EU must urgently strengthen climate adaptation policies

Scientific advisory board calls for a stronger EU framework to address escalating climate risks.

Also available in Italian  

The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has released a report titled “Strengthening resilience to climate change – Recommendations for an effective EU adaptation policy framework”, calling on the European Union to urgently reinforce its policy framework for climate adaptation.

According to the report, Europe is warming roughly twice as fast as the global average, with global temperatures already reaching around 1.4 °C above pre-industrial levels. Rising temperatures are driving more frequent and severe climate hazards, including heatwaves, droughts, wildfires, flooding and sea-level rise.

Extreme weather events are already causing significant economic and social losses. Damages to infrastructure and physical assets now average around €45 billion per year, while extreme heat has led to tens of thousands of premature deaths in recent years, including an estimated 24,000 deaths in summer 2025.

The Advisory Board stresses that current adaptation efforts remain insufficient and outlines five key recommendations to strengthen EU climate resilience, including:

• harmonising climate risk assessments across EU policies and Member States;
• setting a clear vision for a climate-resilient EU by 2050;
• integrating climate resilience across EU policies and investments;
• mobilising public and private finance for adaptation.

The report also highlights that adaptation and mitigation must progress together. Deep emission reductions remain essential to limit future climate risks, while stronger adaptation policies are needed to manage the impacts that are already unavoidable.