Key findings from the European State of the Climate Report

The Copernicus Climate Change Service, implemented by the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts (ECMWF) on behalf of the European Commission, released its 5th edition of the report today on Earth Day.

The report is compiled from a range of data sources from satellite to in situ, with contributions from international climate science experts which includes Copernicus partners and national meteorological bodies.

The 2021 global perspective includes increasing surface air and sea surface temperatures, sea level rise and glacier mass loss, while Europe saw a year of extremes including heatwaves, record sea surface temperatures, wildfires, flooding, and unusually low wind speeds in some regions.

The full report, covering a wide-range of variables and themes, is a useful tool for scientists, climate-specialised journalists, policymakers and professionals working in climate-sensitive sectors, such as tourism, agriculture or renewable energy.  

Key Findings

Globally

• The report confirms that the last seven years were the warmest on record, with 2021 ranking between 5th and 7th warmest.
• The average global sea surface temperature for 2021 was over the 6th or 7th warmest since 1850. However, there is a clear increase globally both over land and sea compared to pre-industrial levels, with global surface air temperatures having increased 1.1 and 1.2°C.
• In 2021, global concentrations of carbon dioxide and methane continued to increase. There was an especially large rise in atmospheric methane concentration. Estimates from satellite data show that concentrations of carbon dioxide have increased by around 2.3 ppm and 16.5 ppb, respectively.

Europe

• Europe experienced a year of contrasts: while the European spring was cooler than average, summer brought record temperatures (at 1.0°C above the 1991-2020 average) as well as severe and long-lasting heatwaves.
• During the summer heatwave, many temperature records were broken, including a provisional national record for Spain at 47.0°C and a provisional European record of 48.8°C in Italy. The widespread dry conditions were conducive to numerous, devastating wildfires, particularly in Italy, Greece and Turkey.
• In June and July, sea surface temperatures were also unusually warm, with parts of the Baltic more than 5°C higher than average.
• Record rainfall contributed to severe flooding in western Europe including Belgium, Germany and some surrounding countries.
• Annual sea surface temperatures in large areas of the Baltic and eastern Mediterranean Seas were the highest since at least 1992.
• Annual wind speeds across parts of western and central Europe were among the lowest since at least 1979, leading to a reduction in the estimated potential for wind power generation.

Arctic

• Carbon emissions from the Arctic wildfires were the 4th highest since records began in 2003, mostly from eastern Siberia, although they were below the record levels seen in 2020.
• Sea ice minimum reached its 12th lowest extent since satellite records began in 1979.
• The Greenland Sea saw its lowest minimum sea ice extent on record.

Read the full European State of the Climate 2021 report by clicking here.

About Copernicus and ESA

Copernicus is the most ambitious Earth observation programme to date. It provides accurate, timely and easily accessible information to improve the management of the environment, understand and mitigate the effects of climate change and ensure civil security. These services fall into six main categories: land management, the marine environment, atmosphere, emergency response, security and climate change.

This initiative is headed by the European Commission (EC) in partnership with the European Space Agency (ESA).

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