Climate change is one of the biggest environmental, social and economic threats our planet currently faces. Profound changes are about to affect the mechanisms supporting life on earth, and their impact in the next few decades will be considerable. Europe will not escape. The effects of climate change can already clearly be seen throughout Europe, where temperatures have increased by almost 1°C over the last hundred years, more rapidly than the global average. The warmer atmosphere is changing precipitation patterns, with a clear increase in the amount of rain and snow falling in Northern Europe, while the South is experiencing more frequent droughts.