Copernicus European State of the Climate report: comment

“Lives have been lost and the impact on health has spiralled, with huge hits to infrastructure and food production. 

“The effects aren’t just limited to mainland Europe. We import significant amounts of food from the Mediterranean, primarily fresh fruit and vegetables [2] which contribute to healthy diets in the UK. We can grow some of that here, but British farmers are also being hit by climate extremes, with the UK seeing its third worst harvest on record and England its second worst last year [3, 4], so we can’t easily make up the shortfall in imports [5]. As for the rest – including favourites like oranges, lemons and grapes – we just simply can’t grow them here at commercial scale. 

“Climate change is the greatest threat to the UK’s food security and over a two-year period has already added £360 to the average household food bill [6]. As climate extremes get worse, the cost to consumers is only going to rise until we reach net zero emissions, where we stop adding more carbon to the atmosphere”. 

“These findings underscore the importance of climate action, with the European Union’s record renewable power generation in 2024 a step in the right direction. Some EU member states, notably Germany and Spain, have also been leading the way by making the case that climate action is key to national security [7, 8]. 

“This report shows that climate change is not a distant threat: it’s happening now. Until we get to net zero emissions, these extremes will continue to put more and more people in danger. Less than a year ago, British voters elected a government with bolder ambition on climate change, with polls repeatedly showing that people are concerned and expect politicians to act [9]. Those seeking to challenge net zero would do well to bear this in mind, alongside the growing threats to our national and food security.”