From the first European Climate Risk Assessment to action in policy and practice

Abstract The first European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA), produced by the European Environment Agency in March 2024, engaging nearly 100 authors across Europe, highlights health among the most at-risk sectors. According to the structured risk assessment that was conducted to support the transparent identification of priorities for policy action, more and urgent action is needed to reduce health risks from heat indoors and outdoors; from wildfires and outbreaks of vector- and water-borne diseases. The responsibility for managing risks lies both with the EU and Member States, and the policy readiness varies depending on the risk. The European Climate and Health Observatory, set up to better understand, anticipate and prevent climate risks to human health in Europe, in the most recent report ‘Responding to climate change impacts on human health in Europe: focus on floods, droughts and water quality’ provides in-depth analyses of some climate-related risks to health and presents examples of responses to them in both policy and practice. Both assessments emphasise that without fast and systemic action to increase societal resilience, the health impacts of the changing climate will worsen, affecting already disadvantaged or vulnerable groups the most. Health and health-determining sectors have the opportunity to address the health impacts of climate change by, among others, increasing the climate resilience of health systems; developing, updating and implementing national health adaptation plans; and supporting the education and training of public health and healthcare professionals on climate change threats. At the same time, addressing health impacts from climate extremes requires responses across sectors, actors and spatial scales.