The European Environment Agency (EEA) published a report that shows how the climate change is affecting all regions in Europe, causing a wide range of impacts on society and the environment. In addition, the European Parliament approved a resolution which called for the EU to aim for a 30% reduction in emissions by 2020.

The ‘Climate change, impacts and vulnerability in Europe 2012’ report published by the European Environment Agency (EEA) highlights that higher average temperatures have been observed across Europe as well as decreasing precipitation in southern regions and increasing precipitation in northern Europe. The Greenland ice sheet, Arctic sea ice and many glaciers across Europe are melting, snow cover has decreased and most permafrost soils have warmed. In the light of these findings, the EEA stressed that climate change is affecting all regions in Europe, causing a wide range of impacts on society and the environment. In May 2012, another report also published by the EEA, warned that delaying adaptation to climate change will be much more costly to European cities.

This report is intended to show the full extent of climate change impacts across Europe, also informing the European Commission’s European Adaptation Strategy to be published in March 2013. Moreover, the EEA will support the strategy with an assessment of a selection of adaptation actions across Europe, to be published in early 2013.

MEPs, on the other hand, adopted a resolution which says that the UN climate summit in Doha (COP 18) should spur the EU and other countries around the world to step up their action to limit global warming. The resolution also called for the EU to aim for a 30% reduction in emissions by 2020. The current emissions reductions target of 20% for 2020.