Warsaw, 29 April 2025
During the informal meeting of the Environment Council (ENVI) held on 28-29 April 2025 in Warsaw, EU ministers discussed a number of key issues related to the fight against climate change.
The discussions concerned the objectives and values of the European Climate Adaptation Plan, the role of technology in accelerating eco-innovation and the need to involve the private sector in climate action, inter alia.
The topic of disinformation was also raised, highlighting the need for coordinated cooperation in combating false narratives related to climate and environmental policies.
The European Union and climate change: the role of the private sector and technology
“Only Europe of rich nations with strong economies can be a champion of global efforts to combat climate change” – said Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska.
Green technology perfectly combines the challenges and aspirations – clean and profitable business is the direction we are heading towards. During the meeting, we talked about supporting innovative green business in Europe and presented some Polish companies operating within GreenEvo, the Green Technology Accelerator.
Paulina Hennig-KloskaMinister of Climate and Environment
Climate change is also a business challenge – it disrupts operations and supply chains, but it also creates new opportunities. Supporting companies to develop green technologies helps them adapt to climate change and strenghtens the economy at the same time. The implemented in Poland GreenEvo programme, which demonstrates how the state can support innovative companies, is a case in point. The programme identifies and promotes successful Polish environmental technologies on the domestic and international markets.
Environmental technologies are key to building resilience to climate change – from smart cities, through renewable energy sources, to precision agriculture. Their implementation is also a step towards a sustainable economy and a closed loop economy.
Adapting to climate change
Europe is the fastest warming continent. The year 2024, which saw a variety of weather events from storms to heatwaves, was the warmest on record. In March 2024, the European Environment Agency published the first European Climate Risk Assessment (EUCRA) identifying 36 risks that pose a threat to energy security, food security, public health and other areas.
Climate change is a “risk multiplier”, deepening the existing crises. Extreme phenomena lead to water and food insecurity, infrastructure failure and health risks.
“Adapting to climate change is about protecting citizens. Europe is the fastest warming continent, and the year 2024 was the warmest one since the beginning of the measurements. Last year, we experienced the effects of climate change, apart from the floods that hit Europe in the autumn – affecting around 413,000 people – we also faced extreme droughts” – stated Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska.
The Minister added that this year, with the arrival of spring, we have experienced a severe fire in the Biebrza National Park, as there is no spring backwater from the Biebrza and Narew rivers due to the drought. These problems are affecting our wallets and the competitiveness of our economies. Therefore, the meeting participants discussed effective adaptation plans to the changing situation.
Climate disinformation
Disinformation, including that concerning energy, climate and the environment, poses a threat to order and democracy in Europe. False information, often created by hostile states such as the Russian Federation, aims to distort public debate and diminish the threats related to the climate crisis.
“Disinformation is an action to the detriment of people. In that way, various forces are trying to delay, e.g., Europe’s energy transition, which is clearly beneficial for us. Moreover, disinformation undermines trust in the foundations of our societies – state institutions, science and democracy” – added Minister of Climate and Environment Paulina Hennig-Kloska. The Minister stressed that this was the reason why the participants of the meeting discussed the best strategies and tools to counteract environmental and climate disinformation.
Disinformation is a threat to effective decision-making and requires active countermeasures and monitoring. As agreed at the Environment Council meeting, the EU should regulate social media platforms in the interests of people who use them. In the fight against disinformation, cooperation between member states and the development of networks of experts and digital tools tofight disinformation are also important. It is also crucial to educate citizens in critical thinking and promote knowledge about climate and the environment.
Source – Polish EU Presidency