Our prosperity and future security depend on how we manage the defining issues of our time – climate change and Artificial Intelligence (AI), Ursula von der Leyen said on Wednesday in her State of the Union address.
‘As regards climate change, this summer has been one of truth. Almost no part of the continent was spared,’ the head of the EU executive told MEPs gathered in plenary at the European Parliament in Strasbourg.
‘The flames spread from the mountains of Ireland to the islands of Greece and Croatia. In the Alps, ancient glaciers are retreating further every day. The impact of all this is devastating: 660,000 hectares have been burned. Around 12 tonnes of harvest were lost,’ she added.
‘Key rivers such as the Danube, Rhine and Garonne are disappearing before our eyes,’ the head of the European Commission also said.
‘More than 35,000 deaths during heatwaves. Care homes and hospitals are dangerously overheated. (…) This has been the hottest summer ever recorded, but probably the coldest of the years to come,’ Von der Leyen warned.
She insisted that ‘the science is clear’ and that Europe is warming at twice the global rate. ‘Of course, the transition is complex and we will have to adapt along the way. But there is no doubt. Europe can, must and will remain on the course set regarding climate targets,’ she assured.
Source: AGERPRES
