Cooling named a top climate risk for Europe’s energy future

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🗞️ Driving the news: The European Environment Agency (EEA) has warned that Europe's energy systems are increasingly vulnerable to climate-related risks such as heatwaves, droughts, and surging cooling demand — especially in southern countries like Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain
• The report finds that these four nations alone could account for 71% of the EU’s residential cooling energy use in the future as temperatures rise

🔭 The context: Between 2010 and 2019, energy used for cooling in residential buildings tripled across 19 EU countries, a trend expected to accelerate due to global warming
• Southern Europe faces compounded threats — reduced hydroelectric output, lower efficiency in thermal power generation, and frequent extreme weather events — while northern Europe may see both new challenges and limited benefits from changing climatic conditions

🌍 Why it matters for the planet: The growing reliance on air conditioning risks pushing up emissions unless powered by clean energy
• Infrastructure such as power stations and grids is increasingly exposed to extreme weather, making resilience a key issue in energy planning
• While southern Europe is progressing in renewables adoption, its rising cooling needs may offset decarbonisation gains if not managed sustainably

⏭️ What's next: The EU aims to increase the share of renewables in final energy consumption from 24.5% in 2023 to 42.5% by 2030 under the REPowerEU and Fit for 55 plans
• Countries like Portugal are being highlighted as models, having nearly doubled their renewable energy share since 2004 and phased out coal in 2021
• Scaling similar efforts across the bloc will be essential to meet climate targets and ensure grid stability under more extreme weather conditions

💬 One quote: “Southern Europe could face more power cuts due to prolonged droughts that affect electricity supply, combined with heatwaves that impact peak demand,” the EEA notes in its assessment

📈 One stat: Portugal increased its renewable energy share in final energy consumption from 19% in 2004 to 35% in 2023, with 73% of its energy mix now coming from renewables

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