It says the average air temperature in Germany has risen by about 1.6☌ from 1881 to 2019, extreme heat waves during summer affect people more often, and water levels in the North and Baltic Seas are rising significantly. The government report describes the observed impacts of climate change and the adaptation taking place in Germany. Now, researchers are showing us that already at 2☌ warming it could become critical in regards to some of these tipping points.” “Just five years ago I would have said that at more than 3.5 or 4☌ warming we would enter this dangerous terrain. Messner warned that research from the past 2-3 years has shown that the problem of tipping points – such as for the melting of the Greenland ice layer or the possible desertification of the Amazon – is much bigger than previously thought. In addition, the government will publish its next vulnerability analysis report in 2021 to identify key areas for adaptation measures.
Following a first progress report from 2015, the government now takes stock again after five years and sets political priorities for the coming years. Germany’s adaptation strategy, adopted in 2008, is continuously being updated to make it more effective and able to react to a changing reality. While countries in other regions of the world are often dealing with more severe and life-threatening consequences of rising temperatures, the effects nonetheless are becoming increasingly felt also in central Europe. The 2018 drought and heat wave across central Europe and the coronavirus pandemic have led many in Germany and elsewhere to recognise climate action and sustainable life on the planet as political priorities. “We will only be able to live with the consequences of overheating in the coming decade if we succeed in aligning climate action even more consistently with sustainability goals,” he said. However, it is not only about adapting to rising temperatures, but creating a more sustainable society in general. “We tend to only react once the crisis hits us.” Messner named renaturation of wetlands and river courses, more space for nature in cities, and soil-conserving methods in agriculture as examples of adaptation. “We’re not particularly good when it comes to preventive action,” he said at a press conference. The minister added that “good planning and precaution” are necessary to deal with the effects of rising temperatures.įederal Environment Agency ( UBA) head Dirk Messner has emphasised that prevention is cheaper than dealing with the effects of climate change. This is particularly felt by those municipalities that have to cope with heat and water shortages in summer.
“Climate change has arrived in Germany,” said environment minister Svenja Schulze. Together with a progress report on its climate change adaptation strategy, the government has published a new action plan of measures to help Germany grapple with effects, such as heat waves, water shortages and droughts. As temperatures rise and the effects of climate change become increasingly felt in Germany, the government wants to step up action to help the country adapt and eventually make it climate-resilient.