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• EFIM publishes a position paper about Environment Degradation and Climate Change. • Health industry should reduce its ecological footprint. • Internists should be involved in policy decisions related to climate change. • Internists must be active agents in advocating sustainable practices for the environment. • Internists should be role models in the adoption of environmentally friendly behavior. The current data on climate change and environmental degradation are dramatic. The consequences of these changes are already having a significant impact on people's health. Physicians — as advocates of the patients, but also as citizens — have an ethical obligation to be involved in efforts to stop these changes. The European Federation of Internal Medicine (EFIM) strongly encourages the Internal Medicine societies and internists across Europe to play an active role in matters related to climate change and environmental degradation. At a national level, this includes advocating the adoption of measures that reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and environmental degradation and contributing to policy decisions related to these issues. At a hospital level and in clinical practice, supporting actions by the health sector to reduce its ecological footprint is vital. At the level of EFIM and its associated internal societies, promoting educational activities and developing a toolkit to prepare internists to better care for citizens who suffer from the consequences of climate change. In addition to advocating and implementing effective actions to reduce the ecological footprint of the health industry, recommending the introduction of these themes in scientific programs of Internal Medicine meetings and congresses and the pre- and postgraduate medical training. At a personal level, internists must be active agents in advocating sustainable practices for the environment, increasing the awareness of the community about the health risks of climate change and environmental degradation, and being role models in the adoption of environmentally friendly behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Nature-Based Solutions concepts and practices are being used worldwide as part of attempts to address societal challenges but have also been criticised for not dealing with deeper transformations needed to face urgent issues including biodiversity loss, climate change and inclusion. In this paper, we explore how an inclusive, integrated and long-sighted approach, emphasising a more radical integration of nature within cities, might support the transformations needed to endure major contemporary challenges. Addressing important emerging critiques of Nature-Based Solutions, we consider the potential of a more incisive form of Nature-Based Thinking (NBT) in cities, based on more holistic perspectives. The paper draws on a reflective and iterative research process that engaged both the research and practice communities through a symposium and a series of futures workshops that together explored the potential of NBT to develop future nature-cities relations in Europe and Latin America. The results of the reflective process suggest that notions of nature with people—not for people— new organisational structures, and the intention and capacity to apply long-term perspectives, are needed when planning for NBS interventions aimed at sustainable urban development. This includes developing a cultural-structural change based on new and inclusive understandings of human–nature relations, and novel governance paradigms that allow cross-sectoral coordination and engagement of local stakeholders beyond formal organisational structures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Glued laminated timber made from hardwood is a sustainable structural product that is currently gaining momentum due to climatic changes and afforestation policy. Diversities in hardwood species have led to a lack of a complete standard for the production of glued laminated timber from hardwood in Europe. This paper addresses hardwood species available in Croatian forests, namely Carpinus Betulus L. (European hornbeam), Quercus Cerris L. (Turkey oak), and Acer Campestre L. (Maple), in terms of their suitability for the production of glued laminated timber. The suitability is assessed by a multi‐criteria analysis with seven criteria. Visual and physical properties include density, the occurrence of knots, and grain deviation in lamellas. Mechanical properties include the bending strength, modulus of elasticity, and shear strength of glue lines. In order to obtain physical and mechanical properties, corresponding experimental research has been carried out. Production costs have been evaluated in collaboration with the manufacturer. Results indicate a very high potential of European hornbeam and Turkey oak for the production of glued laminated timber. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The increase in global average temperature, mainly due to the high rate of greenhouse gas emissions, has triggered severe global warming and climate change. In Europe, the building sector accounts for a significant portion of emissions and energy consumption, prompting attention on nearly-zero-energy buildings (nZEBs) and zero-carbon buildings, as they play a pivotal role in reaching the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. Passive systems offer a promising solution, optimizing energy usage by better adapting buildings to their local climates. This paper reviews the state-of-the-art of passive heating and cooling techniques, exploring their contributions to contemporary architecture and showcasing their features and adaptability across different climates. Furthermore, the link between traditional and bioclimatic architecture is assessed. Recent years have witnessed a surge in publications on bioclimatic solar passive strategies, reflecting an intensified debate on climate change. Europe leads research in this area, aligned with initiatives like the Green Deal and Fit for 55. While dynamic simulation software is widely utilized for energy efficiency analysis, there remains limited integration of Building Information Modeling (BIM) and life cycle analysis (LCA) tools, which could enhance holistic assessments. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The voluntary-based initiative Covenant of Mayors (CoM) focused on the active role of local authorities and increased its targets by 2016, through the Sustainable Energy and Climate Action Plans (SECAPs) in terms of GHG reduction from 20% to 40% by 2030. In actual fact, the SECAP, intended as an urban planning tool, has the potential to improve the resilience of the EU Municipalities to climate-change, developing adaptation/mitigation actions and increasing the 'environmental awareness' of the involved actors. From a planning point of view, we affirm that the CoM started a new season of urban planning in Europe that covers the planning demand in the domain of implementing sustainable territorial development objectives. It unlocks the current ineffective planning systems and represents a remarkable practice promoting feasible framework projects for public and private investments. This paper proposes a methodological proposal to exploit this spread of SECAPs in the EU, including the systemic strategic planning approach in the process of SECAP design and ensuring an integrated vision of city development over the list of actions per sector required by the Global CoM procedures. Besides the methodological proposal, a review of the major EU energy policies is provided and relevant Best Practices are presented. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change has created existential challenges for current models of natural hazard insurance, and it may be difficult going forward for these models to consistently, fairly and coherently manage the compensation challenges associated with climate change impacts in Europe. This paper analyses the application of a comprehensive no-fault compensation fund framework to the problem of presently uninsured and technically uninsurable losses that are currently inadequately covered by other compensation mechanisms, and for which compensation may be difficult to recover using tort law mechanisms. The proposed structure includes consideration of the purpose and form of the fund, eligibility and categories of loss covered, quantum of compensation, and funding sources. There is also a preliminary consideration of the impact of such a fund on questions of liability. The proposed model illustrates potential ways for a compensation fund to support and complement existing compensation structures such as insurance and civil liability, and provide the necessary stabilisation in European society. Further legal research in this area will require qualitative and quantitative empirical data on how existing compensation frameworks (including innovative insurance instruments like parametric insurance) have so far positively and negatively impacted the ability of victims of climate change to prepare for and recover from loss incidents, in comparison with tort law and existing insurance. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In the twenty-first century, it is crucial to see climate change not only as a risk that can cause large-scale forest disturbances but also as an opportunity for innovative approaches to forest management and silviculture of new resistant tree species, like the prospective black pine (Pinus nigra J. F. Arnold). This literature review compiles findings from 260 scientific papers. It presents a summary of research results of black pine potential in European forests from 1970 to 2023. It describes the importance of its taxonomy, area of distribution and introduction, ecological characteristics, production, silviculture, wood quality, threats, and pests, as well as the potential of this tree species in relation to global climate change. In Europe, black pine covers an area of over 9.5 million ha and is one of the most frequently planted tree species outside of its original range. This pine is an effective tree species for afforestation management in arid habitats, as well as in areas threatened by pollution or on reclamation sites. Moreover, it resists the negative effects of climate change exceptionally well, such as more intense heat waves and more frequent long-term droughts, especially in young stands with lower tree density. However, the consequences of climate change on growth are not homogeneous across black pine distribution ranges due to interpopulation variability. It also has a high production potential advantage, and the wood is easy to process for various purposes. Overall, black pine can be considered one of the most adaptable pine species to anthropogenic factors and ongoing climate change, and a valuable tree species in forestry for newly cultivated areas in Europe. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many European planning schools recently celebrated their 50th anniversary: a sign that planning education became a distinct and established discipline in Europe. Simultaneously, political regimes, paradigms, cultures, and economies continue fuelling mixed connotations within the planning sector. Additionally, growing wicked problems in built areas emphasize an even greater need for well-trained planners. These challenges span climate crises, wars, authoritarian regimes, socio-political instability, and constantly changing global geopolitics. The increasingly complex demands on planners are highly pertinent for Young Academics (YA). They require political, regulatory, and technical knowledge to navigate the profession. To support them and represent their voices in planning debates, the YA network (YAN) of AESOP was established in 2003. We, the current Coordination Team, use this paper to voice our take on the question of what planning challenges dominate and what can be done to prepare YAs better for the future. Building on plenty discussions within the YAN, literature, and AESOP's activities at large, we propose: A challenge compilation for the profession, a list of core capacities, and a framework for future education. This shall aid in enabling YAs and educators today to set the foundation for planning sustainable and people-centered settlements tomorrow. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The number and intensity of Saharan dust storm events identified in Europe has been increasing over the last decade. This can be explained by the role of ongoing climate change. An extension of previous studies covering a 40-year period is presented in this paper, with new data on the frequency, synoptic meteorological background, source areas, grain size, grain shape and general mineralogy of deposited dust for the period 2019-2023 in the Carpathian Basin. A total of 55 dust storm episodes have been identified in the region over the five-year period, which is significantly higher than the long-term average. The classification based on synoptic meteorological background clearly showed that the frequency of circulation types with a more pronounced meridional component increased and dust material reached further north more frequently than before. In several cases, large amounts of dust were deposited, from which samples were collected and subjected to detailed granulometric analysis. The varied grain size data showed that coarse silt (20-62.5 µm) and sand (62.5 < µm) fractions were also present in large quantities in the transported dust material. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While our modern world is today unimaginable without space, the space landscape is changing fast. For long near space has been a vast resource to exploit with few limits. This situation is however changing since in reality orbital resources are scarce and are threatened by the growth of the space debris population. Space debris is one of the human-made problems along the climate crisis, air pollution or ocean plastic pollution among other environmental issues that keep growing despite the awareness of their dangers to societies and our economies. The debris population has been growing drastically over the years due to the increase of rockets and satellites launches, accidental collisions of space objects, as well as deliberate Anti-Satellite Tests (ASAT s). Addressing appropriately the space debris issues is today an unescapable necessity to allow realising the deployments of the planned space constellations in a responsible manner. This would also provide stability and continuity to space activities so that the public and commercial sectors can continue to innovate and invest in new ventures that continue building a robust space economy. This paper discusses the direct and collateral challenges of space debris on the space economy and presents technological and political actions needed to face this growing problem for the present and future generations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The globalizing connections that defined the European Bronze Age in the second millennium BC either ended or abruptly changed in the decades around 1200 BC. The impact of climate change at 3.2 ka on such social changes has been debated for the eastern Mediterranean. This paper extends this enquiry of shifting human–climate relationships during the later Bronze Age into Europe for the first time. There, climate data indicate that significant shifts occurred in hydroclimate and temperatures in various parts of Europe ca. 3.2 ka. To test potential societal impacts, I review and evaluate archaeological data from Ireland and Britain, the Nordic area, the Carpathian Basin, the Po Valley, and the Aegean region in parallel with paleoclimate data. I argue that 1200 BC was a turning point for many societies in Europe and that climate played an important role in shaping this. Although long-term trajectories of sociopolitical systems were paramount in defining how and when specific societies changed, climate change acted as a force multiplier that undermined societal resilience in the wake of initial social disjunctures. In this way, it shaped, often detrimentally, the reconfiguration of societies. By impacting more directly on social venues of political recovery, realignment, and reorganization, climate forces accentuate societal crises and, in some areas, sustained them to the point of sociopolitical collapse. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Transport and mobility systems need to be transformed to meet climate change goals and reduce negative environmental and social effects. Despite EU policies having targeted such problems for more than three decades, transitions have been slow and geographically uneven. For effective change to happen, transport and mobility research needs fresh perspectives and better integration of knowledge from the Social Sciences and Humanities. Based on a Horizon Scanning approach, which allowed for a great deal of openness and variety in scholarly viewpoints, this paper presents a novel research agenda consisting of 8 themes and 100 research questions that may contribute to achieving environmentally sustainable mobility transitions within Europe. This research agenda highlights the need to not only support technological solutions for low-carbon mobility, but the importance of transformative policies that include new processes of knowledge production, civic participation and epistemic justice. We contend that the agenda points to the need for further research on the dynamics of science-society interactions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Spring in Europe has been trending earlier for almost half a century. Long-distance migrant birds, such as the Willow Warbler and Pied Flycatcher, which breed in Europe, have arrived earlier too. It is broadly accepted that warming springs in temperate regions explain the earlier arrival of migrants. However, migration started weeks earlier and thousands of kilometres away. There must be additional cues elsewhere triggering migration. Meteorologists have developed measures of atmospheric circulation which are related to climate variability in wide regions. One of them is the Southern Oscillation Index, which reflects El Niño/La Niña that cause droughts and floods in the southern hemisphere. Other atmospheric circulation patterns, measured by the North Atlantic Oscillation Index and Indian Ocean Dipole, help predict total rainfall for a whole season in various parts of Africa and Europe. Good rains are associated with plant growth and with insect abundance. Insects provide food for most of these migrants. Therefore, this paper asks the question: "Is the timing of arrival of long-distance migrants in spring related to the climates they experience in the places where they are over the year prior to arrival in Europe?" This paper says the answer is "Yes". Earlier springs in temperate regions since the 1980s, attributed to climate change, are thought to influence the earlier arrival of long-distance migrant passerines. However, this migration was initiated weeks earlier in Africa, where the Southern Oscillation, Indian Ocean Dipole, North Atlantic Oscillation drive climatic variability, and may additionally influence the migrants. Multiple regressions investigated whether 15 indices of climate in Africa and Europe explained the variability in timing of arrival for seven trans-Saharan migrants. Our response variable was Annual Anomaly (AA), derived from standardized mistnetting from 1982–2021 at Bukowo, Polish Baltic Sea. For each species, the best models explained a considerable part of the annual variation in the timing of spring's arrival by two to seven climate variables. For five species, the models included variables related to temperature or precipitation in the Sahel. Similarly, the models included variables related to the North Atlantic Oscillation (for four species), Indian Ocean Dipole (three), and Southern Oscillation (three). All included the Scandinavian Pattern in the previous summer. Our conclusion is that climate variables operating on long-distance migrants in the areas where they are present in the preceding year drive the phenological variation of spring migration. These results have implications for our understanding of carry-over effects. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Mediterranean basin is one of the most vulnerable regions worldwide due to its population density, the concentration of economic activities along the coasts and borderline climatic balance. It is identified as one of the most critical erosion hotspots in Europe, mainly due to the degradation of coastal areas, overexploitation and unsustainable practices affecting beach tourism, agriculture and fishing. The region is also affected by other phenomena such as storms and floods, which are exacerbated by climate change. To mitigate and adapt to these environmental and climatic changes, Nature based Solutions (NbSs) are considered a promising step-forward. However, despite their global recognition in both research and policy, few scientific papers and documents on the state of NbSs implementation for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean exist. This paper aims to provide an understanding of the status of NbS adoption for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean through a literature review. Out of 162 scientific papers and documents, only 23 were found to be relevant to the study. Through the definition and support of an innovative matrix-based approach, the analysis of the state of adoption of NbSs have been performed. Despite the limited information on the state of the adoption of NbSs for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean due to the low numbers of scientific research and documents available, some key considerations have been revealed. • The Mediterranean basin is the most critical erosion hotspots in Europe. • NbSs are recognized a promising step-forward in coastal risk management. • Novel framework for the analysis of past and present NbS implementation. • Few studies report the adoption of NbSs for Mediterranean coastal risk management. • NbS for coastal risk management in the Mediterranean is still in an experimental phase. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper aims to improve understanding of how EU citizens' left-right political positions and ideological polarization on climate change affect their views on both agriculture and diet in the context of climate change policy. It uses the methods of survey research and quantitative analyses of the data (principal components and regression analysis). The work combines the Farm- and Fork-related branches of Eurobarometer 93.2 (2020) and focuses on citizens' responses to a more climate-friendly agriculture and their ideas about 'eating a healthy and sustainable diet'. The analysis revealed different degrees of citizen support for a more climate-friendly agriculture and climate-friendly dietary options (including meat reduction). Citizens' left-right political position correlated negatively with support for a more climate-friendly agriculture and support for climate-friendly dietary options, but only in the Northwestern European countries. In these countries, the expected positive correlations between level of education and pro-environmental variables were found, but these correlations were not observed among the right-leaning participants. However, the positive correlation between support for a more climate-friendly agriculture and support for climate-friendly dietary options was less strongly affected by left-right political positions. Hence, public opinion is moving in the direction of EU climate policy over time; however, citizens did not fully acknowledge the priority of meat reduction in this context. Political and ideological polarization has seriously interfered with attempts to promote a more climate-friendly agriculture (Farm) and changes in dietary thinking including meat reduction (Fork). To promote these changes, more work must be done on the role of cultural identities in relation to climate issues. Yet, EU citizens showed an increasing support for more climate-friendly agriculture, which correlated positively with support for climate-friendly dietary options across the left-right political spectrum. Science-based information regarding climate risks and/or loyalty to local farmers may play a role in shaping these opinions. The priority of meat reduction needs considerably more attention to achieve the EU's climate objectives. For citizens, both nutritional (health) and environmental (i.e. climate change, as well as species decline and farm animal welfare) reasons can be strong motivating factors to consider meat reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

High concentration levels of air pollutants may cause damage to plants, animals, and the health of some groups of human beings. Therefore, it is important to investigate different topics related to the high air pollution levels and to find reliable answers to the questions about the possible damages, which might take place when these levels exceed some limits. A few of the numerous questions, the answers of which are highly desirable, are listed below: (a) When are the air pollution levels dangerous? (b) What is the reason for the increased air pollution levels? (c) How can the air pollution levels be decreased? (d) Will the future climate changes result in higher and more dangerous air pollution levels? It is necessary to study carefully many issues connected with the distribution of air pollutants in a given region and with the reasons for the increases of the concentrations to high levels, which might be damaging. In order to do this, it is necessary to develop a Digital Twin of all relevant physical processes in the atmosphere and to use after that this tool in different applications. Such a tool, its name is DIGITAL AIR, has been created. Digital Twins are becoming more and more popular). Many complex problems, arising taking place in very complicated surroundings, can be handled and resolved successfully by applying Digital Twins. The preparation of such a digital tool as well as its practical implementation in the treatment of a special problem, the increase of some potentially dangerous ozone levels, will be discussed and tested in this paper. The Unified Danish Eulerian Model (UNI-DEM) is a very important part of DIGITAL AIR. This mathematical model, UNI-DEM, can be applied in many different studies related to damaging effects caused by high air pollution levels. We shall use it in this paper to get a reliable answer to a very special but extremely important question: will the future climatic changes lead to an increase in the ozone pollution levels in Bulgaria and Europe, which can potentially become dangerous for human health? [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to contribute to the body of knowledge on the first human occupations predating MIS 21 in the Atapuerca karst system. These occupations are described in terms of their ecological, cultural and technological context based on the Sima del Elefante and Gran Dolina sites. This paper focuses on the lower units of these sedimentary infills, specifically Unit TE9 of Sima del Elefante and Unit TD4 of Gran Dolina. In addition, evidence of the earliest human settlements in Europe is reviewed and hypotheses about the dynamics and intensity of that settlement are proposed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In Europe, increasing the area of legume crops has been identified as a key measure to achieve the objectives set by the European Green Deal and transition toward more sustainable food systems. Although the role of grain legumes in climate change mitigation has been closely examined, little research has focused on how climate change will challenge the development of these crops. This article systematically reviews recent simulation studies to assess the impact of climate change on grain legume performances in Europe and the effect of adaptation strategies. Forty papers using process-based, ecological niche, or statistical models were selected to simulate the response of eight grain legume species to future climate (2020–2100) in Europe. The lack of data on adaptation strategies in Europe was compensated for by enlarging the study area to climatically similar regions. The review highlights a notable imbalance between research about soybean versus other grain legumes, with soybean representing approximately 80% of selected studies. Studies focused on soybean found good agreement, with yield or suitability gains found in northern Europe and a higher probability of yield losses in southern and south-eastern Europe. While a similar spatial pattern may be expected for other grain legumes, the scarcity of data makes this result more uncertain. The review also shows that several adaptation strategies have the potential to mitigate the negative impact of climate change on grain legume performances or enhance its positive impact. The most promising strategies tested include irrigation, change in sowing date, and cultivar choice. In addition, we identify several knowledge gaps that, if addressed, would support legume development in Europe. In particular, key species such as field pea, faba bean, lentil, and chickpea remain blind spots, despite their prominent role in European environmental, agricultural, and nutritional policies. Other knowledge gaps include a lack of accounting for crop response to elevated CO 2 , ozone, and future biotic pressure, and a limited range of adaptation strategies tested and indicators assessed. Implementing multi-criteria analyses that involve stakeholders would help identify relevant inputs and outputs for future simulations. • We review 40 papers assessing grain legume response to climate change in Europe. • Grain legumes other than soybean are blind spots despite their role in policies. • For soybean, yield gains are expected in the north and yield losses in the south. • Adaptation strategies can mitigate the impact of climate change on grain legumes. • We identify several knowledge gaps, including a lack of data on key legume species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While the importance of permanent grasslands (PG) for the conservation of high nature value habitats is often acknowledged, their role in most of the main sustainable food system scenarios published in the last few years is less explicit. In the best case, the place of permanent grassland in scenarios and policy agendas is their conservation; in the worst one, they are simply replaced by afforested land or cropland, considered as a better option when the focus is on GHG emissions only. In this paper, we defend the idea that several misinterpretations of the positive and negative impacts of ruminants, the 'natural' users of PG, explain why ruminants are poorly addressed by most scenarios. Based on the findings of an agroecological scenario for Europe—TYFA, standing for Ten Years For Agroecology—in which extensive permanent grassland and ruminants together play a prominent role for biodiversity conservation, nitrogen cycling and climate change mitigation and adaptation, we call for a research agenda that would better inform the specific role of PG in the provision of ecosystem services—and in particular those that depend on nitrogen management. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

As a solution to mitigate the effects of climate change, scientists have been looking for more environmentally friendly energy production alternatives, so, since the 2000s, renewable energy production has increased across Europe. Climate change has a negative impact on our planet, with increased emissions of greenhouse gases contributing to global warming. In this context, biogas has become a promising solution for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and improving environmental quality. The purpose of the study is to review the evolution of research and development in this field, identify trends and gaps in existing knowledge, and assess the impact and significance of published research. In this sense, a bibliometric analysis was carried out, based on the topics "renewable energy" and "biogas", in which VosViewer software was used to create maps. The research results show that existing policies worldwide encourage transfer and synergy between researchers from different countries, achieving important results. Practically, researches and examples of good practise show that biogas can be a viable solution to mitigate the effects of climate change, and in the coming decades, under the conditions of the population growth estimates materialization, we will most likely witness an intensification of agriculture to ensure the population's food needs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In front of escalating resource limitations in agriculture, this study emphasizes the critical need for efficient crop cultivation. Focusing particularly on tomatoes, a staple in global diets, the research aims to sustenably enhance productivity. Recognizing productivity as a key economic indicator, the study highlights the pivotal role of energyefficient practices in addressing challenges posed by climate change and depleting natural resources. By optimizing energy use in agricultural processes, this research not only improves economic efficiency but also positions the sector for resilience and innovation in a resource-constrained environment. Through an in-depth analysis of data from Eurostat covering the 2014-2022 period, we trace the trends in greenhouse tomato cultivation across Europe, evaluating changes in cultivation areas and productivity. This research offers insights into how different European countries have adapted their agricultural practices in response to environmental and economic pressures and in the same time, it underscores the need for continued innovation and adaptation in agricultural practices to meet the demands of a growing global population under increasingly constrained environmental conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Globally, climate change is a challenge for the dairy sector and its effects are expected to have important consequences on the environmental performance of the dairy products value chains. At the same time, this sector significantly contributes to global warming and other environmental impacts. This paper addresses this twin challenge from a life cycle perspective, i.e. covering from dairy farms, dairy factory, distribution and retail, to consumption. To do so, literature reviews were done on the contribution of the sector to climate change and on the biophysical impacts of climate change on the dairy sector in the near term in Europe. Both reviews were linked to qualitatively analyse the interaction and connect in a matrix the biophysical impacts caused by the effects of climate change on the environmental performance of the sector. Not surprisingly, dairy farms were identified as the major contributor to the total greenhouse gas emissions across the dairy value chains but also as the most vulnerable stage to climate change. Depending on the region, the dairy sector will face opportunities but also threats such as significant cows' heat stress, crop cultivation variability, on-farm water availability, cows' diseases, crop pests' pressure and product safety risk, which is associated with product losses and waste. Measures will be needed to mitigate them but with an environmental cost. The clear definition of the dairy sector-climate change interaction is the starting point to begin preparing this sector for a near-future under climate change conditions. • Climate change effects influences the dairy sector's environmental performance. • Dairy farm stage is the main contributor to climate change and the most vulnerable. • The European dairy sector will experience unequally the opportunities and threats. • Climate change will raise food safety risk, raw milk losses and dairy product waste. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Current urban and transport planning practices have significant negative health, environmental, social and economic impacts in most cities. New urban development models and policies are needed to reduce these negative impacts. The Superblock model is one such innovative urban model that can significantly reduce these negative impacts through reshaping public spaces into more diverse uses such as increase in green space, infrastructure supporting social contacts and physical activity, and through prioritization of active mobility and public transport, thereby reducing air pollution, noise and urban heat island effects. This paper reviews key aspects of the Superblock model, its implementation and initial evaluations in Barcelona and the potential international uptake of the model in Europe and globally, focusing on environmental, climate, lifestyle, liveability and health aspects. We used a narrative meta-review approach and PubMed and Google scholar databases were searched using specific terms. The implementation of the Super block model in Barcelona is slow, but with initial improvement in, for example, environmental, lifestyle, liveability and health indicators, although not so consistently. When applied on a large scale, the implementation of the Superblock model is not only likely to result in better environmental conditions, health and wellbeing, but can also contribute to the fight against the climate crisis. There is a need for further expansion of the program and further evaluation of its impacts and answers to related concerns, such as environmental equity and gentrification, traffic and related environmental exposure displacement. The implementation of the Superblock model gained a growing international reputation and variations of it are being planned or implemented in cities worldwide. Initial modelling exercises showed that it could be implemented in large parts of many cities. The Superblock model is an innovative urban model that addresses environmental, climate, liveability and health concerns in cities. Adapted versions of the Barcelona Superblock model are being implemented in cities around Europe and further implementation, monitoring and evaluation are encouraged. The Superblock model can be considered an important public health intervention that will reduce mortality and morbidity and generate cost savings for health and other sectors. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture is the one of the most important priorities and economic activities in developing countries. Climate change, which is already affecting the society at a global level, has an impact on the increase in magnitude and frequency of severe weather events. As such, both agriculture and industry are affected by climate change and their revenues decrease, thus affecting the entire economic cycle. The aim of this paper is to present theoretical considerations regarding climate change induced severe weather events and to highlight some practical techniques used in operational meteorology in order to improve the forecast of severe weather events. By analysing the morphology and dynamics of thunderstorms, by applying the correct parametrization in weather forecast models, nowcasting and by issuing on time weather alerts, financial losses may be limited. Throughout this paper, the parametrization of convective cells will be described, operational forecasting techniques will be presented and the application of ingredient-based forecasting methodology will be discussed. Severe weather associated hazards like hail, heavy rainfall, damaging winds and even frost will be analysed in order to establish a local climatology of these phenomena. With the aid of Weather Surveillance Doppler Radar (WSDR) and by associating some instability convection indices with synoptic charts, the agriculture-related severe weather events can be identified and their formation pattern can be established. Further on, by establishing an analysis methodology and by compelling all available data, weather-related hazard maps are to be compelled and are to be used by agrometeorology forecasters in order to seek viable solutions. The Western part of Romania is characterized as having a moderatecontinental climate, with hot influences from the Southern part of Europe and with humid advections from the South-Western part of Europe. In combination with cold advections from the Northern Europe, both summer as well as winter specific agriculture-related severe weather events are present [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Roughly a third of Europe's water demand is satisfied by groundwater abstraction. Understanding how future changes in climate, weather, vegetation and land use will affect the transport of atmospheric water to the subsurface is critical for successful implementation of Europe's Water Framework Directive and to maintain groundwater as a high-quality water resource. This paper summarizes the known drivers of trends and variations in groundwater recharge (precipitation, evapotranspiration and vegetation, land use) in Central Europe and how they have changed in recent decades. From past observations and future climate projections, the foreseeable consequences for groundwater recharge under a changing climate are discussed. The paper focuses on the complex role of soils and vegetation at the interface between atmosphere and groundwater, and addresses open questions and possible new directions for research. Summarizing the evidence, land use and land-use change have a large control on recharge, but the influence of climate change is increasingly recognized. Central Europe's current transition from a temperate and relatively moist climate towards a more variable and Mediterranean-like climate may shift recharge patterns and increase the ratio of focused-to-diffusive recharge as precipitation patterns change and the frequency and intensity of climatic extremes (e.g., heavy rainfall, heatwaves, droughts, floods and wild fires) increase. However, uncertainty remains with regard to the dynamic response of Europe's vegetation to climate change as well as to human modifications of the water cycle (e.g., through irrigation, forest management, artificial recharge or urbanization), which currently challenges model-based predictions of future recharge. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Earthworm distributions are poorly known and individual species climatic tolerances, even less so. This paper sets out to use three species with a mainly Anglo-French distribution to test out whether using Maximum Entropy Modelling (Maxent) could be useful when studying earthworm distributions. It also gives an indication of how the likely climatic changes over a 50 year period will affect them. Overall the software seems to give useful information of where across Europe a particular species will thrive, even if not currently recorded there. It gives a real insight into how particular species might be better able to survive longer drier periods than others and which are on the edge of their climatic range already. Maxent modelling was clearly successful in demonstrating that the distributions of the ecologically different earthworm species are affected by a combination of different environmental variables. In the case of the epigeic Satchellius mammalis they are the annual temperature range, the precipitation of the driest month and the mean annual precipitation, for the epi-endogeic Lumbricus festivus they are the precipitation of the driest month, the precipitation of the wettest month and the annual temperature range. For the anecic Lumbricus friendi the most important environmental variables proved to be the annual temperature range, the mean diurnal temperature range and the precipitation seasonality. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Integrated vulnerability assessment framework for cultural heritage developed. • Semi-structured interviews assess cultural heritage stakeholder understanding. • Bottom-up consultation assesses sensitivity and adaptive capacity of heritage. • Determinants of adaptive capacity for European heritage identified. • Framework may identify future adaptation needs and measures. One of the most difficult problem facing those responsible for managing World Heritage Sites (WHS) is climate change, as it poses continuous new challenges to the conservation of cultural heritage. Moreover, as our climate continues to change our cultural heritage will potentially be exposed to diverse pressures and potentially to risks not previously experienced. Thus, management practices will need to be tailored in order to include climate change impacts. For climate change impacts to be incorporated into preservation frameworks and management practices from government policy level down to the practice in the field, data, information and assessment methods need to be available at a scale relevant to decision-makers. This paper presents an integrated vulnerability assessment methodology and applies it to three UNESCO cultural WHS in Europe. Through this process, semi-structured interviews were conducted with academics and experts in the management and conservation of cultural heritage, as well as with the managers and coordinators of WHS. The incorporation of bottom-up knowledge in the assessment process allowed for an understanding of the sensitivity and adaptive capacity of the sites, two components of vulnerability that are not given sufficient attention and ignored, respectively, in typical top-down climate change impact assessments. In particular, the interviews elucidated the determinants that enable or constrain the capacity to adapt, i.e., resources, including technical, economic and human; information and awareness; management capacity; learning capacity; leadership; communication and collaboration; and governance; with the lack of resources most commonly mentioned as the determinant impeding adaptation. 'Information and awareness' and 'management capacity' are determinants that were not previously identified in the field of cultural heritage. The former stresses the need to disseminate the results of scientific research for their incorporation in the management of heritage sites. Vulnerability assessments such as those performed in this paper can be used to target interventions to protect and strengthen the resilience of cultural heritage to climate change impacts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Statistical downscaling methods (SDMs) are techniques used to downscale and/or bias‐correct climate model results to regional or local scales. The European network VALUE developed a framework to evaluate and inter‐compare SDMs. One of VALUE's experiments is the perfect predictor experiment that uses reanalysis predictors to isolate downscaling skill. Most evaluation papers for SDMs employ simple statistical diagnostics and do not follow a process‐based rationale. Thus, in this paper, a process‐based evaluation has been conducted for the more than 40 participating model output statistics (MOS, mostly bias correction) and perfect prognosis (PP) methods, for temperature and precipitation at 86 weather stations across Europe. The SDMs are analysed following the so‐called "regime‐oriented" technique, focussing on relevant features of the atmospheric circulation at large to local scales. These features comprise the North Atlantic Oscillation, blocking and selected Lamb weather types and at local scales the bora wind and the western Iberian coastal‐low level jet. The representation of the local weather response to the selected features depends strongly on the method class. As expected, MOS is unable to generate process sensitivity when it is not simulated by the predictors (ERA‐Interim). Moreover, MOS often suffers from an inflation effect when a predictor is used for more than one station. The PP performance is very diverse and depends strongly on the implementation. Although conditioned on predictors that typically describe the large‐scale circulation, PP often fails in capturing the process sensitivity correctly. Stochastic generalized linear models supported by well‐chosen predictors show improved skill to represent the sensitivities. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper delves into the potential impact of a changing climate on the energy performance of European buildings. Research aims to provide a comprehensive evaluation of current energy requirements focusing on the envelope, considering existing regulations in national policies. Energy simulations are conducted at 94 locations across the European Union to cover the climatic variability and Koppen climate classification. The research analyzes future climate scenarios for the years 2030, 2050, and 2070, using three different Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP 2.6, 4.5, 8.5). According to a comprehensive analysis of heating, cooling, and overall energy performance, climate plays a significant role in buildings' energy balance. In moderately cool climate countries, the demand for air conditioning is projected to decrease in the years ahead. Conversely, in countries with a warm climate, there is a projected increase in the overall energy demand. Consequently, a revision of current energy regulations should be a priority. Providing insights into the relation between building design, energy efficiency, and climate change, the research identifies policy adjustments to ensure buildings can effectively respond to changing climatic conditions. A holistic and dynamic approach can support building design accounting for long-term impacts of climate change to create resilient and energy-efficient structures. • National building energy regulations of European Member States do not tackle climate change. • Over next decades, a decrease in heating demand is forecasted across all climate zones. • There is potential for a future considerable increase of cooling demand in Europe. • A reduction in total building energy demand in colder climates and an increase in warmer climates can be expected. • Revise national energy regulations, especially in warmer zones, to curb the expected rise in Europe's total energy demand. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of extreme events due climate change and sea-level rise are major challenges to be urgently addressed by Europe's coastal cities. Coastal hazards have the potential to cause significant damage to coastal communities. Nevertheless, various other climate-related hazards also pose imminent threats. This review paper examines the impacts of climate change on ten European coastal cities by means of a participatory process involving the coastal cities and the review of existing literature. Local expertise is included through the novel concept of Coastal City Living Lab. The study also leverages bibliometric analysis of the Scopus and Web of Science databases, along with a desk review of climate-change related institutions and agencies at international, national, regional and local levels. By combining scientific literature analysis with insights from local experts, this research provides a comprehensive overview of the current situation of these diverse cities in relation to multiple climate-related hazards, which can be extrapolated to other cities. There is a scarcity of scientific data for some of the cities, hence collaboration with the CCLLs was crucial. Results serve as a valuable baseline for future works, introducing detail studies focusing on various climate-related challenges. This paper not only contributes novel insights by including the perceptions of local partners but also offers a unique perspective on the complex nature of climate change impacts at city level. • Comprehensive understanding of climate change impacts on coastal cities through multifaceted methodology. • Systematic scientific literature review of Scopus and Web of Science databases. • Local expertise from a collaborative process involving ten diverse European coastal cities. • Unique perspective on the complex nature of climate change impacts at city level. • Baseline for risk assessments and adaptation strategies considering multiple climate-related hazards. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The public transport system is one of the cities' primary services, classifying the city as modern, livable, accessible, and sustainable. Accordingly, cities are trying to develop sustainable public transport systems even with limited budgets and funds. In this study, a novel decision strategy for public transport investment is investigated for a tramway system that implements several local decision strategies, and it gave the ability to launch the system using second-hand renovated trams as the rolling stock. The operation period's financial sustainability for ten years and the effect of the second-hand trams are assessed. The results show that renovated tram cars decreased the project's initial investment costs by 53.88% and realized 4.5 M €/km total cost, which is one-fifth of the average total cost in Europe. The system became a self-sufficient system after the 3rd year of operation and is profiting with incremental positive cash flow since that year without having any compensation from the national or local government. The study shows that the cities' financial resources could be sufficient to cover sustainable transportation modes with locally adapted strategies. The paper also contributes to decision strategies that renovated trams can be a solution for cities with limited budgets and are planning to construct tramway lines to improve public transport systems and eager to create sustainable cities. • Second-hand trams are renovated and used for public transport to decrease the initial investment. • The technical specifications for renovation of second-hand trams are investigated. • Several local decision strategies are investigated for the construction of the system. • Financial sustainability analysis is assessed for this tramway system. • The system became financially self-sufficient after the 3rd year of operation period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Previous research has shown that we believe more in the reality of climate change when we experience warmer-than-usual temperatures. This reflects a psychological process in which easily accessible information from personal weather experiences is used as a heuristic to form climate opinions. This paper replicates and extends upon a research design and results of Egan and Mullin to provide the first systematic European study of the Local Warming Effect. Based on data from 12 European countries, the analysis shows that when objective temperatures increase by two standard deviations (5 °C) relative to normal temperatures, climate opinions are strengthened by around 0.5–1.0 percentage points – comparable to the effect of a full step to the left on a 0–10 political ideology scale. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Large multiscenario multimodel ensembles (MMEs) of regional climate model (RCM) experiments driven by global climate models (GCMs) are made available worldwide and aim at providing robust estimates of climate changes and associated uncertainties. Due to many missing combinations of emission scenarios and climate models leading to sparse scenario–GCM–RCM matrices, these large ensembles, however, are very unbalanced, which makes uncertainty analyses impossible with standard approaches. In this paper, the uncertainty assessment is carried out by applying an advanced statistical approach, called QUALYPSO, to a very large ensemble of 87 EURO-CORDEX climate projections, the largest MME based on regional climate models ever produced in Europe. This analysis provides a detailed description of this MME, including (i) balanced estimates of mean changes for near-surface temperature and precipitation in Europe, (ii) the total uncertainty of projections and its partition as a function of time, and (iii) the list of the most important contributors to the model uncertainty. For changes in total precipitation and mean temperature in winter (DJF) and summer (JJA), the uncertainty due to RCMs can be as large as the uncertainty due to GCMs at the end of the century (2071–2099). Both uncertainty sources are mainly due to a small number of individual models clearly identified. Due to the highly unbalanced character of the MME, mean estimated changes can drastically differ from standard average estimates based on the raw ensemble of opportunity. For the RCP4.5 emission scenario in central–eastern Europe for instance, the difference between balanced and direct estimates is up to 0.8 ∘ C for summer temperature changes and up to 20 % for summer precipitation changes at the end of the century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Regional bioeconomies promote sustainable, regional economies under the auspices of EU green growth policies. Combining prospects of rural rejuvenation, sustainability and innovation, they are employed to address climate change, societal challenges, and often benefit from substantial public funds. Yet, despite public finance's key role for bio-based transitions and (regional) bioeconomies, it has received little academic attention. Framed by conceptualisations on greening finance and (sustainable) policy narratives, this paper evaluates the public finance processes of three spatially variegated regional bioeconomy developments in Europe (Finland, Sweden, Spain). It provides empirical accounts from the case study sites and contrasts their public finance narratives with sustainable bioeconomy policy trajectories employed in EU policy promotion and benchmarking. This critical questioning of the current representations of regional bioeconomies in public finance narratives portrays a problematic mismatch between the dominant selective economic features and wider EU policy aims, particularly in relation to sustainability. Accompanied by the neglect of decisive local features in these benchmarking narratives, they promote a sustainably and spatially unreflective path forward for bioeconomy policy learning and development. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background and objective: Climate change leads to more frequent, intense and longer-lasting heat waves which can have severe health outcomes. The elderly are a high-risk population for heat-related mortality and some studies suggested that elderly women are more affected by extreme heat than men. This study aimed to review the presence of sex-specific results in studies performed on mortality in elderly (> 65 years old) after heat waves in Europe.Methods: A literature search was conducted in July 2017 on papers published in databases Pubmed and Web of Science between January 2000 and December 2016.Results: 68 papers that included mortality data for elderly after heat waves were identified. The 13 of them which presented results distinguished by sex and age group were included in the review. Eight studies showed worse health outcome for elderly women compared to men. One study showed higher mortality rates for men, two found no sex differences and two studies presented inconsistent results.Conclusion: Studies that present sex-stratified data on mortality after heat waves seem to indicate that elderly women are at higher risk than men. Future research is warranted to validate this finding. Furthermore, a better understanding on the underlying physiological or social mechanisms for possible sex and gender differences in excessive deaths for this vulnerable population is needed to set up appropriate policy measures. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Agriculture contributes to global warming mainly through the emission of methane and nitrous oxide. Nitrous oxide is particularly important, as it accounts for a significant share of total nitrogen emissions from arable land It is produced as a result of anaerobic microbiological changes of nitrogen introduced into the soil along with mineral fertilizers. Changes in weather patterns in response to climate change may significantly affect the efficiency of fertilizer nitrogen in agriculture, and, consequently, entail undesirable environmental effects. This issue is of particular importance in view of the dominant role that this fertilizer element plays in agriculture, and, on the other hand, due to the global environmental risk within the “nitrogen cycle”. The analysis, carried out in this paper indicates, that transformations of nitrogen compounds in the soil, caused predominantly by the climate condition, result in nitrogen release from the agricultural production area. The dispersion in the form of molecular nitrogen (N2) is mainly the result of denitrification processes. By this way over 50% of nitrogen lost from agriculture is dissipated from the agricultural land. From the agricultural point of view, denitrification is a process that limits the resources of available nitrogen, but from the environmental viewpoint, this process should be considered as a natural mechanism of environmental self-purification and water protection. Although it constitutes only about 25% of the total loss of this element the dilution of nitrogen from agricultural areas by leaching, is considered to be the most cumbersome for the water environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aim: The Expansion‐Contraction model has been used to explain the responses of species to climatic changes. During periods of unfavourable climatic conditions, species retreat to refugia from where they may later expand. This paper focuses on the palaeoecology of red deer over the past 54 ka across Europe and the Urals, to reveal patterns of change in their range and explore the role of environmental conditions in determining their distribution. Location: Europe and western Asia to 63°E. Taxon: Red deer (Cervus elaphus). Methods: We collected 984 records of radiocarbon‐dated red deer subfossils from the Late Pleistocene and the Holocene, including 93 original dates. For each deer sample we compiled climatic and biome type data for the corresponding time intervals. Results: During the last 54 ka changes in red deer range in Europe and the Urals were asynchronous and differed between western and eastern Europe and western Asia due to different environmental conditions in those regions. The range of suitable areas for deer during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was larger than previously thought and covered vast regions not only in southern but also in western and eastern Europe. Throughout the period investigated the majority of specimens inhabited forests in the temperate climatic zone. The contribution of forests in deer localities significantly decreased during the last 4 ka, due to deforestation of Europe caused by humans. Mean January temperature was the main limiting factor for species distribution. Over 90% of the samples were found in areas where mean January temperature was above −10°C. Main conclusions: Red deer response to climatic oscillations are in agreement with the Expansion‐Contraction model but in contradiction to the statement of only the southernmost LGM refugia of the species. During the last 54 ka red deer occurred mostly in forests of the temperate climatic zone. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Climate change impacts in one country can lead to impacts in distant locations, for example, via internationally traded crops. Previous work has highlighted a need to include cross-border climate change impacts in climate risk assessments, to describe the exposure and transmission of cross-border climate risk across actors, and understand options for managing this risk. In a case study of the Brazil-Europe soy supply chain, this paper aims to explore how stakeholders perceive past and future shocks, how climate change impacts affect stakeholders differently, and how they might respond. Soy is a key internationally traded commodity and Europe relies on imports for the majority of its soy consumption, used widely in livestock feed. Via 96 semi-structured expert interviews, we found different stakeholder groups are vulnerable to different types of weather shocks, experience different price and supply consequences, and have different capacities to respond. While some responses can reduce risk of impacts across the supply chain (e.g. new soy cultivars, improving transport infrastructure), we also identified examples where responses exacerbate risk for other stakeholders (e.g. export bans, changing demand). A holistic cross-border approach to analysing risk in the soy supply chain can help avoid maladaptation and offer opportunities for more collaborative adaptation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

[Display omitted] • Droughts and floods are increasing worldwide. • Changes in soil moisture affect the soil microbiome. • Climate change affects the soil environment. • Changes in the soil environment affect crop production. • Drought and floods have a negative impact on agriculture. Climate change is progressing and is already visible to the naked eye around the world. Hydrological events associated with climate change, i.e. floods and droughts, have reached extreme levels in recent years. Researchers warn that these phenomena will continue to intensify. According to recent reports, the number of extreme weather events, including hydrological phenomena, has increased by 60% in Europe over the last three decades. Both water shortages and water surpluses affect the soil environment and its functions. This in turn has a direct impact on crops and agriculture. For example, in the US alone, droughts and floods were responsible for more than 70% of the decline in cereal yields in 2011 alone. However, the soil environment is a complex ecosystem that is not yet fully understood, making it difficult to predict the impact of climate change on its quality and functioning. In this paper, we discuss the effects of floods and droughts on the soil microbiome and the implications of these changes for agriculture. We suggest that changes in soil moisture are an important factor affecting crop growth and yield, which is of great importance for global food security. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Behaviour, practices and culture constitute a powerful human factor in the energy system; in particular the interactions between technologies, practices and norms lock individuals in to certain patterns of (often inefficient) energy use. Consequently, behaviour change has gained traction amongst policymakers as a key area of intervention given the impact energy-related behaviours have on climate change. Given the increasing emphasis within policy perspectives in the European Union, it is surprising that a gap in understanding of the success factors of behaviour change initiatives remains. This paper addresses this gap by identifying and characterising behaviour change initiatives across five European countries (the UK, Ireland, France, Italy, and Spain). The paper provides insights into the success factors and commonly encountered barriers to behaviour change initiatives. Initiatives are classified into 6 broad categories (community-based interventions; information and awareness based interventions; eco-districts; show-case events; energy switching; and smart-technology focused interventions). The results suggest that there are significant knowledge gaps between what is known to work to engage individuals in behavioural change and what is currently being applied in practice. An over-reliance on education and awareness-raising projects is evident, illustrating that such projects do not sufficiently aim for sustained behavioural changes. A dearth of projects incorporating fiscal measures, regulations or legislation to drive behaviour change reflects reluctance on behalf of decision-makers to engage widely with diverse approaches to foster lifestyle change. This paper contributes understandings of the different models and delivery tools employed to change energy-related behaviours; insights into the critical success factors that underpin best practice and the barriers to action; and a ‘what works in practice’ overview of the meaningful approaches to change behaviour. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Policies concerning the sector of green jobs on European level are related mainly to environmental protection, as well as those for clean energy and climate change. They require the application of policies for developing the sector of renewable energy and measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by creating new sustainable jobs. The aim of the paper is based on the review and analysis of policies related to climate change, to assess their impact on the sector of green jobs. The first part of the paper presents a review of climate change policies and an assessment of their impact on the creation of green jobs. The second part of the paper includes general conclusions about the role of policies related to climate change for the sector of green jobs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Many countries have some kind of energy-system transformation either planned or ongoing for various reasons, such as to curb carbon emissions or to compensate for the phasing out of nuclear energy. One important component of these transformations is the overall reduction in energy demand. It is generally acknowledged that the domestic sector represents a large share of total energy consumption in many countries. Increased energy efficiency is one factor that reduces energy demand, but behavioral approaches (known as “sufficiency”) and their respective interventions also play important roles. In this paper, we address citizens’ heterogeneity regarding both their current behaviors and their willingness to realize their sufficiency potentials—that is, to reduce their energy consumption through behavioral change. We collaborated with three Swiss cities for this study. A survey conducted in the three cities yielded thematic sets of energy-consumption behavior that various groups of participants rated differently. Using this data, we identified four groups of participants with different patterns of both current behaviors and sufficiency potentials. The paper discusses intervention types and addresses citizens’ heterogeneity and behaviors from a city-based perspective. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Purpose This paper deals with the experiences of three European universities that have implemented transition initiatives, using the Transition Network’s methodology to promote their sustainability plans. The Transition Communities’ model for change is presented from a socio-educational perspective as an effective methodology for encouraging university environmental sustainability processes. In this context, the purpose of this paper was to analyze Transition Communities at universities using an environmental–educational approach in three different scenarios: the Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC), the University of Edinburgh (UEd) and the Universidade do Minho (UMinho).Design/methodology/approach The authors engaged in a comparative analysis of multiple case studies in the Transition “phenomenon”, looking for convergences and divergences among them.Findings The comparative analysis revealed three very different scenarios, which ironically shared an absence of explicit theoretical–methodological references in the design, execution and evaluation of the educational actions that were implemented. Examination of the impact and continuity of these initiatives uncovered the existence of a “glass ceiling” in university environmental sustainability strategies. Even the innovative Transition methodology was unable to subvert the established academic, corporate, organizational and cultural structures and dynamics that perpetuate unsustainability.Originality/value This study was carried out from an innovative perspective with few precedents in the Transition context. The authors’ educational–environmental approach provides insight for articulating educational strategies for environmental sustainability at universities and for constructing a Transition model for education. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Persian walnut (Juglans regia L.), which is native to Central Asia, has been widely cultivated throughout Europe over millennia as a multipurpose tree. However, only recently the naturalization process outside cultivation has been studied, mostly in temperate Europe, with no information regarding the Mediterranean region. Here we provide the first field investigations about the natural regeneration of walnut in two traditional Mediterranean agroecosystems: an irrigated mixed orchard in suburban areas and a non-irrigated prickly pear (Opuntia ficusindica [L.] Mill.) orchard. The natural regeneration densities were statistically different in the two agroecosystems, ranging from 75 individuals per hectare in the prickly pear orchard to 200 individuals per hectare in the mixed orchard. Crows were frequently observed actively carrying walnuts in both environments. The irrigation practices and the shade provided by larger trees in the mixed orchard, and the potential benefits provided by prickly pear individuals, seemed to be crucial for seedling establishment and development in the two orchards, respectively. On the other hand, climate does not seem to represent a constraint for walnut recruitment, even if the mean annual temperature at the mixed orchard is slightly above the optimal temperature for walnut. Other biotic and abiotic factors that may trigger or hamper the naturalization process are also discussed in this paper, which explores the research needs for better understanding the naturalization potential of the Persian walnut in Mediterranean agroecosystems, as well as the effects of different land uses and future climate change on this process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Deep learning techniques (in particular convolutional neural networks, CNNs) have recently emerged as a promising approach for statistical downscaling due to their ability to learn spatial features from huge spatiotemporal datasets. However, existing studies are based on complex models, applied to particular case studies and using simple validation frameworks, which makes a proper assessment of the (possible) added value offered by these techniques difficult. As a result, these models are usually seen as black boxes, generating distrust among the climate community, particularly in climate change applications. In this paper we undertake a comprehensive assessment of deep learning techniques for continental-scale statistical downscaling, building on the VALUE validation framework. In particular, different CNN models of increasing complexity are applied to downscale temperature and precipitation over Europe, comparing them with a few standard benchmark methods from VALUE (linear and generalized linear models) which have been traditionally used for this purpose. Besides analyzing the adequacy of different components and topologies, we also focus on their extrapolation capability, a critical point for their potential application in climate change studies. To do this, we use a warm test period as a surrogate for possible future climate conditions. Our results show that, while the added value of CNNs is mostly limited to the reproduction of extremes for temperature, these techniques do outperform the classic ones in the case of precipitation for most aspects considered. This overall good performance, together with the fact that they can be suitably applied to large regions (e.g., continents) without worrying about the spatial features being considered as predictors, can foster the use of statistical approaches in international initiatives such as Coordinated Regional Climate Downscaling Experiment (CORDEX). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Golden Digger wasp Sphex funerarius (Gussakovskij 1934) is the largest native European sphecid wasp. Whilst it is a species with a mainly Mediterranean distribution, it can be found sporadically in central Europe during periods of warm and dry weather. The exact reasons for its appearance and disappearance are not well understood, but are probably connected to the abundance of prey. It is probable that recent climate change, caused by long term global warming through human activity, has led to the spread of S. funerarius over central Europe, which makes it likely to appear, sooner or later, in northern Europe and Great Britain. This paper describes the breeding behaviour and general biology as well as the current range expansion of Sphex funerarius. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper presents a novel data set of regional climate model simulations over Europe that significantly improves our ability to detect changes in weather extremes under low and moderate levels of global warming. The data set provides a unique and physically consistent data set, as it is derived from a large ensemble of regional climate model simulations. These simulations were driven by two global climate models from the international HAPPI consortium. The set consists of 100 × 10-year simulations and 25 × 10-year simulations, respectively. These large ensembles allow for regional climate change and weather extremes to be investigated with an improved signal-to-noise ratio compared to previous climate simulations. The changes in four climate indices for temperature targets of 1.5 °C and 2.0 °C global warming are quantified: number of days per year with daily mean near-surface apparent temperature of > 28 °C (ATG28); the yearly maximum 5-day sum of precipitation (RX5day); the daily precipitation intensity of the 50-yr return period (RI50yr); and the annual Consecutive Dry Days (CDD). This work shows that even for a small signal in projected global mean temperature, changes of extreme temperature and precipitation indices can be robustly estimated. For temperature related indices changes in percentiles can also be estimated with high confidence. Such data can form the basis for tailor-made climate information that can aid adaptive measures at a policy-relevant scales, indicating potential impacts at low levels of global warming at steps of 0.5 °C. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Lady's-slipper orchid (Cypripedium calceolus) is considered an endangered species in most countries within its geographical range. The main reason for the decline in the number of populations of this species in Europe is habitat destruction. In this paper the ecological niche modelling approach was used to estimate the effect of future climate change on the area of niches suitable for C. calceolus. Predictions of the extent of the potential range of this species in 2070 were made using climate projections obtained from the Community Climate System Model for four representative concentration pathways: rcp2.6, rcp4.5, rcp6.0 and rcp8.5. According to these analyses all the scenarios of future climate change will result in the total area of niches suitable for C. calceolus decreasing. Considering areas characterized by a suitability of at least 0.4 the loss of habitat will vary between ca. 30% and 63%. The highest habitat loss of ca. 63% is predicted to occur in scenario rcp 8.5. Surprisingly, in the most damaging rcp 8.5 prediction the highest overlap between potential range of C. calceolus and its pollinators will be observed and in all other scenarios some pollinators will be available for this species in various geographical regions. Based on these results at least two approaches should be implemented to improve the chances of survival of C. calceolus. In view of the unavoidable loss of suitable habitats in numerous European regions, conservation activities should be intensified in areas where this species will still have suitable niches in the next 50 years. In addition, for C. calceolus ex-situ activities should be greatly increased so that it can be re-introduced in the remaining suitable areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Long and homogeneous series are a necessary requirement for reliable climate analysis. Relocation of measuring equipment from one station to another, such as from the city center to a rural area or a nearby airport, is one of the causes of discontinuities in these long series that may affect trend estimates. In this paper, an updated procedure for the composition of long series, by combining data from nearby stations, is introduced. It couples an evolution of the blending procedure already implemented within the European Climate Assessment and Dataset (ECA&D, which combines data from stations no more than 12.5 km apart from each other) with a duplicate removal, alongside the quantile matching homogenization procedure. The ECA&D contains approximately 3000 homogenized series for each temperature variable prior to the blending procedure, and approximately 820 of these are longer than 60 years; the process of blending increases the number of long series to more than 900. Three case studies illustrate the effects of the homogenization on single blended series, showing the effectiveness of separate adjustments on extreme and mean values (Geneva, Switzerland), on cases in which blending is complex (Rheinstetten, Germany), and on series that are completed by adding relevant portions of Global Telecommunications System synoptic data (Siauliai, Lithuania). A trend assessment on the whole European continent reveals the removal of negative and very large trends, demonstrating a stronger spatial consistency. The new blended and homogenized dataset will allow a more reliable use of temperature series for indices calculation and for the calculation of gridded datasets and it will be available online for users (https://www.ecad.eu). [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective of the paper was the determination of the circulation conditions of occurrence of strong and very strong frost in Central Europe. A frost day was defined as a day with the minimum temperature lower than 0 °C and maximum temperature higher than 0 °C. Moreover, a division of frost was performed in terms of value of minimum temperature, resulting in the designation of mild frost (up to − 2.0 °C), moderate frost (from − 2.1 to − 4 °C), strong frost (from − 4.1 to − 6 °C) and very strong frost (< − 6 °C). The study was based on data from the years 1966–2015 from the Institute of Meteorology and Water Management—National Research Institute, Deutscher Wetterdienst and National Center for Environmental Prediction/National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR). The analysis of baric conditions employed values of pressure at sea level, height of isobaric surface of 500 hPa and air temperature at a level of 850 hPa, as well as their anomalies. The spatial analysis showed that the number of frost days in spring and autumn increased from the west to the east of Central Europe. A decrease in the number of frost days, however, is observed over the prevailing area. Average conditions favouring the occurrence of strong and very strong frost both in spring and autumn were related to higher than average pressure at sea level over the prevailing area of the Euro-Atlantic sector. Such baric conditions caused advections of cool air masses from the northern sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]