Europe needs to urgently step up efforts on climate adaptation

Cities need more help to prepare for risks of climate breakdown

Europe is getting hotter twice as fast as the rest of the world, according to the European Environment Agency’s (EEA) first-ever European Climate Risk Assessment. The region needs to adapt to a climate that could warm by 3°C, but remains poorly prepared.

The assessment warns that rapid climate change will exacerbate and intensify disasters such as heat waves, droughts, wildfires and floods. These events threaten not only the health and safety of people, but also the nation’s energy and food security, ecosystems, infrastructure, water resources, and financial stability.

Following this report, the European Commission has outlined key measures to manage climate risks and strengthen Europe’s resilience, and will implement these when revising national energy and climate plans due in June. It encouraged Member States to take the risks into account.

C40 echoes this and calls on the EU’s future political mission and member states to:

1. Strengthen EU policy beyond the 2021 Adaptation Strategy and seamlessly integrate adaptation across all levels of governance and policy.
2. Accelerate access to finance for community-led initiatives and local governments to strengthen climate adaptation efforts.
3. Prioritize the development of a comprehensive EU water resilience strategy like ReWaterEU to safeguard Europe’s future as the threat of climate change increases.

In line with EEA policy recommendations, C40 cities are already adapting and implementing targeted solutions to strengthen resilience, protect vulnerable populations and help build thriving communities. .

Paris The city is committed to improving the quality of daily food consumption and achieving carbon neutrality by 2050. From 2022 through his 2027 Sustainable Food Plan, the city has set out a path to protecting the climate and biodiversity and achieving delicious and healthy food consumption.

athens is adapting to the heatwave by implementing nature-based solutions and promoting land acquisition to create green space, while educating residents through its Cool Athens campaign.

Barcelona The city has established a biodiversity observatory to monitor and protect the city’s diverse ecosystems. The city also has a network of climate shelters available to all residents to provide relief from the heat during heatwaves.

lisbon, milan, Oslo and rotterdam Establishing early warning systems in all low-income areas where communities face high risk of flooding and drought. copenhagen develops emergency response plans to protect everyone in critical situations, including ensuring safe and accessible shelter and providing basic needs.

During COP28, several EU member states joined the Coalition for High Ambition Multilevel Partnerships (CHAMP) and committed to working with local governments in developing climate strategies. The EEA assessment confirms that there is a critical need for national leaders to work with cities to scale up adaptation efforts.

Julia López Ventura, European Regional Director, C40 Cities“Tackling challenges such as extreme weather events, threats to public health, food, water and energy security and financial insecurity is a shared responsibility of the EU, Member States, regions and local governments. Many European mayors , are already taking action to protect ecosystems, restore urban nature, secure urban food systems and water supplies, and protect the most vulnerable from the worst effects of the climate crisis. It is not enough for cities to act alone.

“National leaders, businesses and civil society must urgently work with cities and their leaders to protect millions of people from these climate-induced hazards through multi-level partnerships. ”