More than 30 organisations have jointly called on the European Union to treat nature as its primary defence against disasters, according to WWF EU. The appeal was published on 14 September 2026, following a summer that the group describes as deadly.
WWF EU reports that the organisations are pressing EU policymakers to shift toward nature-based approaches as the first layer of protection. The coalition frames the request as a response to the severity of the season just passed.
The statement from WWF EU does not detail which specific organisations signed on, nor does it set out the particular measures being requested. What is clear from the group's message is the scale of the appeal — more than 30 signatories — and its timing, arriving as the EU considers how to prepare for future emergencies.
The call reflects a positioning of natural systems, rather than only built infrastructure, at the front of Europe's defence planning. According to WWF EU, the organisations involved want that principle to guide EU decision-making.
Further specifics — including the full list of signatories and any formal policy proposals — were not included in the material released by WWF EU.
What to watch next: whether EU institutions respond to the coalition's appeal and how the proposal is taken up in upcoming EU discussions on disaster preparedness.
