks facing Europe could reach “critical or catastrophic levels” this century. This includes risks to health, crop production and infrastructure.
In a pessimistic scenario, heatwaves could kill hundreds of thousands of people and warned that by the end of the century, “economic losses from coastal flooding alone could exceed €1 trillion a year”.
“This is supposed to be your wake-up call. Your last wake-up call.” Ila-Mononen said.
Scientists say greenhouse gas emissions, primarily from burning fossil fuels, need to be drastically reduced to avoid catastrophic climate change.
The European Commission is expected to publish its response to the report on Tuesday.
ssa/nm (Reuters, AFP)
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