WWF-Australia - for a living planet

It's got hotter in the city, says WWF

12 Aug 2005

Gland, Switzerland - As European cities swelter in the summer heatwave, a new report from WWF, analyzing summer temperature data from 16 EU cities, shows the continent's capitals warming by sometimes more than 2°C in the last 30 years.

The global conservation organization's report, Europe feels the heat - Extreme weather and the power sector, shows London is the city where average maximum summer temperature increased the most, up 2°C over the last 30 years, followed by Athens and Lisbon (1.9°C), Warsaw (1.3°C) and Berlin (1.2°C).

Meanwhile, the increase in average summer mean temperature was highest in Madrid - up by a staggering 2.2°C, followed by Luxembourg (2°C), Stockholm (1.5°C), and Brussels, Rome and Vienna (1.2°C). In the last five years, average summer temperatures in 13 of the 16 cities looked at were at least 1°C higher than during the first five years of the 1970s.

"Summer temperatures in Europe's cities are heading for an 'unbearable' reading on the barometer," said Imogen Zethoven, Director of WWF's Global PowerSwitch! Campaign. "Scientists estimate that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are doubling the risk of more record-breaking hikes in temperature."

WWF's report highlights the likelihood of more frequent and intense heatwaves, droughts and rainstorms as average temperatures increase, the kind of events expected as a result of global warming.

It emphasizes that the power sector has fuelled a major part of this hike in temperatures, being responsible for 37 percent of man-made CO2 emissions from burning fossil fuels, mainly coal.

"To make Europe's cities livable in summer we must guarantee the cuts needed in emissions to switch off global warming," added Zethoven. "EU governments must enforce stricter CO2 limits required under the European Emissions Trading Scheme."

For further information

Brian Thomson, Press Officer WWF International
Ph: +41 22 364 9562
Email: bthomson@wwfint.org

Notes

  1. Interview partners for print, radio and TV are available in the run-up to the release date and on Thursday August 11. For more information please contact Martin Hiller, Communications Manager, WWF's Global Climate Change Programme - Ph: +41 22 364 9226; Mobile: +41 79 347 2256; Email: mhiller@wwfint.org
  2. View the report Europe feels the heat - Extreme weather and the power sector.
  3. View summer temperature graphs showing the warming trend in the EU capital cities
  4. European governments have a vital role to play by enforcing strict pollution limits under the European Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS). From January 2005, the ETS has placed CO2 limits on the chimney stacks of big companies. Companies that exceed their limits have to pay the penalty by being forced to buy unused pollution allowances from cleaner companies. Tough pollution limits combined with a powerful financial incentive to invest in cleaner, more efficient technologies would transform the power sector and automatically reduce its CO2 emissions. Unfortunately, EU governments agreed to weak limits and weak financial incentives. Now the ETS is being reviewed, opening up a big opportunity to get it right next time.
  5. For B roll of footage for the PowerSwitch! campaign please contact Claire Doole, at the WWF International TV Centre - Ph: +41 22 364 9565
  6. Visit WWF's Global Climate Change Programme site.
  7. Visit WWF's Global PowerSwitch! Campaign site.