EASAC and Royal Society breakfast discussion on "Reducing the impact of extreme weather"

EASAC and Royal Society breakfast discussion with Members of the European Parliament

"Be Prepared: Reducing the impact of extreme weather on people's lives"

Tuesday 3 March 2015

08:00 – 09:30 Member's Salon, European Parliament, Brussels

Hosted by Theresa Griffin MEP

Background

Societies are not resilient to extreme weather even today. Changes in weather patterns will be one of the principle effects of climate change and with these will come extreme weather. To protect communities around the world, the international community, government, local policymakers, the private sector and non-governmental organisations need to take action.

EU policymakers can promote this action. Climate change is one of the top five priorities of the EU's growth strategy, Europe 2020, and in April 2013 the European Commission adopted an EU strategy on adaptation to climate change. The European Climate Adaptation Platform (Climate-ADAPT) provides useful supporting material to support adaptation action across Member States. The EU is itself an actor in international negotiations with a mandate developed through internal negotiation among Member States.

The European Academies' Science Advisory Council (EASAC) published Extreme Weather Events in Europe: preparing for climate change adaptation in October 2013, which provides a summary of our current knowledge of extreme weather and adaptation approaches, and some recommendations for strengthening the information available for decision makers in Europe. In December 2014 the Royal Society published Resilience to Extreme Weather, focused on how to increase global resilience to extreme weather. This includes further modelling of the likely human impact of extreme weather in future, and recommends actions, some of which are within the competences of European policy makers.

This event is intended to raise awareness of the importance of increasing resilience to extreme weather events and discuss the role MEPs and other European institutions can play in doing this.

The EU National academies of science are also keen to identify where they can offer support to the European Union institutions through the provision of scientific advice.