News Archive
Climate action improves air quality and helping us grow more food
22 Nov 2018A new EU Joint Research Centre study finds that the air quality improvements stemming from currently pledged energy and climate policies can prevent more than 71,000 premature deaths annually by 2030 and significantly increase agricultural crop yields.
Responses of waterbirds to climate change is linked to their preferred wintering habitats
20 Nov 2018A recent collaborative study between 21 European countries provides new insights into how waterbirds respond to the changes in winter weather conditions at large scale. The study shows that 25 waterbirds species respond to both year-to-year and long-term changes in winter weather conditions, which is evident by the changes in local abundances during winter.
Restoring floodplains would improve state of water, ecosystems and climate protection in Europe
19 Nov 2018The European Environment Agency briefing ‘Why should we care about floodplains?’ analyses the potential benefits of restoring natural areas next to rivers that are covered by water during floods, including climate change adaptation. According to the analysis, these areas can deliver valuable cultural and ecosystem services, including a cost-effective alternative to structural flood protection.
Climate change damaging male fertility of insects
13 Nov 2018Research reveals that heatwaves damage sperm in insects, with negative impacts for fertility across generations. Male infertility during heatwaves could help to explain why climate change is having such an impact on species populations, including climate-related extinctions in recent years.
EC welcomes European Parliament adoption of key files of the 'Clean Energy for all Europeans' package
13 Nov 2018New rules on renewables, energy efficiency and the governance of the Energy Union, have been signed off by the European Parliament, with relevance for climate change adaptation in terms of reporting obligations for countries, the Commission and other EU Institutions, as well as for each Member State to consider adaptation in their national energy and climate plans for the period 2021 to 2030.
European Commission evaluates its Adaptation Strategy
12 Nov 2018The evaluation shows that the EU Adaptation Strategy has delivered on its objectives, with progress recorded against each of its eight individual actions, such as the Covenant of Mayors for Climate and Energy, the development of the online platform Climate-ADAPT and the climate-proofing of key EU policies.
Final report of the PESETA III project released: climate change and the human and economic outlook for Europeans
12 Nov 2018If warming rises more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels and no adequate adaptation measures are implemented, Europe is in danger of being exposed to more frequent and intense extreme weather conditions. This result comes from an assessment of the impact of climate change on Europe's economy, society and environment.
Conservation areas help birdlife adapt to climate change
06 Nov 2018A warming climate is pushing organisms towards the circumpolar areas and mountain peaks. A recently conducted Finnish study on changes in bird populations reveals that protected areas slow down the north-bound retreat of species.
Paper published: Indicators for adaptation to climate change at national level - Lessons from emerging practice in Europe
01 Nov 2018As countries gain more experience in developing and implementing national climate change adaptation strategies and plans, the need for understanding their progress and effects is also increasing, especially through indicators for monitoring and evaluation of adaptation to climate change at national level. This Technical Paper contributes to the evolving knowledge base, and is accompanied by an annex including a database of national adaptation indicator sets from five European countries collected in 2017 and 2018.
European Commission approved quarter of a billion euros of investments in environment and climate action under the LIFE programme
30 Oct 2018The European Commission has approved an investment package of €243 million from the EU budget for projects under the LIFE programme supporting nature, the environment and quality of life in Europe's transition to a more sustainable and low-carbon future. In the area of climate action, the EU will invest €46.8 million to support climate change mitigation, adaptation and governance and information projects.