Europe should treat the heatwaves for what they are: a deadly calamity
Following a request from Renew Europe, the European Parliament is debating the devastating heatwaves, wildfires and droughts that struck Europe this summer, and the lessons that must be learned to better protect citizens. The absence of a majority in the house for a resolution is baffling. Much less calamitous events than this year’s destructive summer have led to much bigger reactions.
Europe is the fastest warming continent in the world, directly leading to the loss of lives; billions in damaged property; and a downturn in economic growth from dried up waterways and lost harvests. The summer of 2026 was only the latest in a series of summers that put emergency services, healthcare systems and critical infrastructure under enormous pressure.
Renew Europe is calling on the European Commission to put climate adaptation at the heart of its forthcoming EU Climate Resilience Framework, accompanied by stronger prevention and public awareness efforts, and better preparedness, coordination and operational capacity for European civil protection.
Grégory Allione MEP (Renaissance, France), a senior firefighter, said:
“This summer, firefighters gave their lives to save others across Europe. Their courage obliges us not to forget too quickly the devastating fires and the repeated heatwaves. Experts are unanimous: we will overshoot 1.5°C. To those who still deny this, summer 2026 is only a foretaste of what is coming.
Our best weapon is solidarity: farmers helping firefighters, neighbours helping neighbours, citizens evacuating the most vulnerable. Preparedness must be built where crises strike, in our territories, close to our citizens. We need this permanent culture of preparedness, bringing together governments, local authorities, citizens, and our civilian and military capacities.”
Grégory AllioneRenew Europe MEP, France, Renaissance
Renew Europe warns that the political right of the house is increasingly stifling debate about the reality of climate change.
Renew Europe Vice President Gerben Jan Gerbrandy MEP (D66, Netherlands) said:
“For too long, we have avoided serious talk about climate adaptation. On the left, the subject has been tabooed because it distracts from the real issue of climate change. On the right, the grip of climate denial is still too strong.”
Gerben-Jan GerbrandyRenew Europe MEP, Netherlands, Democraten 66
Gerbrandy rues the inability of the Parliament to speak about the subject:
“It will be difficult to sit and listen to colleagues who express sympathy for the victims, while also voting against drafting a position on how we address this problem. Europeans died, and they refuse to do their jobs. Europe must both prepare for the climate impacts we can no longer avoid and accelerate action to stop them becoming even worse. Climate change means that we have to change as well. Change our infrastructure, change our agricultural practices. Let's avoid the summer of 2026 being the coolest of the rest of our lives.”
Renew Europe stresses that Europe can still limit global warming, but doing so requires putting climate change back at the centre of European priorities, accelerating the clean energy transition and reducing the fossil fuel dependence that is driving both emissions and energy insecurity.