While the Trump administration seeks to strip carbon dioxide of its designation as a health threat and roll back the scientific foundation of climate policy, Europe is sending very different signals. A new report from the European Environment Agency warns that climate risks are already directly affecting lives and economies, making adaptation and resilience a matter of survival.
Europe remains the global leader in combating climate change but must do more to protect the environment and strengthen resilience to global warming, the European Environment Agency (EEA) cautioned in its latest report.
“Significant progress has been made in cutting greenhouse gas emissions and reducing air pollution, but the overall state of the environment in Europe remains unsatisfactory,” the agency said in a statement.
The assessment comes as EU member states failed at last week’s UN climate summit to present a joint plan for cutting emissions by 2035, amid divisions within the bloc. Disagreements also persist over the European Commission’s proposal to reduce emissions by 90% by 2040 compared to 1990 levels.
Since 1990, EU greenhouse gas emissions have fallen by 37%—substantially more than other major polluters, including China and the United States. This progress was achieved by reducing fossil fuel consumption and doubling the share of renewable energy since 2005.
Even so, the agency stressed that countries must “step up the implementation of agreed measures and long-term initiatives under the European Green Deal,” adopted during the previous Commission’s term.
The state of Europe’s natural ecosystems continues to deteriorate. According to the report, 81% of protected areas are in poor or very poor condition, 60–70% of soils are degraded, and 62% of water bodies fail to meet ecological quality standards.
The water issue is particularly acute, as it is becoming an increasingly scarce resource. Climate change is worsening the shortage, but the agency estimates that up to 40% of water resources could be saved in agriculture, utilities, and energy through more efficient management, reuse technologies, and raising public awareness.
The consequences of climate change represent a growing threat. Many of them manifest indirectly—through damage to infrastructure and ecosystems, rising prices, and other factors.
Most buildings in Europe are not designed for extreme heat, and, according to the agency, 19% of residents cannot maintain a comfortable temperature in their homes. Meanwhile the frequency of severe heatwaves is rising, yet only 21 of the 38 countries in the EEA system have national health action plans to address heat.
Extreme Weather Events Are Claiming Lives and Inflicting Huge Economic Losses Across Europe
Extreme weather and climate events—such as exceptional heat, floods, landslides and wildfires—have claimed more than 240,000 lives in the 27 EU member states between 1980 and 2023.
Economic losses from these disasters continue to mount. Average annual damages in 2020–2023 were 2.5 times higher than in 2010–2019. In 2023, flood losses in Slovenia reached 16% of the country’s GDP.
The agency urged Europe to adapt its societies and economies to new conditions. “Human survival depends on a high-quality environment, especially when it comes to adapting to climate change,” said Katrin Ganzleben, head of the EEA’s Sustainable and Just Transitions unit, at a briefing. “Sustainable development is not a matter of choice, it’s a matter of timing. Do we act now, or delay—only to face a tougher, costlier task?”
Cutting pollution, she stressed, directly saves lives by preventing illness and its consequences. Mortality linked to exposure to fine particulate matter fell by 45% from 2005 to 2022.