The Physiological Society (TPS) has submitted evidence to the European Commission’s call for input on the European Climate Resilience and Risk Management Initiative.
TPS’s response highlights the need to put physiological resilience – the body’s ability to adapt to, withstand, and recover from stressors such as heat, air pollution, and disease – at the centre of climate risk planning.
The European Climate Risk Assessment identifies multiple climate-sensitive health threats, from heat stress and reduced worker productivity to the spread of infectious diseases. However, it does not explicitly account for the variation in physiological resilience between individuals and groups. Factors such as age, pre-existing health conditions, fitness, nutrition, and acclimatisation determine how quickly people reach the limits of safe function under climate stress.
By embedding physiological resilience into resilience frameworks, the EU can more accurately assess risk, protect vulnerable groups, and design adaptation strategies that reflect the realities of human capacity. This includes refining early warning systems, shaping occupational safety standards, guiding urban design, and strengthening health system preparedness.
Professor Mike Tipton, Chair of The Physiological Society’s Policy Committee, said:
“Physiological resilience is the missing link in climate risk planning. Without recognising the limits of human capacity, and the variation around those limits, adaptation strategies risk being incomplete or have limited applicability. Our submission calls for physiology to be at the heart of Europe’s response, ensuring policies are both evidence-based and equitable.”
Founded in 1876, The Physiological Society is Europe’s largest network of physiologists. Its members study how the body functions in health and disease, including how it responds to environmental stressors. The Society works across research, education, and policy to ensure physiology informs climate adaptation and health protection.