Extreme heat, drought and floods caused by climate change cost Germany at least 6.6 billion euros ($6.69 billion) in damages annually on average in the past two decades, a study showed on Monday, with some severe episodes pushing losses into the tens of billions.
The study by economic research company Prognos comes as authorities across Europe battle to control huge wildfires, with hundreds of deaths blamed on soaring temperatures that scientists say are consistent with climate change.
In 2018 and 2019, Germany's forests and agriculture suffered damages of 25.6 billion euros due to heat waves and drought, in addition to nine billion euros in damages caused by workers' lower productivity in industry and commerce sectors."We must and we will now invest more in climate protection and climate adaptation in order to better protect our population," Lemke said.
With the aim of being carbon neutral by 2045, the German government has stepped up climate protection efforts with far-reaching reforms for the utility sector and across manufacturing industries, buildings, transport and agriculture.Reporting by Riham Alkousaa, Editing by Miranda Murray, William Maclean
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