Countries throughout Europe ought to put together for “catastrophic” dangers, starting from floods to lethal heatwaves, as worsening local weather change hits each a part of their economies and societies this century, the EU Environment Agency stated on Monday.

Policymakers want to attract up new plans to handle the challenges, the Copenhagen-based physique stated in its first Europe-wide evaluation of climate-related dangers.

WHY IT’S IMPORTANT

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent, heating up at twice the worldwide charge, the EEA stated. Even if nations handle to sluggish warming, international temperatures are already greater than 1C greater than in pre-industrial instances.

The EEA stated the harm will rely, partly, on whether or not policymakers act now to organize societies – for instance, by enhancing insurance coverage protection, redesigning infrastructure and introducing legal guidelines to guard outside employees from lethal warmth.

READ | 2023 was the warmest year on earth since 1850, says EU’s climate change agency

Without extra pressing motion, the EEA stated a lot of the 36 local weather dangers dealing with Europe may hit “critical or catastrophic levels” this century. They embrace dangers to well being, crop manufacturing and infrastructure. BY THE NUMBERS

In a pessimistic situation, by the tip of the century, the EEA stated: “Hundreds of thousands of people would die from heatwaves, and economic losses from coastal floods alone could exceed 1 trillion euros per year.”

That would far exceed the 650 billion euros misplaced to climate and climate-related extremes throughout the bloc from 1980 to 2022.

KEY QUOTES

Kate Levick, affiliate director at local weather think-tank E3G, urged governments to reply to the EEA’s findings.

“There’s a particular role for finance ministers to essentially look at what happens to balance sheets, in terms of assets and liabilities at national level, as a result of climate risk,” Levick stated.

WHAT’S NEXT

The European Commission will publish its response to the report on Tuesday.