Extreme Weather Congress highlights economic costs and media roles

At the 15th Extreme Weather Congress held in Hamburg, experts discussed the rising economic and journalistic challenges posed by climate change. Claudia Kemfert of DIW Berlin highlighted the significant financial toll of climate inaction in Germany. According to her research, the extreme summer of 2026 alone caused economic damages between 36 and 42 billion euros, representing approximately 0.8 to 0.9 percent of the annual economic output. These costs stem from productivity losses, health issues, droughts, and low water levels.

Kemfert noted that between 2000 and 2021, Germany incurred at least 145 billion euros in climate-related damages, with 80 billion euros occurring since 2018. If climate protection measures are not sufficiently implemented, annual damages could rise to 36 billion euros by 2050.

In a separate discussion regarding media responsibility, weather journalist Claudia Kleinert addressed the evolving role of weather reporting. She emphasized the need to integrate climate data into weather journalism to provide context for extreme events, noting that summers like 2026 are becoming the ‘new normal’. Kleinert argued that while weather reporting focuses on short-term regional forecasts, it must utilize long-term climate data to explain increasing trends, such as the rise in days exceeding 30 degrees Celsius.