The European Commission on 27 October 2026 proposed its first Climate Resilience Law, asking member states to plan for 1.5C of warming by 2030, 2C by 2050 and 3C by 2100, with climate risk assessments due by June 2029 and national resilience plans by the end of 2030.
The European Commission on Tuesday unveiled its first Climate Resilience Law, a proposal that would require European Union governments to plan for a world shaped by far hotter summers, heavier floods, longer droughts and more destructive wildfires. The framework is built around a shared warming trajectory for assessing risk: 1.5 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial levels by 2030, 2 degrees by 2050 and 3 degrees by 2100.
Under the proposal, member states would have to assess their climate risks by June 2029 and adopt national resilience plans by the end of 2030, while spelling out which authorities are responsible for managing risks in key policy areas. The aim, the Commission said, is to end the disputes over responsibility that leave residents facing floods or wildfires while politicians argue about who should have acted.
The package follows a summer the Commission described as another season of grim evidence. Climate Commissioner Wopke Hoekstra said extreme weather last summer claimed more than 35,000 lives, burned roughly 700,000 hectares of land and disrupted shipping on major European rivers. The Commission estimates climate extremes caused about 200 billion euros in economic damage between 2022 and 2025, an average of 50 billion euros a year.
Adapting Europe's infrastructure and economy will require around 70 billion euros a year, according to the Commission, which said about 30 billion euros has already been earmarked for climate resilience under the current EU budget. The European Investment Bank has separately announced plans to provide at least 30 billion euros in climate adaptation financing by 2030. A new Climate Insurance Alliance would seek to expand disaster coverage, with Hoekstra noting that only about a quarter of catastrophe losses are currently covered by private insurance.
Alongside the law, the Commission presented three digital tools: a European Climate Viewer mapping future hazards, a Navigator of Climate Resilience Tools, and a Mission Solutions Explorer showcasing tested regional adaptation projects. Further measures are planned for next year, including a European heatwave plan, a European water initiative and work to identify Europe's 100 most climate-vulnerable territories.
The proposal drew early criticism from environmental groups. BirdLife International said nature-based solutions are only something member states should promote, with no binding language or dedicated funding, while Swedish MEP Helene Fritzon described the package as much too loose around the edges. The law still needs approval from member states and the European Parliament, and its financing will depend in part on negotiations over the EU's long-term budget.
People Sentiments Public Mood: Neutral
- Wopke Hoekstra: society and economy need to become resilient by design or risk disaster by default
- Teresa Ribera: the first and most effective adaptation measure is to fight the root causes of climate change
- BirdLife International: nature deserves a stronger role, with no binding language or dedicated funding for nature-based solutions
- Swedish MEP Helene Fritzon: the package is much too loose around the edges