Europe is warming twice as fast as the rest of the world. The first ever European Climate Risk Assessment, published in March 2024, warns us that climate impacts are already here, and climate risks are growing rapidly.
From heatwaves and droughts, to floods and rising sea levels, these risks affect everyone. Most EU countries are already facing severe losses and destruction from climate-related disasters, which impact our societies, infrastructure, ecosystems, financial systems, and the economy at large.
Acting now to increase our resilience and get better prepared is essential to safeguarding Europe’s security and prosperity, boosting its competitiveness, and protecting our health and well-being.
EU action for climate adaptation and resilience
Increasing our climate resilience and preparedness means taking action to prepare for the impacts of climate change, both now and in the future. While we must cut our greenhouse gas emissions to limit global warming and reduce its damage to a minimum, we must also prepare for the more adverse climate that will be with us for a long time.
This is why the EU is working on a new integrated framework for European climate resilience and risk management to help Member States prevent and get ready for the growing impacts of climate change.
It will consist of a balanced policy package, which we plan to adopt during the second half of 2026 following a thorough impact assessment process. The main objective is to establish a more ambitious, comprehensive and coherent EU approach to climate resilience and preparedness, covering individual Member States and the EU as a whole.
The new integrated framework will take the EU Adaptation Strategy adopted in 2021 to the next level, putting its principles and objectives into practice.