Europe Wildfire Emissions At 23-year High: Monitor
Blazes across Europe this summer, especially in the Iberian peninsula, caused the continent's largest recorded wildfire carbon emissions in nearly a quarter-century, the EU climate monitor Copernicus said Thursday.
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Firefighters combat flames from the Palisades Fire in Los Angeles' Pacific Palisades neighborhood.
France:
This summer's widespread fires across Europe, particularly in the Iberian region, have generated the continent's highest recorded wildfire carbon emissions in almost 25 years, according to the EU climate monitor Copernicus on Thursday.
Following a summer characterized by "intense wildfire activity", "the emissions from these wildfires have been the largest for any summer in at least the past 23 years," stated Laurence Rouil, Director of the Copernicus Atmosphere Monitoring Service.
Fires throughout the European Union and United Kingdom released 12.9 megatonnes of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere by September 15, surpassing the previous record of 11.4 megatonnes established in 2003 and 2017.
According to the monitor's projections, the continent's total annual emissions are on track to be the highest since monitoring began 23 years ago -- "with the fire season still ongoing".
This comes as Europe and the broader Mediterranean region experienced a record drought in August, based on an AFP analysis of EU data, adding to the series of climate change-related records broken in recent years.
Scientists have consistently warned that climate change resulting from human fossil fuel consumption will intensify and prolong drought periods, creating perfect conditions for wildfires.