April 15, 2025

expert reaction to State of the Climate 2024

Climate scientists comment on the ‘State of the Climate 2024’ report, published by Copernicus Climate Change Service and World Meteorological Organization.

Madeleine Thomson, Head of Climate Impacts & Adaptation at Wellcome, said:

“Europe is heating up, and we’re not prepared for the toll this will take on our health.”

“Deaths from heat stress are the most visible impact. But extreme heat doesn’t just kill—it also increases the risk of heart disease, pregnancy complications, and poor mental health. It also fuels indirect health threats like crop failures and wildfires.”

“We urgently need to cut emissions and adapt our cities. Simple changes, like adding green spaces and waterways, can help cool urban areas and protect public health.”

Dr Ben Clarke, Research Associate in Extreme Weather and Climate Change at the Centre for Environmental Policy, Imperial College London, said:

“This report found that damage from storms and flooding across Europe in 2024 cost at least €18 billion.

“Every year, European countries are having to reach deeper into their pockets to respond to weather disasters.

“Storm Boris is a perfect example. Catastrophic impacts were avoided with days of preparation that saw reservoirs emptied and flood defenses erected. Even still, the floods caused upwards of €2 billion in damages.

“It is painfully clear that the cost of acting on climate change is far lower than the cost of inaction. Cutting emissions and investing in climate adaptation will save lives and protect economies.”

Dr Friederike Otto, Senior Lecturer at the Centre for Environmental Policy and co-lead of World Weather Attribution, Imperial College London, said

“Think 1.3°C of warming is safe? This report lays bare the pain Europe’s population is already suffering from extreme weather.

“But we’re on track to experience 3°C by 2100. You only need to cast your mind back to the floods in Spain, the fires in Portugal, or the summer heatwaves last year to know how devastating this level of warming would be.

“In a volatile global economy, it is frankly insane to keep relying on imported fossil fuels –  the main cause of climate change – when renewable energy offers a cheaper and cleaner alternative.

“The EU can’t afford to put its climate commitments on the backburner. It needs to lead the charge and accelerate the shift to evidence based politics, actually helping low-income people and not oligarchs”

Declared interests

For all other experts, no reply to our request for DOIs was received.