Climate change is no longer a distant threat, with global mean surface temperature rising 1.39°C above pre-industrial levels in 2025 and even higher in 2026. This year has been the warmest year on record and extreme weather events are more common than ever. Europe is warming faster than twice the global average, and has faced multiple severe heatwaves this year, a phenomenon that used to be on a scale of once in a decade. Evidence suggests that we will see more years like 2026, not less. It might have been the warmest year on record to date, but it won’t hold onto this title for long. The question is not if we are willing to make drastic changes to how our society and economy is organized, but when, and if we can do it on our own terms.
The past half a year in Europe has been a reminder of this reality. What followed an already warm early Spring was a series of heatwaves from May until September, and still happening in some parts. These had a toll on our economies, our wellbeing, our environment, our agriculture and unfortunately they have caused a large number of heat-related deaths. 120 million Europeans lived in regions where temperature records were broken in July. 52% of Europe experienced temperatures that regularly exceeded 38°C.
Beyond the humanitarian aspects, Europe’s economy and energy safety has suffered. The EU has lost 1% of GDP this year, primarily due to the effects of climate change induced heatwaves. The total economic losses just by heat-driven labour productivity alone reached €113 billion. On top of the labour effect, costs include disrupted agricultural output, strained energy systems and the costs of wildfire response.
Water levels in rivers and lakes have dropped to historically low levels throughout Europe. Leading to droughts, environmental issues and economic struggles to local communities. Levels of the Danube and Rhône in particular have dramatically affected nuclear plant cooling and hydroelectric generation. In Hungary, the nuclear power plant supplying over 40% of the country’s electricity was nearing being shut down completely for the first time in history. Which could have crippled the country’s economy. Since then the Danube and many other bodies of water in Europe have still not returned to normal levels, and some are still hitting records of lowest water level.
It is clear that Europe’s current infrastructure is not built for the climate that we will have. While our energy production has already barely managed this year, we can expect higher energy demand in the coming years. As opposed to the US and many other parts of the world, Europe has a much smaller amount of AC units per household. This is set to change, and rapidly so, as people are trying to cope with the severe temperatures that will be the new normal during summers. This in turn will also demand higher energy production.
Finland has managed to avoid most of the severe heatwaves, as one of the only places not dramatically affected. But we can’t rely on that being the case going forward. Reaching our carbon neutrality and other environmental goals are not just a question of environmental responsibility. We also have a responsibility to future generations that we leave behind a planet that is livable. We must also make sufficient preparations that our economies and societies are resilient to the already inevitable change. This also means being responsible with putting future strains on our grids and environment by, for example, data centers, which have viewed Finland as an attractive target.
2026 was not an anomaly; it was a preview of what awaits without transformation. We have the science, we have the technology, and we have the economic capacity to respond. What remains lacking is the political courage to treat this emergency with the urgency it demands. The heatwaves this year have shown us how unprepared we are, but it has also shown our resilience and determination to act in the face of crisis. Even though many countries faced great challenges, many of them also managed to solve the challenges, at least for now. If we put this much effort into preventative measures, rather than mitigation, we have a chance.
Still in front of us is the decision to make a controlled and managed transition, or to wait for climate change to force our hands. We must make the correct choice.
