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Overview: This report presents past trends in Europe’s climate, its current state and possible future changes as well as the impacts of climate change on the European environment and society. The report is aimed at the general interested public and decision-makers, especially those who wish to understand which natural systems and societal sectors are most vulnerable to climate change and its impacts.
The main part of the report describes trends in and projections for 22 climate change state and impact indicators. The indicators cover eight categories: the atmosphere; the cryosphere (snow, ice and glaciers); the marine environment; terrestrial ecosystems and biodiversity; water; agriculture; the economy; and human health. The key findings for the 22 indicators are summarised in Table S.1. For almost all indicators, a clear trend exists and impacts are already being observed.
The assessment of climate change and its impacts is still subject to uncertainties and information gaps. The 22 indicators presented in this report illustrate only a small range of the potential consequences of climate change. Other areas are also sensitive to climate change, for instance forestry, water availability, or tourism. Some indicators for these areas have already been developed but have not been included in this report, due to insufficient data availability for Europe or uncertainty in identifying climate change as the cause of changes in these indicators. For some of these areas, information is already available and indicators can be presented in the near future. For others, be