People across Europe will call for urgent climate action this Friday, after extreme weather events ranging from devastating flooding in central Europe, to raging forest fires in Portugal, have highlighted the urgent need for measures to protect people from deadly extreme weather. The European Greens are calling for the measures of the Green Deal and the Nature Restoration Law to be swiftly put into practice.
European Green co-chair Thomas Waitz said: "Our thoughts are with the thousands of people affected by these tragic extreme weather events. But thoughts are not enough. Extreme weather due to climate breakdown is no longer a distant threat - it is a present reality that has wreaked havoc in eight EU countries in just one week. The new European Commission needs to get to work immediately in implementing bold policies to tackle the climate crisis. The European Green Deal and the Nature Restoration Law must quickly deliver concrete measures to protect our environment and people."
European Green co-chair Mélanie Vogel added: "The fight against extreme weather is a race against time - and this week's events show once again that we are currently losing. Friday's Global Climate Strike will again show broad support for climate action. Restoring nature and fully implementing the Green Deal are crucial. Defending these policies against right-wing attacks is not just a political battle, it's about the survival of this and future generations."
Deadly Storm Boris caused five times the average September rainfall in five days, causing devastating flooding and a rising death toll in Austria, Czechia, Hungary, Italy, Poland and Romania. At the same time, the death toll in Portugal continues to rise as dozens of wildfires destroy dozens of homes and tens of thousands of hectares of forest, prompting the Portuguese government to declare a state of emergency.
