On January 16 and 17, 2025, Brussels became the epicenter of the discussion on climate change with the high-level conference ‘Closing Data Gaps on Climate Change’. Organized by the European Statistical Forum (ESF), this meeting brought together prominent representatives such as the Directors General of Eurostat and different national statistical institutes, as well as directors of statistics from the European Central Bank and national central banks, with the aim of enriching statistics related to climate change and its implications on the economy and society.
The event was opened by Professor Sir Jim Skea, President of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), who highlighted the urgency and relevance of the issue in his keynote speech. Notable interventions included those of the Commissioner for Economy and Productivity, Valdis Dombrovskis, and Fritzi Köhler-Geib, a board member of Deutsche Bundesbank. Both emphasized the need for closer collaboration between statistical institutes and central banks to generate official European statistics that meet users’ informational needs regarding the impacts of climate change on competitiveness, equity, and various risks, both physical and financial.
One of the central aspects discussed was the importance of coordinating efforts to close gaps in climate data collection, while simultaneously minimizing reporting burdens for businesses. Expert sessions addressed topics such as greenhouse gas emissions, carbon footprints, energy accounts, and climate-related expenses, as well as the risks associated with these phenomena.
Among the most relevant conclusions, the urgent need to collect data on greenhouse gas emissions and energy use was emphasized, as well as improving the availability of georeferenced statistical information. Statistical agencies committed to providing data on climate adaptation to prevent damage caused by extreme weather events, such as forest fires in California or floods that have affected various regions of Europe. The possibility of reusing data obtained through corporate sustainability reports to alleviate the burden this represents for businesses was also suggested.
As the year progresses, Eurostat and the Directorate General of Statistics of the European Central Bank will work on developing a set of joint priorities to address the most critical data gaps related to climate change. These initiatives represent a decisive step towards creating a stronger and more consistent informational framework, essential for addressing one of the greatest global challenges of the 21st century.
Source: MiMub in Spanish