Jan Rosenow Warns That Adaptation Alone Is Not a Viable Strategy to Combat Europe's Rising Extreme Heat
Jan Rosenow, a professor of energy and climate policy at the U.K.'s University of Oxford, stated that adaptation alone is not a viable strategy to address the escalating climate crisis. As Europe warms at twice the global average rate, record-breaking heat waves are causing significant infrastructure stress and forcing policy changes. For example, Eurostar is preparing a new fleet of trains capable of withstanding temperatures up to 55 degrees Celsius to ensure long-term reliability. In Norway, fire crews are dousing asphalt at Oslo Airport to prevent damage, while Sweden has painted railway tracks white to reduce buckling. Meanwhile, James Brennan, director of climate risk modelling at Climate X, projects that extreme heat days in central Europe could double or triple by 2050. Lena Fuldauer, head of resilience and business development at Allianz Risk Consulting, noted that extreme heat is a 'quiet catastrophe' for businesses, causing equipment failures and supply chain disruptions. She emphasized that the insurance industry must partner with governments and international organizations to develop scalable solutions for the heat-related challenges facing the continent.