Heatwaves and wildfires: Europe must stop reacting and start preparing
As Europe lives through another summer of record temperatures, devastating wildfires and mounting pressure on healthcare systems, Renew Europe today called for climate resilience and preparedness to become a permanent pillar of European policy alongside ambitious climate action.
Europeans should not be forced to choose between adapting to a warmer climate and tackling its causes. Both are essential to protect lives, strengthen communities and safeguard Europe's future.
Speaking during today's European Parliament debate on Europe’s recent heatwaves and their impact, Renew Europe MEP Grégory Allione said:
"The climate is accelerating, but our response remains too slow. We do not ask firefighters to choose between fighting flames and saving lives. Neither can we choose between mitigation and adaptation. We must do both. Preparation can no longer be an emergency policy. It must become a permanent policy of anticipation, with the state, local authorities, businesses and citizens all playing their part, and with those who risk their lives to protect ours finally receiving the resources, recognition and status they deserve."
Grégory AllioneRenew Europe MEP, France, Renaissance
Renew Europe warned that extreme heat and wildfires are no longer exceptional events but a defining feature of Europe's changing climate. Forests are among our greatest allies in tackling climate change, yet when they burn they release vast amounts of carbon into the atmosphere, creating a dangerous cycle that further accelerates global warming.
More than twenty years after the deadly 2003 heatwave, Europe can no longer afford to rely on emergency responses alone. The European Union and Member States must strengthen prevention, preparedness and resilience by investing in firefighters and emergency services, reinforcing the Union Civil Protection Mechanism and rescEU, improving forest management, deploying modern early warning systems and ensuring that critical infrastructure can withstand periods of extreme heat.
Renew Europe also called for greater investment in climate adaptation measures that directly improve citizens' lives, including cooler and better insulated homes, greener cities with more trees and shaded public spaces, climate-resilient schools and hospitals, and more energy-efficient cooling technologies. These measures must go hand in hand with continued efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, accelerate clean energy and improve energy efficiency.