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June Heat Wave Breaks Temperature Records Across Europe
Record temperatures above 40 C disrupted power, transport and outdoor work in multiple countries. Spain recorded 1,000 excess deaths linked to the heat. The European Union has spent 72 percent of its 2021-2025 climate budget on emissions reduction and 18 percent on adaptation.
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A June heat wave set new temperature records across Europe and disrupted electricity supply, rail service and outdoor labor in several countries. Spain reported 1,000 excess deaths attributed to the heat. In Germany and Sweden, trains were canceled or derailed after rails buckled. Parts of the region also imposed temporary bans on outdoor work.
The European Union set a legally binding target to reach net-zero emissions by 2050. Between 2021 and 2025, 72 percent of its joint climate-related spending went to mitigation measures, 18 percent to adaptation, and 9 percent to both, according to official figures.
EU Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said later this year the bloc will release an EU-wide climate resilience plan focused on common scenarios and best practices. National and regional authorities remain responsible for most building and infrastructure changes.
Dutch bank ING estimated that climate-related extremes reduced European economic output by 0.3 percentage points last year. One day above 30 C is estimated to cost the German economy 430 million euros in lost productivity. Only half of German offices are air-conditioned, compared with 90 to 95 percent in southern Europe.
Polish Deputy Climate Minister Krzysztof Bolesta said businesses lack financial incentives comparable to those for emissions cuts when investing in heat adaptation. The World Health Organization said this week that heat-related deaths would have been about 80 percent higher without measures such as heat-health action plans, early warnings and cooling centers introduced since a 2003 heat wave that caused around 70,000 deaths.
