1667463861 Europe has warmed twice as much as the global average

Europe has warmed twice as much as the global average over the past three decades

Europe has warmed twice as much as the global average

Temperatures in Europe have risen by more than twice the global average over the past 30 years. It is also the region of the planet where warming is accelerating. That is the most striking conclusion of the report presented on Wednesday by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the European Union-dependent Copernicus Climate Change Service. The study reviews the state of the climate in Europe over the past year, but also broadens the focus to the last three decades – the period between 1991 and 2021 – and concludes that “Europe is changing at a rate (0.5 degrees per decade) that is more than twice the global average.

As a result of this temperature increase, 30 meters of ice thickness in Alpine glaciers was lost between 1997 and 2021. Also, “the Greenland ice sheet is melting, which is helping to accelerate sea level rise,” the two institutions added in a joint statement. “Europe presents a vivid picture of a world that is warming, reminding us that even the best prepared societies are not safe from the effects of extreme weather events,” said WMO Secretary-General Petteri Taalas, who has urged Europe to “play a key role.” in achieving a carbon-neutral society by mid-century, thereby fulfilling the Paris Climate Agreement.”

The report, which is also based on the study presented by Copernicus in April this year on the state of the climate in 2021, comes a few days before the beginning of the climate summit that will take place this year on Sunday in the Egyptian city of Sharm el Sheikh. The document recalls that last year’s devastating weather and climate events claimed hundreds of lives, directly affected more than half a million people, and caused over $50,000 million in economic damage. “Around 84% of these phenomena were floods or storms,” the study adds.

But the report also highlights some positive points. “It’s not all bad news. Several countries in Europe have been very successful in reducing greenhouse gas emissions,” these two agencies add. “In the European Union in particular, greenhouse gas emissions fell by 31% between 1990 and 2020,” reads the Copernicus-WMO joint statement. In addition, the EU has set a target of a net reduction of 55% by 2030 compared to 1990 levels: “European society is vulnerable to climate variability and change, but Europe is also at the forefront of international efforts to mitigate climate change and develop innovative solutions to adapt to the new climate that Europeans have to live with,” said Carlo Buontempo, director of the Copernicus Climate Change Service.

Regarding the future, this report summarizes the conclusions of the last major scientific analysis by the IPCC, the United Nations expert body, which has already predicted that “disasters related to meteorology, climate and water will increase”. In addition, it warned that “regardless of future global warming, temperatures in all European areas will rise at a rate higher than the average global temperature variation, similar to what has been observed in the past”. It also noted that “the frequency and intensity of extreme heat events, including marine heat waves, has increased in recent decades and is projected to continue to increase regardless of greenhouse gas emissions scenario,” as well as “a decrease in summer precipitation into the Mediterranean, affecting the will spread to northern regions,” was predicted. Finally, IPCC estimates suggest that “extreme rains and flash flooding are increasing with global warming exceeding 1.5 degrees Celsius in all regions except the Mediterranean.”

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