The report, published by the Lancet Countdown in Europe, found that climate change has prolonged the pollen season by one to two weeks compared to the 1990s. Heat health warnings across Europe have increased by 318% compared to the same period. Almost all European regions monitored saw an increase in heat-attributable deaths during 2015-2024 compared to 1991-2000.
In 2024, 62,000 people died in Europe due to warmer temperatures, according to the report. The overall average risk of dengue outbreaks in Europe has almost quadrupled over the last decade, increasing by 297% since 1980-2010.
Food insecurity is also rising: over one million additional people were affected by moderate or severe food insecurity across Europe in 2023 compared to the 1981-2010 baseline. More than 10 million people are thought to suffer from hay fever in the UK, with symptoms usually worse when the weather is warm, humid and windy and when the pollen count is at its highest, typically between late March and September. Despite these impacts, political attention to climate-health links remains minimal: of 4,477 speeches delivered in the European Parliament in 2024, only 21 addressed the link between climate change and health.