Zurich Insurance Group has released a report warning that Europe’s renewable energy infrastructure faces increasing threats from climate-related hazards, putting the region’s energy transition and security at risk unless immediate resilience measures are adopted.
Titled Safeguarding our Energy Future: Protecting Europe’s Energy Infrastructure Against Climate Risk, the report analyses more than 25,000 power generation sites across France, Germany, Italy, Spain, and the UK. Using Zurich Resilience Solutions’ geospatial modelling tool, the study assesses the physical risks to renewable energy production and storage through to 2030 and 2050.
The findings highlight a growing vulnerability: by 2030, 83% of renewable energy generation sites—particularly solar—will be at high risk from climate impacts. For energy storage facilities, the figure rises to 92%. Despite a projected 62% growth in renewable energy capacity by 2030, the report warns that without adaptation, this progress could be undermined by physical climate risks.
“While renewables are essential to this shift, our research shows Europe’s renewable infrastructure faces rising climate risks,” said Sierra Signorelli, CEO of Commercial Insurance at Zurich. “By building resilience, we not only reduce those risks—we protect insurability and unlock continued investment in clean energy.”
The report calls for stronger public-private collaboration to improve climate resilience, outlining key recommendations such as upgrading infrastructure to withstand extreme weather, embedding resilience into project design, and creating financial incentives to support adaptation. Zurich stresses that the transition to clean energy must be resilient by design if Europe is to meet its climate targets while ensuring long-term energy security.
