Climate change: Europe is warming too fast

According to an EU report, Europe is not adequately prepared for its consequences Global warming Before. At the same time, Southern European countries are particularly affected by global warming.

According to a report by the European Environment Agency (EEA), European measures are lagging behind the risks. “If decisive action is not taken now, most of the identified climate risks could reach critical or catastrophic proportions by the end of this century,” the EU authority said.

Hundreds of thousands of people could die from heat waves and economic losses from coastal flooding could exceed 1 trillion euros a year, the report said, the first comprehensive assessment of climate risk in Europe.

In addition to economic consequences and environmental damage, social emergencies due to threatened food security or political turmoil should also be expected if Europe does not take greater action to reduce global warming.

The elderly and people who work outdoors are also at particular risk. “In the summer of 2022, 60,000 to 70,000 premature deaths in Europe are due to heat. The heat risk for the population is already important in southern Europe, but also in many cities,” said Leena Yil-Mononen, EEA Executive Director.

The report identifies Central and Southern Europe as particularly at risk. Last summer, countries including Spain and Italy were hit by severe heat waves. There were forest fires and water shortages.

Coastal areas are also at risk. The rate of sea level rise is increasing every year. Particularly alarming: Even if temperatures remain constant, sea levels will continue to rise for thousands of years.

Figures from the Berkeley Earth Research Institute show that Europe is warming the fastest of all continents. At around 1.45°C, Europe is ahead of Asia at 1.34 and North America at 0.92°C.

According to climatologist Sebastian Sippel, Europe's geographical location is primarily responsible for the rapid warming. The Arctic, which is not a continent but an ocean, is warming faster than Europe. As Europe is so close to the Arctic, it is obvious that this will have an impact.

According to “ZDFheute”, other reasons include clean air, because aerosols have a cooling effect, climate variability and weather conditions.