On 11 September, the Commission held a high-level round table on how to manage climate risks and damages. Participants called for bold action on climate resilience and discussed structural changes, applicable tools and financing for the future.

It was June to August 2024 the hottest summer in history, surpassing the previous record of 2023, and Europe faced several climate extremes. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions remains a top priority, but even if we stay below 1.5°C globally, the EU is warming at twice the global average , which brings us to the physical climate reality around 3 ° C above pre-industrial levels. .

The first European climate risk assessment, published by the European Environment Agency in March 2024, shows that the EU is unprepared for the coming climate risks and urgent action is needed.

The European Round Table on Climate Risk Management brought together high-level representatives, national and local authorities, civil society, financiers, insurers, farmers, businesses, research and the media to discuss the way forward to overcome these climate risks and damages. (More on climate.ec.europa.eu)

Concerned about the loss of biodiversity worldwide due to climate change, an international team of scientists has proposed a new approach to managing vulnerable landscapes, focusing on sites least affected by changing weather. These places, known as climate change refuges, experience weather conditions that are most favorable for their survival and may be the key to reducing species extinction, ecologists say.

In a new paper written by scientists from Australia, Canada, the United States and Hungary, scientists set out a framework for identifying, protecting and restoring refuges from climate change.

Document published in Trends in Ecology & Evolution calls for an alternative to traditional conservation efforts that have focused on creating static protected areas. (Candy Gibson, University of South Australia, more at phys.org)

Greenhouse gas concentrations are at record levels, leading to future temperature increases. The emissions gap between aspiration and reality remains high. Under current policies, there is a two-thirds chance of global warming of 3°C this century, reports United in Science.

United in Science offers a much-needed basis for hope. It explores how advances in the natural and social sciences, new technologies and innovations are improving our understanding of the Earth system and could be game-changers for climate change adaptation, disaster risk reduction and sustainable development.

"We now need urgent and ambitious action to support sustainable development, climate action and disaster risk reduction. The decisions we make today can be the difference between future collapse or a breakthrough to a better world," said WMO Secretary-General Celeste Saulo.

“Artificial intelligence and machine learning have emerged as potentially transformative technologies that are revolutionizing weather forecasting and can make it faster, cheaper and more accessible. State-of-the-art satellite technologies and virtual realities that bridge the physical and digital world are opening new frontiers, for example in land and water management," said Celeste Saulo. (More on wmo.int)

Agriculture faces unprecedented challenges as our world undergoes a whirlwind of change driven by the escalating effects of climate change. This environmental upheaval has brought global agriculture to the fore as its impacts become unmistakable.

From changing weather patterns to increasing pressure on food systems, the industry is in the crosshairs of a rapidly changing planet.

Even more disturbing is that the research published in the journal Science suggests that climate change and agriculture are locked in a dangerous dance—one that threatens to turn into a self-directed feedback loop. (Rodielon Putolm more on earth.com)

The world is a long way from solving the climate crisis, but the United Nations expressed hope on Wednesday that artificial intelligence and other cutting-edge technologies will help tackle these huge challenges. In a new report, the United Nations has warned that the goals set out in the 2015 Paris climate agreement to keep global temperature increases below 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels appear to be out of reach with catastrophic consequences. The multi-agency report "United in Science", coordinated by the UN's World Meteorological Organization, highlighted that greenhouse gas concentrations have reached record levels, leading to future temperature increases.

"The science is clear: We are far from meeting global climate goals," WMO chief Celeste Saulo told reporters in Geneva.

If current policies do not change, the report warned that there is now a two-thirds chance of global warming reaching 3°C this century.

Saulo said 2023 was already the hottest year on record "by a huge margin" and the first eight months of this year followed the same trend. (More on phys.org)

The EU Battery Regulation (the "Regulation") entered into force on 17 August 2023, but its provisions are being implemented gradually. The first implementation date was in February 2024 (an overview of what aspects of the legislation came into effect by this first implementation date can be found in our article on the topic here ). While this initial phase brought only minor new provisions into force, the next round of implementation, which took place on August 18, 2024, contains more fundamental requirements for OEMs and distributors. In order to increase the sustainability and safety of batteries within the EU, several key provisions have been introduced that focus on the requirements for publishing information on the origin and composition of batteries.

All provisions below are effective as of August 18, 2024, unless otherwise noted. We focused on provisions that will have a direct impact on the automotive industry. (Roddy Martin, more at lexology.com)

But the way most brands create these new clothing lines, especially those they produce on a global scale, is damaging to the environment. After food, housing and transport, European textile consumption has the fourth highest impact on the environment and climate. Textile waste in particular is a huge problem worldwide, as every second a truckload of old clothes and textiles goes to a landfill or incinerator.

So as the climate crisis takes center stage, how will our wardrobes need to change? And what positive changes and exciting innovations are already happening in the fashion industry? We spoke to two ambassadors of the European Climate Pact, Agnieszka Oleksyn-Wajda from Poland and Lidia Martinová from Spain, to get their expertise. Agnieszka, director of the Institute of Sustainable Development at Lazarski University in Warsaw; and Lidia, who runs an online platform to raise awareness about and lead sustainable fashion, tell us how the industry is evolving and what they think sustainable summer wardrobes will look like in 2030. (More on climate-pact.europa.eu)

The European Climate Pact called on everyone across the EU to submit a photo and description of the climate action they are taking at home, in their communities and cities. If you're not looking for it, climate action can often go unnoticed. As the more than 300 entries illustrate, it can be as subtle as changing the way you mow your lawn or promoting recycling, but it can also be as unmistakable as organizing a community clean-up event or building your own sustainable home.

(More on climate-pact.europa.eu)

Mr Draghi, author of a report on European competitiveness requested by the European Commission president, said the EU must focus on three key issues: bridging the innovation gap with the US and China; developing a joint plan to link the decarbonisation objective with increased competitiveness; and strengthening Europe's security and reducing its dependence on foreign economic powers.

Maintaining the European way of life will depend on improving competitiveness, and improving competitiveness requires closer cooperation and integration between European nations, Draghi said. (More on europarl.europa.eu)

The European Commission has published a new call for projects to support research and innovation within the Climate Neutral and Smart Cities mission: Changing urban spaces and mindsets in order to accelerate the transition to climate neutrality. Mission  EU for climate-neutral and smart cities (Cities Mission) supports 100 cities from 27 EU member states and 12 cities from countries associated or with the potential to be associated with Horizon Europe in their transformation towards climate neutrality. 2030. A total of EUR 98 million is available under this new call for project proposals with a closing date of 11 February 2025. The call covers four themes:

This summer, the Mission Implementation Platform (MIP4Adapt) completed its first mutual learning program for the signatories of the EU Climate Change Adaptation Mission Charter.

After the successful first program, the second Peer Learning program will run from October 2024 to February 2025. Registration is open and ends on September 29, with the initial meetings taking place in October.

Highlights from the first peer learning program

15 charter signatories attended the program to learn from experts, share knowledge and best practices, and share challenges or questions with their colleagues to improve their adaptation work.

A key element of the program was the involvement of the charter signatories in the program from the beginning. Each group decided on specific topics and areas of focus in order to maximize the benefits of the program for charter signatories and tailor the content to their specific needs.

Three peer learning groups were created:

• Nature-based solutions focused on adaptation initiatives for water management and urban and agricultural environments.
• The selection and implementation of adaptation measures was linked to the Regional Adaptation Support Tool (RAST) and helped participants select, prioritize and finance their adaptation solutions.
• Citizen and stakeholder engagement focused on organizing citizen assemblies on climate change to engage stakeholders in their adaptation efforts.

During all 10 meetings, adaptation experts from MIP4Adapt and other mission projects provided expertise on each of the topics, along with introducing various guides, tools, funding and general support methods that charter signatories can use. These expert presentations were followed by detailed discussions among the charter signatories in which they shared their best practices, successes, challenges and questions with the wider group.

Charter signatories also worked on live exercises in their groups to show how the tools introduced by the experts would work in practice. These practical examples allowed participants to see how they could implement the tools in their own adaptation initiatives. (Co2AI)

Lakes around the world will face unprecedented warming by the end of the century due to human-induced climate change, a new study shows. Tropical lakes will be the first to experience these non-analogous conditions, affecting both surface and subsurface layers, posing a serious threat to biodiversity and ecosystems.

Lakes, known for their rich biodiversity and essential ecological functions, are facing a worrying trend: rapidly rising temperatures. A recent study in Nature Geoscience , conducted by a global team of limnologists and climate modelers, warns that if human-induced warming continues at its current rate, lakes around the world could eventually experience widespread and unprecedented warming at both surface and subsurface levels. this century, far exceeding anything previously observed. (More on scitechdaily.com)

The World Economic Forum's Sustainable Development Impact Meetings (SDIM) are being held in New York from 23 to 27 September. They coincide with the General Debate of the 79th United Nations General Assembly (UNGA) and Climate Week NYC. Climate change, nature and the energy transition will be the focus of SDIM in a critical year when elections, geopolitical disputes and economic challenges may slow climate dynamics. Here's what you need to know.

Key shows to watch on climate and energy:

• Decarbonization Innovation: The Industrial Transition – Monday, September 23, 11:15 a.m. EDT
• Putting COP promises into practice – Monday, September 23, 5:00 PM EDT
• Solving Pollution: Step Zero? – Tuesday, September 24, 09:45 EDT
• It's not easy Trading Green – Wednesday, September 25, 4:00 PM EDT
• Valuation of natural assets – Thursday, September 26, 10:30 a.m. EDT

(More on weforum.org)

The use of satellites to observe Earth systems generates vast amounts of complex data that must be organized and analyzed to enhance climate intelligence. However, recent advances in data processing and forecasting are transforming raw Earth observation data into actionable insights at an unprecedented rate. When used in conjunction with satellite data, 10 new technology trends are making climate knowledge more accessible and helping to address climate change. (Minoo Rathnasabapatia, Nikolaj Chlystov, more at weforum.org)

The impacts of climate change on the tourism sector require immediate action to not only help mitigate these effects but also open the door to new opportunities (more…)

On 28 August 2024, the UN Secretary-General published a report exploring the links between loss and damage caused by climate change and human rights, and the role that societies can play in redressing the negative effects of climate change on people and the planet. The report provides clearer information on the links between the impacts of climate change on human rights, based on the judgment of the European Court of Human Rights (hereinafter referred to as " ECtHR ”), which found that Switzerland had breached its human rights obligations by not taking sufficient steps to mitigate the effects of climate change.

Like the ECtHR's judgment, the report's primary focus is on steps that states should consider in addressing the loss and damage caused by climate change. These measures can affect businesses, such as regulating the involvement of the private sector in loss and damage responses. It highlights the importance of companies' climate and human rights teams working together to conduct integrated climate and human rights assessments that can support their approach to a just transition.

(Mizan Rahman, Moira Thompson Oliver, George Murray, more at lexology.com)

According to the study, the development of charging infrastructure for electric trucks will cost almost 35 billion euros. Experts from the consulting firm PwC wrote in a study published on Monday that public investments in Europe would reach 6.1 billion euros by 2035 with the aim of establishing 720 charging parks and thus ensuring a nationwide infrastructure. Another 28.6 billion euros would be used by the logistics sector to build approximately 28,500 charging points in depots. When it comes to charging, the focus so far has been on public fast-charging parks, which are needed to cover a wide area, but whose capacity utilization fluctuates widely, PwC expert Philipp Rose said. "Therefore, the logistics sector should take the initiative in the future and invest more in charging stations in depots." Capacity utilization is easier to plan there, which helps keep costs under control. (More on marketscreener.com)

When does intense rain turn into a disaster? When will a flood become the so-called "flood of the century"? Our close neighbors in Poland and the Czech Republic are currently facing a new "flood of the century", and a state of emergency has also been declared in Lower Austria. In eastern Germany, they also recorded rising water levels, although the situation is not so dramatic.

So how do we determine the scale of a disaster? Is it by the amount of precipitation, the number of deaths or the extent of property damage? Three years ago, when floods hit half of Europe, the death toll rose to more than 220 people, with at least 188 of them dead in Germany.

The rain is currently affecting Austria, the Czech Republic, Poland, Slovakia and Romania—five EU member states experiencing another serious "flood of the century". So far, the situation has claimed 17 lives and several people are still missing. It is difficult to determine clear causes. But how did this disaster happen?

There can be many factors that contribute to such flood events. Changes in climatic conditions are manifested by extreme weather fluctuations, with heavy rains becoming more frequent and intense. It is also important to take into account the state of local infrastructure and the preparedness of countries to handle such extreme situations. Urbanization without an adequate sewage system can make the situation even worse when the water has nowhere to drain, leading to rapid accumulation and spread in the surrounding area.

These floods also highlight the need for international cooperation in climate action, disaster prevention and response. The ongoing discussion about mitigating the impacts of climate change and increasing society's resilience to these challenges is more than timely. (Co2AI)

September 16 is World Ozone Day on the occasion of the Montreal Protocol on the Phase Out of Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer (ODS) harmful to the environment. Consumption of ozone-depleting substances covered by the Montreal Protocol fell by around 99 % in the EU and worldwide from 1986 to 2023. The remaining 1 % reflects some industrial process, fire fighting, laboratory and analytical uses where alternatives are not yet widely available. (More on eea.europa.eu)

Europe's pursuit of competitiveness and security should not replace a long-term vision that brings benefits to citizens and well-being. The European Council's "strategic agenda" published in June said the EU's mandate for the next five years would focus on competitiveness and security. This vision is understandable if the goal is to convince European citizens and economic players that the EU can provide protection and strength in times of geopolitical and economic turbulence.

However, the pursuit of competitiveness and security should not replace the political project and long-term vision of a Europe that brings citizens and well-being – and the goals of social and environmental sustainability should return to the political debate.

European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen appears to have reflected on this need in her political guidelines presented to the European Parliament in July. While she made it clear that competitiveness would be a key priority of the Clean Industry Deal - which will replace the European Green Deal - she said the Commission would "significantly increase its funding for Just Transition in the next long-term budget". (More on sustainableviews.com)