The heatwave causing chaos across Europe is a “dramatic warning” to stop listening to climate deniers, according to a European Commission vice-president.
Teresa Ribera, the executive vice-president for a clean, just and competitive transition, criticized those who followed the “vested interests” of the fossil fuel industry instead of scientists and their own citizens.
“This is a dramatic warning from nature once again, showing us what it means to have a different climate system,” she told the Guardian. “What we’re experiencing now [with record heat] is what we knew could happen, but we haven’t been smart enough to tackle the root causes. There’s still this fierce fight against facts, science, preparedness, and investment [in clean energy], so we’re failing people. We need to reject this kind of nonsense based on lies, which goes against people’s interests.”
The record heat from the past week is expected to ease in parts of western Europe, but Germany, Czechia, Poland, and Hungary hit record temperatures above 40°C on Sunday as the heatwave moved east. Italy and the Balkans felt the scorching heat on Monday, raising concerns about wildfires, while Ukraine’s energy grid struggled under temperatures over 36°C. Schools and tourist attractions have closed, businesses have sent staff home, some nuclear reactors have been shut down, and the World Health Organization said the early summer heatwave has caused more than 1,300 excess deaths, though the true number won’t be known until later.
Ribera recalled listening as a teenager to a Spanish song called “37 Degrees,” about what happens when temperatures rise that high—something she only experienced for a few days a year in Madrid back then. Today, she said, “that could be three, four, five weeks, and even in London, Paris, or Berlin.”
She blamed “nonsense and ideologically driven lies” spread by vested interests for suggesting that climate policies—like the EU’s “green deal” package to cut greenhouse gas emissions, protect nature, and shift to a low-carbon economy—are unpopular.
“I’m tired of hearing ‘people don’t support the green deal anymore’… it’s not true,” she said. “People prefer clean, unpolluted water. They prefer breathing clean air or having a healthy ecosystem over polluted water, no ability to grow crops, and [heat that makes] a city unlivable.”
Instead, those in power should use the heatwave to remind people “that we can’t accept being bullied and stay silent” by the fossil fuel industry and its backers. “We can’t allow people to manipulate and attack climate action just to hide the vested interests that may gain huge short-term profits for a few, [while] betraying all of humanity,” she said.
Europe’s best economic opportunities lie in renewable energy, Ribera added. “When people talk about competitiveness, we can’t imagine a competitive industry in Europe if it relies on something we don’t produce—fossil fuels.”
Ribera served as Spain’s environment minister from 2018 to 2024, during which the government heavily promoted renewable energy. Thanks to that massive expansion of solar and wind power, while other countries saw rising energy bills after the US-Israel offensive in I…Spain now has some of the cheapest electricity in the EU.
[Image: Solar panels in Las Rozas, Spain. Spain now enjoys some of the cheapest electricity in the EU. Photograph: Bloomberg/Getty Images]
“We had to change the economics to make sure the whole transformation was based on opportunities for people,” she said. “The first step was to take on coal.”
Teresa Ribera: the Spanish deputy PM set to become one of the most powerful people in Brussels
Read more
If Europe failed to complete its shift to a low-carbon, renewable energy economy, the whole world would suffer, Ribera added. “That’s why it’s so important for Europe to succeed: failure or getting off track could make many others around the world think, ‘OK, that was an illusion, it doesn’t work.’ So we need to resist calls to slow down and keep using fossil fuels for longer – that won’t help at all. We have a great chance to keep building and speeding up the change, and to build resilience so we’re ready for a hotter, drier, or riskier future.”
Ribera, who is mainly responsible for the green deal and Europe’s climate policy, also warned about the climate risks from AI. She urged data center developers to reduce their impact on water and energy supplies, before they cause backlash in the areas where they are built. “If we want to avoid conflicts with local communities, it’s wise to follow this advice voluntarily, before it turns into outright rejection.”
Frequently Asked Questions
Here is a list of FAQs based on the statement Europes heatwave proves we must reject the lies of climate denial says the EUs green chief
BeginnerLevel Questions
1 What did the EUs green chief actually say about the heatwave
They said that the extreme heatwave in Europe is direct proof that climate change is real and dangerous They argued that we can no longer listen to people who deny this scientific fact
2 Why does a heatwave prove climate change isnt a lie
Scientists have shown that heatwaves are becoming more frequent longer and hotter because of climate change A single heatwave doesnt prove it by itself but the recordbreaking pattern we are seeing matches exactly what climate models predicted decades ago
3 What is climate denial
Climate denial is when someone rejects the overwhelming scientific evidence that the Earth is warming and that humans are the main cause It often involves ignoring facts or spreading false information
4 Does this mean every hot day is caused by climate change
No Weather changes every day But climate change makes extreme heat events much more likely and intense Think of it like a baseball player on steroids not every hit is because of steroids but he gets more home runs than before
IntermediateLevel Questions
5 What specific lies is the EU official talking about
They are likely referring to arguments like The climate has always changed CO2 is plant food not a problem Scientists are exaggerating for funding or The heatwave is just summer weather These claims ignore the speed and scale of the current warming and its link to human activity
6 How does the EU plan to use this heatwave to change policy
The official is using the publics direct experience of the heatwave to build political pressure for faster action This includes pushing for stronger emissions cuts faster rollout of renewable energy and better adaptation plans
7 Is it fair to blame a single weather event on climate denial
Its a rhetorical strategy The point isnt that denial caused the heatwave but that denial has delayed action for decades If we had acted sooner on the science we might have avoided the worst of this heatwaves impacts
