Dear readers,
While the pandemic has turned our lives upside down in the last 12 months our work on climate action has not stopped. Last year’s 2030 Climate Target Plan and proposal for a European Climate Law underlined our commitment to reaching net-zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050 in a responsible and just way. But the EU’s work on climate action does not stop at cutting emissions.
Regardless of our efforts, we know beyond doubt that many impacts of climate change are now locked in, and will continue to intensify for some decades to come. The old adage goes that “by failing to prepare you are preparing to fail.” Europe cannot afford to do that. In that spirit, our EU strategy on adapting to climate change adopted last week reflects the urgent need for us to increase our efforts to prepare for, and adapt to the unavoidable impacts of climate change. We are already feeling those impacts.
Perhaps most noticeable are the much more intense and frequent extreme weather events. Once rare, torrential rainfall, thunderstorms and flash flooding are increasingly commonplace, and the scorching heatwaves and forest fires of summer are becoming more deadly, and creeping further north year on year. Economic damage from all these climate-related impacts amounts to over EUR 12 billion per year in Europe alone, and is set to climb further, not to mention the harm to our health, lives and well-being. Less perceptible, but equally concerning are slow-onset threats such as desertification, biodiversity loss and rising sea level, whose repercussions are even more wide-ranging and lasting.
Building on the previous strategy from 2013, this new strategy outlines a long-term vision for the EU to become climate-resilient by 2050. We must invest now in reinforcing capacity of the European Union social and economic fabric to withstand the next drought, the next flood, or the next heatwave. We want to shift focus from understanding the stakes to developing practicable solutions; moving from planning to taking action that will minimise future climate-related damage and losses. We’re making our approach to adaptation smarter by pushing the barriers of knowledge on climate adaptation and making the data available to all; swifter by accelerating the development and rollout of adaptation solutions, and more systemic by supporting policy development at all levels of governance, society and the economy.
More than before, the strategy will bring new focus to international action in our approach to adaptation. We will increase support for international climate resilience and preparedness through the provision of resources, by prioritizing action and increasing effectiveness, through the scaling up of international finance and stronger global engagement, partnerships and exchanges on adaptation.
If you’d like to learn more about adaptation to climate change and the new strategy, I’d encourage you to consult our website.
Happy reading,
Mauro Petriccione
Director-General for Climate Action, European Commission
