EU crisis chief urges tougher climate action amid France, Spain wildfires

The European Union’s crisis management commissioner says the bloc needs to invest more in tackling climate change and accelerate its response, as France and Spain prepare for another crippling heatwave that could ignite new wildfires and intensify blazes already burning.

Hadja Lahbib said the EU must ensure its climate strategy remains in lockstep with realities on the ground, as global warming advances faster than scientists previously projected. She has called for increased funding, better education on fire risk and a renewed focus on forest management.

“Climate change is accelerating. So our response must evolve just as quickly,” Lahbib told Reuters.

“We must prepare for risks before disasters strike and not simply react afterwards.”

Lahbib’s comments come as devastating wildfires continue to burn across parts of France and Spain, forcing the evacuation of 330,000 people.

French Interior Minister, Laurent Nunez, said the country has “very likely” carried out its largest civilian evacuation outside of wartime. Around 220,000 have so far been evacuated in France and more than 110,000 in Spain have fled their homes.

The EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre has warned Greece, Italy and countries in central Europe could soon face wildfires too.

Europe is the world’s fastest-warming continent. As temperatures rise, evidence continues to emerge that climate change could have severe economic consequences for the continent. The annual Lancet Countdown on Health and Climate Change found that Europe is woefully unprepared for the health impacts of global warming.

Authorities in France’s southwestern Gironde region said they were able to keep the wildfires there under control overnight from Tuesday into Wednesday. Gironde is the area worst affected by the blazes in France. More than 42,000 hectares have burned, an area roughly four times the size of Paris.

The fires in Gironde may have slowed, but they have not been contained. Another approaching heatwave is causing anxiety among officials and residents, who fear the situation could soon become far more volatile.

Temperatures in the area are expected to reach as high as 42C (108F) on Wednesday, while dry winds are likely to fuel the wildfires, Gironde Prefect Sophie Brocas said.

Neighbouring Spain is also grappling with several blazes but progress has been made, allowing thousands to return to their homes. Spain’s national weather agency has warned that the risk of wildfires will be “very high or extreme in most of the country”.

On Tuesday, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said climate denialism was “the worst of fuels” as the world confronts a climate emergency.

Maria Zuber, head of the EU’s Emergency Response Coordination Centre, said a heightened risk of wildfires will carry into Greece, Italy and central Europe in the coming weeks.

“Greece for the moment was spared, and now we see that it will go to Greece. Italy will face risk at the beginning of August, and we will need to see what will happen with the Iberian Peninsula, because if [it is] there as well, we will have all Europe on fire,” ⁠she said.