Climate action 'stalled by mixed messaging' as Europe endures unprecedented damage

A snapshot captured in 2023 by the Copernicus Sentinel-2 satellite of smoke from wildfires in Alentejo, Portugal. The latest data released by climate scientists in April 2026 show that Europe has continued to heat up faster than any other continent. Picture: Copernicus.eu 

Europe is heating up faster than any other continent in the world, but mixed messaging about climate change risks stalling the decisive action which needs to be taken, experts have warned.

In its landmark annual report on the European state of the climate, the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts said the continent has faced record heatwaves on land and at sea, devastating wildfires, and continuing biodiversity loss that is harming societies and ecosystems across Europe.