Climate change is already reshaping health, work, and food security in Europe

Ahead of the publication of the 2026 Europe Lancet Countdown report on health and climate change, we highlight key messages alongside the expertise of CMCC scientist Shouro Dasgupta, a contributing author of the report and leading expert on the economic impacts of climate change on health, whose work helps translate climate risks into measurable implications for people’s lives and for health systems’ preparedness. Dasgupta has contributed to new research on heat impacts on human lives, including the recent study “Heat prevention plans help save lives,” underscoring the urgent need for effective protective measures.

Climate change is already cutting jobs, raising food insecurity, and slowing Europe’s economy

“The most urgent priorities are clear: Europe needs legally binding heat protections for workers, with early warnings directly linked to enforceable workplace safety standards, especially in high-risk sectors like agriculture and construction. At the same time, social protection systems must be strengthened to respond to climate shocks – through income support, food assistance, and school meal programmes. And ultimately, none of this will be enough without rapid and sustained emissions reductions.”
— Shouro Dasgupta, CMCC Scientist

The 2026 Lancet report on Europe finds that climate change is already reshaping livelihoods, health, and economic stability across the continent.

Labour, heat and economic productivity

Rising temperatures are already reducing the number of hours people can work and affecting economic output across Europe.

• On average, workers have lost ~24 working hours per year (2000–2023) due to heat.
• Impacts are strongest in agriculture and construction, where workers are exposed to outdoor heat.
• Heat forces slower work, unplanned breaks, and in some cases work stoppage.
• This translates into lost income, higher injury risk, and reduced national productivity.

Food insecurity and affordability

Climate extremes are increasing food insecurity in Europe primarily through prices and diet quality, not absolute shortages.

• Over one million additional people are affected by climate-related food insecurity.
• Heatwaves and droughts reduce yields and quality, especially of fruit and vegetables.
• These shocks increase prices and reduce affordability of healthy diets.
• Most vulnerable groups:
  • Low-income households (higher share of income spent on food)
  • Households with limited savings buffers

“The mechanism is primarily through food prices and dietary affordability: heatwaves and droughts reduce yields and quality of fruits and vegetables, push up prices, and make it harder for households to maintain a healthy, diverse diet.” — Shouro Dasgupta

Inequality and unequal exposure

Climate impacts are not evenly distributed across Europe.

• Geographic inequality:
  • Southern and south-eastern Europe face higher heat mortality and economic losses
  • Eastern Europe shows high heatwave exposure among older adults
• Socioeconomic inequality:
  • Low-income households face ~11 percentage points higher risk of food insecurity under the same climate shocks
  • Outdoor workers face both health risks and income losses
  • Deprived areas are more exposed to wildfire smoke and heat extremes