Stockholm Named Europe's Most Climate-Resilient Capital as Germany, Spain, France and Portugal Miss the Top 10

Europe is the fastest-warming continent on the planet. That is not a prediction. It is a description of what is already happening. According to the Copernicus Climate Change Service (C3S), warm conditions and above-average temperatures were recorded across at least 95 percent of the continent last year. The European Union says the report underlines the urgency to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to net-zero and strengthen resilience to climate impacts. Some cities, however, are doing a better job of preparing than others.

A new index by the Polish-led initiative COOLCITY has analysed more than 11,000 European urban areas to assess which are physically best able to cope with climate challenges. The index, led by MGGP Aero – a company specialising in aerial surveying and remote sensing – combines satellite data, aerial laser scanning, and artificial intelligence to analyse urban environments. It looks at natural and built features that buffer cities against heat, flooding, and drought. Each city receives a score from zero to ten based on five key adaptation challenges: land permeability, vegetation state, biodiversity, water conditions, and thermal conditions.

Among Europe's capitals, Stockholm tops the ranking with a score of 6.7. That is a 0.3 increase from last year, bumping Vilnius from first place. Here is the full top ten: Stockholm (6.7), Vilnius (6.4), Riga (6.3), Tallinn (5.9), Helsinki (5.8), Zagreb (5.8), Bratislava (5.7), Warsaw (5.7), Berlin (5.6), and Prague (5.5). Noticeable by their absence: capitals from southern and western Europe, including Germany, Spain, France, and Portugal. None made the top ten.

So why is Stockholm winning? The Swedish capital scored an impressive 8.4 out of 10 on land permeability, meaning a lot of rain can soak into the ground rather than causing flooding. Geography helps – Stockholm is surrounded by forests and nature reserves – but the city has also invested in maintaining that advantage. After appointing its first "tree officer" in 2001, the city's urban trees have thrived thanks to "Stockholm tree pits," which create forest-like soil conditions beneath hard surfaces, nourishing roots and soaking up rainwater. Unsurprisingly, Stockholm also scored well on vegetation state (6.2), which ranks the health and coverage of trees and green spaces that help cool cities and absorb water.

The city's unique composition of 14 islands, where freshwater Lake Mälaren flows into the Baltic Sea, means it also scored well on thermal conditions (6.7), as urban surfaces have plenty of cooling mechanisms. Its extensive waterways earned a good water conditions score (6.4), reflecting their health and reach. On biodiversity, Stockholm scored 5.6.

So while much of Europe swelters, floods, or burns, Stockholm quietly sits on its islands, soaking up rain and shade under its well-tended trees. The rest of the continent has some catching up to do. The index suggests that northern and eastern European capitals are simply more resilient than their southern and western counterparts. Whether that remains true as the continent continues to warm is another question entirely. For now, the Swedes can enjoy their bragging rights – and their tree pits.