By Abdullahi Lukman
The European Scientific Advisory Board on Climate Change has called on European Union member states to urgently coordinate efforts to address escalating climate risks, warning that more frequent floods, wildfires, heatwaves and droughts demand a precautionary and unified response.
In a report released Tuesday, the board urged the EU27 to strengthen regulations to better anticipate and mitigate the growing impacts of climate change.
The scientists cautioned that the bloc’s current framework, including the European Commission’s 2021 climate adaptation strategy, falls short of preparing Europe for intensifying hazards.
The warning comes as Spain and Portugal recover from three powerful storms that caused widespread flooding, landslides and storm surges, leaving several dead and inflicting billions of euros in damage.
In Portugal, Storm Marta alone required the deployment of more than 26,500 rescue workers as waves reached 13 metres and rivers overflowed.
In southern Spain, particularly Andalusia, mass evacuations were carried out and key infrastructure sustained severe damage, with emergency shelters housing thousands of displaced residents.
Portugal’s economic losses are expected to exceed €3.3 billion, with farmers suffering extensive crop destruction.
Previous disasters — including the deadly floods in Valencia in October 2024 and in Germany and Belgium in July 2021 — have further intensified calls for stronger climate adaptation measures.
Ottmar Edenhofer, chair of the advisory board, said extreme weather events are already exacting a heavy toll across Europe.
He noted that extreme heat alone has led to tens of thousands of premature deaths in recent years, including an estimated 24,000 in the summer of 2025. Annual economic damage to infrastructure and physical assets now averages around €45 billion, he added.
Board members stressed that adaptation and mitigation must advance simultaneously to address unavoidable temperature increases. A fragmented national approach, they warned, could weaken collective resilience, as insufficient action in one country may heighten risks in neighbouring states.
Vice-chair Laura Diaz Anadon highlighted the need for a robust EU-wide adaptation framework to manage systemic threats to food, water and energy security.
Fellow vice-chair Jette Bredahl Jacobsen emphasized that while adaptation can reduce harm, mitigation remains essential to limit climate risks to manageable levels.
Among its recommendations, the advisory board called for harmonised climate risk assessments across EU policies and national governments, based on shared scenarios and standards.
It also urged planning for warming of 2.8 to 3.3 degrees Celsius by 2100 and mobilising both public and private investment to cover mounting climate-related costs through the EU budget and risk-sharing mechanisms.
The EU has earmarked approximately €658 billion from its 2021–2027 long-term budget for climate action, with negotiations ongoing for the 2028–2034 financial framework.
Meanwhile, Austrian Green MEP Lena Schilling renewed calls for higher taxes on the wealthy to support climate action, arguing that unchecked wealth accumulation undermines efforts to address the crisis.