Europe is heating up at more than twice the global average, making it the fastest-warming continent on the planet. Since 1980, European temperatures have increased by approximately 0.5°C per decade, compared to the global average of 0.2°C. In 2022, Europe was already about 2.3°C warmer than pre-industrial levels, while the global average temperature rise stood at 1.3°C. The accelerated warming is partly driven by Arctic amplification, land-use changes, and reduced snow and ice cover that reflect less sunlight, causing faster heat absorption. Southern Europe, in particular, is becoming hotter and drier, with the Mediterranean region projected to become a climate change hotspot, facing more frequent and intense heatwaves, wildfires, and droughts.
The consequences of this rapid warming are profound. In 2022 alone, Europe experienced its hottest summer on record, with extreme heatwaves leading to over 16,000 deaths and affecting more than 156,000 people across the continent. Glaciers in the Alps lost an average of 3 to 4 meters of ice thickness in a single year, while marine heatwaves—driven by record-high sea surface temperatures—disrupted fishing and coastal ecosystems. Climate change has also intensified flooding, with severe events in countries like Germany and Belgium in 2021 causing over 200 deaths and billions in damages. These trends are expected to worsen unless Europe accelerates its transition to renewable energy, strengthens heat adaptation measures, and implements large-scale emissions cuts to stay within the 1.5°C global target. More