- EU warns it must better prepare for a possible 3C global warming by 2100, unveiling new rules to force member states to act.
- Europe suffered early, relentless heatwaves this spring, breaking records and causing tens of thousands of excess deaths.
- Science indicates 1.5C warming by 2030, 2C by 2050, and 3C by 2100 unless stronger action and adaptation occur.
- EU aims to build climate risk preparedness by 2030, estimating 70 billion euros per year needed for resilience and adaptation.
- Economic damages already about 200 billion euros between 2022 and 2025; EIB plans to double climate resilience financing to 30 billion by 2030.
The European Union on Tuesday warned of the need to better prepare for a feared 3C rise in global warming as it unveiled new rules to force member states to act.
Fuelled by climate change, the world’s fastest-warming continent experienced a relentless series of heatwaves that began unusually early in the spring, shattering temperature records and causing tens of thousands of excess deaths.
The EU pointed to scientific evidence that shows the world is on a path to warm by 1.5C above pre-industrial levels by 2030, 2C by 2050, and 3C by 2100.
The European Commission wants to build up climate risk preparedness by 2030.
The commission said the estimated economic losses from climate damages between 2022 and 2025 stood at around 200 billions euros ($223 billion).
The EU has focused on cutting greenhouse gas emissions and has a target of climate neutrality — being an economy with net-zero emissions — by 2050.
But after warnings by independent advisors that adaptation was necessary and the extreme weather this summer, the EU knows it must also plan at a greater scale.
“Even as we work hard to reduce emissions, we must prepare for the impacts of climate change, which are neither fair nor equally distributed. Europe lacks preparedness” EU vice-president for the clean transition Teresa Ribera said.
“It is our responsibility to minimise the costs and suffering this entails.”
The EU remains committed to limit global warming to 1.5C, but European climate chief Wopke Hoekstra warned “it would be unwise not to prepare for the scenarios” during a press conference.
The European Commission said the investment needed for climate resilience and adaptation is around 70 billion euros per year.
The European Investment Bank Group said this month it plans to double its overall climate resilience financing to at least 30 billion euros by 2030.
