This is obviously not limited to Germany or Europe, unfortunately, as the world has been experiencing such heat waves and the related consequences frequently.
In 2023, for example, when China had its warmest year on record since 1850, fatalities caused by heat waves were over 300% higher than the historical average, according to the medical journal The Lancet.
The study recognizes some successes in China to limit the number of heat-related fatalities, but also says:
The absence of a national health adaptation plan limits strategic direction and financial investment. Coal consumption increased … and only 24% of rural homes used clean heating in 2023, leading to exposure to indoor air pollution. Moreover, fossil fuel subsidies continue to grow, further complicating the transition to cleaner energy sources.
Does anyone know what the German or European plans are?
The German Ministry for the Environment published a Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (pdf) in 2024 at latest (I couldn’t find an older one). The paper contains protective measures for heat waves and other climate-related threats.
Just a few weeks ago, the German Ministry (together with the World Health Organization, the German State of Berlin, and some NGOs) released a statement following their joint work on heat-related issues. Amongst others, it says,
In 2017, the Federal Ministry for the Environment (BMUKN) published recommendations for the development of heat–health action plans at the regional and local authority level in Germany.
So, apparently the German government started the work at least in 2017.
This is what I could find in five minutes. I am not an expert for this, but the statement that ‘Germany has no plan’ for this is simply not true. And it seems that here in Europe, more is done than in many other parts of the world.
Thanks for proving me wrong. Seems I’m too pessimistic currently.
But from what I’m seeing everywhere and what our chancellor is saying this seems to be not really enough, considering the likely impact of climate change. While I understand that you can’t modernise a country as big as Germany in one year, I’m not really seeing the positive impacts of those plans as fast as I would like. But again, maybe I’m too depressed at the moment.
It’s certainly not perfect (what is?), and there is much to improve, but at least I try to be less pessimistic (as a pessimist by nature, I have to make small steps toward a more positive world view :-))
This is obviously not limited to Germany or Europe, unfortunately, as the world has been experiencing such heat waves and the related consequences frequently.
In 2023, for example, when China had its warmest year on record since 1850, fatalities caused by heat waves were over 300% higher than the historical average, according to the medical journal The Lancet.
The study recognizes some successes in China to limit the number of heat-related fatalities, but also says:
Does anyone know what the German or European plans are?
The German plan is opening champagne bottles, as pensioners are dying most and therefore the state has to pay less money to those.
And sadly that is only half joking from my side.
A lot of the hospitals in Germany have no AC, for example. So no, we don’t have any national heat plan.
The German Ministry for the Environment published a Strategy for Adaptation to Climate Change (pdf) in 2024 at latest (I couldn’t find an older one). The paper contains protective measures for heat waves and other climate-related threats.
Just a few weeks ago, the German Ministry (together with the World Health Organization, the German State of Berlin, and some NGOs) released a statement following their joint work on heat-related issues. Amongst others, it says,
So, apparently the German government started the work at least in 2017.
There is an EU-funded Intereg Central Europe project regarding the development of municipal strategies and action plans to improve heat resilience in cities.
I found a National Heatwave Plan to reduce heat-health risks in the Netherlands published in 2025.
This is what I could find in five minutes. I am not an expert for this, but the statement that ‘Germany has no plan’ for this is simply not true. And it seems that here in Europe, more is done than in many other parts of the world.
Thanks for proving me wrong. Seems I’m too pessimistic currently.
But from what I’m seeing everywhere and what our chancellor is saying this seems to be not really enough, considering the likely impact of climate change. While I understand that you can’t modernise a country as big as Germany in one year, I’m not really seeing the positive impacts of those plans as fast as I would like. But again, maybe I’m too depressed at the moment.
It’s certainly not perfect (what is?), and there is much to improve, but at least I try to be less pessimistic (as a pessimist by nature, I have to make small steps toward a more positive world view :-))