Europe has been identified as the fastest-warming continent on the planet, underscoring the urgency to reduce emissions and strengthen resilience to climate change. Northern and Eastern European capitals are more resilient to climate extremes than the rest of the continent. According to a report by the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), above-average temperatures were recorded in at least 95% of European territory last year. The European Union says the report “underlines the urgency” for member states to reduce greenhouse gas emissions towards net-zero and strengthen protection against climate impacts.
THE MOST CLIMATE-RESISTANT CAPITALS IN EUROPE
A new index from the Polish initiative COOLCITY analyzed more than 11 European urban areas to assess which cities are physically best prepared to face climate challenges. The COOLCITY Index (CCI), developed by the company MGGP Aero, combines satellite data, aerial laser scanning and artificial intelligence to analyze the urban environment. The CCI evaluates the natural and infrastructural elements that help cities protect themselves from heat, floods and droughts. Each city receives a score from 0 to 10 based on five key factors:
– soil permeability
– the state of vegetation
– biodiversity
– water conditions
– thermal conditions
Among European capitals, Stockholm in Sweden leads the ranking with a score of 6.7, surpassing Vilnius in Lithuania, which held first place last year.
10 MOST RESISTANT CAPITALS TO THE CLIMATE CRISIS
Stockholm, Sweden – 6.7
Vilnius, Lithuania – 6.4
Riga, Latvia – 6.3
Tallinn, Estonia – 5.9
Helsinki, Finland – 5.8
Zagreb, Croatia – 5.8
Bratislava, Slovakia – 5.7
Warsaw, Poland – 5.7
Berlin, Germany – 5.6
Prague, Czech Republic – 5.5
WHY IS STOCKHOLM CONSIDERED THE MOST RESISTANT?
Stockholm scored very high for soil permeability (8.4 out of 10), meaning that rainfall is more easily absorbed by the ground and does not cause flooding. Geography plays a big role, as the city is surrounded by forests and nature reserves, but the authorities have continuously invested in maintaining this advantage. Since the appointment of the first “tree officer” in 2001, Stockholm’s urban trees have flourished thanks to a system known as “Stockholm tree pits,” which create forest-like conditions beneath urban surfaces, nourishing the roots and absorbing rainwater.
The city also received good results for the state of vegetation (6.2), which measures the health and coverage of green spaces, which help cool the city and absorb water. The city’s unique composition of 14 islands, where Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, also positively influenced the rating for thermal conditions (6.7), as urban surfaces have natural cooling mechanisms. The city’s extensive water network also gave Stockholm a high score for water conditions (6.4), while it received 5.6 points for biodiversity.