Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent — are its cities ready for climate change?

Published connected 14/11/2025 - 16:08 GMT+1 •Updated 16:18

A caller Eurocities Pulse study has recovered that ambiance threats are intensifying faster than nan European section capacity to adapt.

Europe is nan fastest-warming continent successful nan world, pinch utmost ambiance events predicted to get worse, according to nan European Environment Agency (EEA).

Heatwaves, floods, and droughts are nan apical 3 astir pressing municipality ambiance risks.

More than 75% of Europeans unrecorded successful municipality centres, putting them connected nan beforehand statement of nan conflict against ambiance change.

The Eurocities survey analysed 54 cities crossed 17 European countries, including Portugal, Italy, Germany, Spain, and France.

80% of nan cities surveyed opportunity that they person developed aliases are processing an emergency consequence scheme related to climate.

Meanwhile, 78% of cities person aliases are processing an early informing strategy to notify residents of ambiance threats.

When it comes to buildings, 81% of cities have, aliases are developing, building regulations for caller developments focused connected resilience, while 56% of nan cities behaviour regular ambiance consequence assessments each 2 to 3 years.

However, 13% do not restrict developments successful flood-prone areas.

Who is financing nan ambiance resilience successful these cities?

Climate action remains apical privilege successful 2025 for almost 100 mayors, pinch good complete half of them selecting it for nan 3rd twelvemonth successful a row, according to nan Eurocities Pulse Mayors survey.

Despite 61% of European cities having up to 10 unit members dedicated to ambiance adaptation, 19% of cities don't person dedicated staff.

Lack of funding, a constricted number of staff, and a deficiency of coordination betwixt agencies are nan main challenges to improving emergency planning.

Municipal gross (87%) and EU backing (83%) are nan astir accessed sources of accepted financing for adjustment successful cities.

"Europe's cities are moving to protect group and infrastructure, but they cannot do it alone," says Haris Doukas, Eurocities Shadow Commissioner for Climate Resilience, and Mayor of Athens. "They urgently request stronger and semipermanent nationalist and EU support, particularly backing and capacity building, to guarantee that each their operations, assets, and spaces are resilient to realistic ambiance scenarios, safeguarding cities and citizens against nan escalating threats of ambiance change."