Copernicus: The European State of Climate Report 2023

"The climate crisis is the greatest challenge of our generation. The cost of climate action may seem high, but the cost of inaction is much higher. As this report shows, we need to harness science to provide solutions for the good of society". Thus Celeste Saulo, secretary general of the World Meteorological Organisation (WMO), introduces and summarises the intent of the ESOTC 2023, the European State of the Climate report resulting from the collaboration between the climate change service Copernicus and the WMO. The report, released on the occasion of the Earth-Day 2024, is an essential tool not only to collect and analyse data from climate phenomena and variations in the Earth's system manifested throughout the year, but also to provide the scientific basis needed to make informed policy choices and actions for the environment, agriculture, energy, security and public health.

Contrary to what one might think, Europe - more than other regions - is strongly subject to the impact of climate change. According to the report, 2023 was in fact a year of catastrophic records. Europe witnessed the largest fire on record, one of the wettest years on record, with significant destructive flooding and severe marine heatwaves. In addition, there was a record number of days with 'extreme heat stress', i.e. with perceived temperatures above 46°C, and for 11 consecutive months temperatures exceeded the historical average. According to the scholars, this is just a small taste of what is most likely to happen in the coming decades, highlighting as never before the need for action through government-wide mitigation and adaptation strategies to address the ongoing environmental crisis.

The first figure highlighted by ESOTC 2023 concerns the average temperatures. In fact, 2023 was the second warmest year in Europe, 0.13-0.17°C colder than in 2020. Almost the entire region recorded above-average temperatures for the entire year, peaking in the European Arctic and with the exception of Scandinavia, Iceland and southeast Greenland. The autumn was the second warmest on record for the region, with an incredibly warm September across much of continental Europe and a November that saw temperatures up to 6°C above average in the eastern parts of the region and in the European Arctic. Although often forgotten, Europe has in fact been the fastest warming continent on the planet since 1980, exceeding the global average by two times. This is due to several factors, including Europe's extensive Arctic territory and the influence of atmospheric circulation on summer heatwaves.

One of the most alarming facts released by the report, however, concerns the incredible number of "extreme heat stress" days and the abnormal summer recorded in 2023. The data on heat stress is crucial as it strongly affects our health: according to the report, heat-related mortality has increased by around 30% in recent years and it is estimated that heat-related deaths have increased in 94% of the European regions monitored. In fact, last July, Italy recorded a 7% excess rate of heat-related deaths. In addition, the oxymoronic and prolonged summer 2023, characterised on the one hand by multiple heat waves and on the other by heavy rainfall, led to an increased occurrence of extreme events such as forest fires, floods and droughts.

In recent years, Europe has experienced an increase in the number offires, which have become larger and more frequent. 2023 was no exception: forest fires, caused by rising temperatures, long dry periods, vegetation types and extreme weather events, were a recurring event throughout last summer. The prolonged and extreme summer period of 2023 set the stage for another tragic record: the largest fire ever recorded in the European Union. After Italy, Portugal and Spain, Greece was in fact hit by a devastating fire that destroyed an area of 96,000 hectares. These destructive events, responsible for an increase in air deterioration and damaging biodiversity, led to the total destruction of 500,000 hectares of European territory in 2023.

High temperatures also affected other phenomena: in 2023, in fact, much of Europe was wetter than average, with one third of the river network experiencing flooding above the 'high' flood threshold and 16% reaching severe levels. In fact, flooding was another dramatic event in 2023. Italy was among the hardest hit countries, with flooding in Emilia-Romagna and Marche brought by Cyclone Minerva that displaced at least 36,000 people, killed 15 and flooded an area of 540 km2. Again, in August two-thirds of Slovenia were hit by torrential rain, as were Norway and Sweden. Next, it was the turn of Greece, Bulgaria and Turkey. In particular, in Greece the flooded area reached 700 km2 and in some places the amount of water normally recorded in a year fell in one day.

Moving further north, one figure also concerns the entire arctic region. The year 2023 was in fact the sixth warmest ever recorded in these areas and the ice extent remained below average. The same is true for the ice sheets of the European Alps, which between 2022 and 2023 lost approximately 10% of their residual volume. Large parts of Europe experienced fewer than average snow days, particularly in Central Europe and the Alps during winter and spring. In 2023, the Alps in particular experienced an exceptional loss of ice in the icefields, linked to below-average winter snow accumulation and strong summer melting due to heat waves.

The report also shows us data on the use and production of renewable energy. In particular, 2023 is a year characterised by a positive trend that saw a record percentage of energy production from sustainable sources, with an increase up to 43% compared to 36% in 2022. Paradoxically, the incredible thunderstorm activity led to more wind energy production in the autumn period, while the power of precipitation led to an increase in hydropower.

For the first time in July 2023, the climate crisis and related extreme weather events have been declared a public health emergency by the European regional office of the World Health Organisation. The ESOTC 2023 indeed emphasises the profound impact of climate change on public health, not only with regard to heat stress. For example, extreme events such as fires, floods and storms can lead to sudden deaths, but not only that: heat waves can affect pre-existing diseases, rising temperatures and weather conditions can lead to the spread of others and affect air quality, food and water security. For this reason, it is important to fund research, create awareness-raising campaigns and increase health surveillance systems, recognising at government level the still too unknown link between health and climate change.

The climate crisis does not only affect human health. Insects, in particular pollinators, are also greatly affected by climate change and are in constant decline. To ensure a better future for our planet - and to act accordingly for the protection of our own health - it is indeed important to act with concrete solutions to safeguard these animals, which are so important for the ecological balance and for biodiversity. 3Bee, a leading nature tech company for the protection of biodiversity, has already been working for years on the constant biomonitoring and the conservation of pollinators, through concrete strategies and innovations such as the Oases of Biodiversity, ecosystems planted in areas damaged by human activity that can become a new starting point for nature conservation.