Your quarterly update on Europe's environmentEuropean Environment Agency's Newsletter, Issue 02/2026
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Stronger together: Welcome Ukraine |
Interview |
Nature is our best air conditioning
"The human body does not cope well when exposed to sustained heat. We experience heat stress, fatigue, and in severe cases, heat stroke.
The May heatwave was associated with fatalities: Spain recorded over 100 heat-related deaths.
In 2024 alone, over 900,000 pupils had their education disrupted by heatwaves. The impact is both on health and on students' ability to concentrate and learn. " |
In the spotlight: Climate change resilience |
Extreme weather and uneven climate adaptation challenge Europe’s resilience |
Since the 1980s, Europe has been warming at twice the global average, and weather and climate- related extremes are taking a huge toll. The European Union has registered EUR 822 billion total losses in the period of 1980-2024, with 25% of these losses registered between 2021 and 2024 – a sign that the events and their effects are intensifying. The same events produced, unfortunately, over 441,000 fatalities.
Even with significant mitigation efforts reducing greenhouse gas emissions, these impacts will continue to intensify. This means that climate resilience and adaptation are essential to protect people, economy and infrastructure.
Two publications released by the EEA cover climate resilience efforts that span the full range of governance levels — from country level down to Europe's smallest communities — and are accompanied by a new interactive platform consolidating the EEA's knowledge base on extreme weather events. |
Latest indicators |
Catch up on the latest news from Q2 2026 |
Image © EEA |
EEA and Eionet welcome Ukraine as a cooperating country |
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Image © Ruth Troughton on Unsplash |
Image © Ludmila Miklošová, Environment&Me 2025 / EEA |
Circular economy offers the EU win-win on environment and economy |
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Image © José Reyes Belzunce, Urban Treasures/EEA |
EEA launches 2026 photo competition — Resilient by Nature |
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Image ©Andriy Onufriyenko via Getty Images |
Europe must steer AI and digitalisation to support its green transition |
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Image ©Kristýna Koubková, Environment&Me 2025 / EEA |
Progress in improving Europe’s air quality, but further action needed to address 2030 limits, ground-level ozone |
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Creating win-win for business and people key to success of circular economy |
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The EU has cut its greenhouse gas emissions by 40% since 1990 |
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Extensive grazing: essential for one in three of Europe's protected habitats |
Upcoming events |
Brussels Climate Week |
12-16 October, Brussels |
Brussels Climate Week brings together policymakers, industry leaders, innovators, and communities to turn ideas into action. Across 5 days of events, discussions and showcases, we explore how technology, policy, and collaboration can accelerate Europe's path toward sustainability and competitiveness.
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Global Bioeconomy Summit |
20-21 October, Dublin |
The Global Bioeconomy Summit 2026 will convene leaders from policy, science, industry, and civil society to explore how the bioeconomy can be scaled as a force for change. The Summit will highlight how bio-based solutions address pressing global crises—ranging from food and energy security to health, biodiversity loss, and climate resilience—while ensuring that their deployment is inclusive, equitable, and socially accepted.
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New EEA report: 'Protein diversification — strategic risks and opportunities for sustainable food systems' |
Dear reader ,
Broadening the range of proteins that Europe produces and consumes could strengthen food security, improve resilience, enhance competitiveness and reduce environmental pressures, according to the new EEA report ‘Protein diversification in Europe: risks and opportunities for sustainable food systems’. The benefits depend on treating protein diversification as a deliberate, long-term strategy. |
Sincerely, The European Environment Agency |









