Abstract
European cities are increasingly recognizing the urgent need for climate health adaptation. Health is among the most climate-exposed sectors at subnational level in Europe and among the most affected sectors at national level, requiring urgent adaptation action. According to the 2021 EU Adaptation Strategy, “the local level is the bedrock of adaptation”. Given the essential roles local governments play, how much progress have they made? This workshop brings together science, policy and practice to take stock of progress on adaptation to climate impacts on health at the subnational level, with a particular focus on cities. It will provide an overview of efforts, identify gaps, and explore opportunities for accelerating action through improved capacity and governance. The session will bring together experts from European and international organisations alongside a city representative to discuss the state of climate health adaptation in Europe, and health initiatives (e.g. One Health). The scene will be set by the Lancet Countdown in Europe, highlighting that Europe is warming faster than any other continent and that urban populations face heightened exposure. The session will present new urban-level indicators from the 2026 Europe Cities Lancet Countdown Report. These indicators underscore the urgent need for targeted city-level strategies. They also show cities are already acting—for example, 470 out of 533 cities have decreased surface urban heat island intensity. The European Environment Agency will then provide insights into the status of adaptation at the local level, based on self reported data from cities through the CDP. The importance of multilevel governance and the role of cities in implementation will be further explored through the work of the World Health Organization. WHO will present key updates from the revised Heat–Health Action Plan guidance, highlighting new elements that support uptake and implementation across governance levels, and will share insights from ongoing work on engagement with countries. These insights will be complemented by the Association of Schools of Public Health in the European Region, which will present findings from a recent assessment of local planning needs, highlighting capacity gaps among planners and introducing practical guidance for local and regional authorities on how health adaptation can be integrated into broader urban planning and policy processes. The workshop will conclude with an open discussion, focusing on observed barriers, opportunities for action, and where the greatest potential lies for accelerating adaptation to climate impacts on health at the local level, while maintaining mitigation actions to reduce this impact.
Key messages
• While awareness of climate-related health risks is increasing, adaptation action across European cities remains uneven and fragmented, with progress varying between and inside countries.
• Local governments are central to adaptation, but they need strong support, guidance from higher levels of governance, targeted capacity-building, and opportunities to learn from leading cities.
Speakers/Panellists
Marisol Yglesias Gonzalez
WHO Regional Office for Europe, Bonn, Germany
José Chen-Xu
ISGlobal, Barcelona, Spain
Andreea Alexandra Szanto
European Environment Agency, Copenhagen, Denmark