Climate change: damages grew in last 30 years in Europe

The European Environment Agency says the continent is facing rising sea levels and more extreme weather, such as more frequent and more intense heat waves, flooding, droughts and storms because of climate change.

The document, called Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe, revealed the cost to the economy had soared by about 80% over the last 30 years.

During the 1980s, the damages averaged about €7.6bn euro a year, but by the 2000s the figure had risen to €13.7bn, the report said. Overall between 1980 and 2013, the cost was nearly €393bn.

The European Union body says that observed changes in climate "are already having wide-ranging impacts" on ecosystems, the economy and on human health and well-being in Europe.

Its head, Hans Bruyninckx, said Wednesday that climate change "will continue for many decades to come," adding the scale and impacts will, among other things, "depend on the effectiveness of implementing our global agreements to cut greenhouse gas emissions."

The latest trends and projections suggest changes in climate are already having wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, the economy, and human health and well-being across Europe, with new records repeatedly being set for global and European temperatures, sea levels, and reduced sea ice in the Arctic.

“The observed changes in climate are already having wide-ranging impacts on ecosystems, economic sectors and human health and well-being in Europe,” it said.

But Bruyninckx ensured that "we have the right adaptation strategies and policies in place to reduce the risks from current and projected climate extremes".