EU’s Copernicus report: Europe’s warming accelerates beyond global trend
Europe recorded widespread warm conditions with above-average temperatures across at least 95 per cent of the continent, according to the 2025 European State of the Climate report, the European Commission (EC) said on April 29.
The report, published by the Copernicus Climate Change Service and produced by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts, shows Europe is the fastest-warming continent on Earth.
The latest Copernicus data also outlines Europe’s rising temperatures are speeding up the loss of snow and ice, alongside more frequent and severe extreme conditions such as heatwaves, drought and record sea temperatures from the Arctic to the Mediterranean.
In 2025, seas around Europe recorded their highest average surface temperature on record, the fourth year in a row to set a new high.
The report again underlines the urgency for Europe to cut emissions to net zero, strengthen resilience to climate impacts, and speed up the shift to clean energy through more renewables and better energy efficiency.
Andrius Kubilius, Commissioner for Defence and Space said: “The European State of the Climate Report shows, once again, that climate change is a reality for Europe, underlining the importance of an independent, world-class Earth observation system. Copernicus provides the information we need to guide the decisions that will shape a more resilient, more sustainable and stronger future for Europe.”
Wopke Hoekstra, Commissioner for Climate, Net Zero and Clean Growth “Copernicus data provides a sobering report and confirms once again that Europe is the fastest-warming continent. Today’s European State of the Climate report shows the devastating and far-reaching impact of climate change on our societies, economies and the environment. This has a price tag that keeps going up, and it’s another reminder that clean energy is the best and only way forward for Europe.”
The EC said that today’s report again underlines the urgency for Europe to cut greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to net-zero, strengthen resilience to climate impacts, and speed up the shift to clean energy through more renewables and better energy efficiency.
The EU has committed to becoming climate-neutral by 2050 and has adopted targets and legislation to reduce net GHG emissions by at least 55 per cent by 2030 and 90 per cent by 2040, compared to 1990 levels.
The EU’s net GHG emissions fell a further 2.5 per cent between 2023 and 2024, bringing the EU’s total emission reductions to 39 per cent below 1990 levels, as indicated in the 2025 State of the Energy Union Report.
In 2025, renewable energy supplied nearly half of Europe’s electricity, with solar power reaching a new contribution record of 12.5 per cent, the EC said.
(Photo: Clive Leviev-Sawyer)
