States must work together to address climate action - EU

European Parliament President Roberta Metsola has called on EU member states to come together to address the climate action crisis in honour of fire fighters, medics and first responders who died fighting wildfires this summer.

Speaking in her opening address to MEPs in Strasbourg, France, Ms Metsola said after people "risked their lives to protect others this summer" it is "now up to us, in this House, to work together" to agree new protections "when the next crisis occurs".

Ms Metsola, who is one of the most senior figures in the EU, said this summer has seen Europe "once again experience a record breaking series of heat waves".

She said during this time "hospital workers fought to protect patients and endured unsafe temperatures at work" and that "brave fire fighters and emergency workers" tried to protect those at risk.

The European Parliament's most senior official said the reality is that "this terrible human cost and the combined threat of extreme threat of temperatures and wildfires endangered our communities and damaged our eco-systems, and cost our economies billions".

To a round of applause from MEPs, she said while the risk remains clear of the extreme weather events occurring again, the only way to properly honour people whose lives have been lost is for MEPs "to work together" to draw up new climate plans.

These plans will help communities, businesses and individuals "when the next crisis occurs," she added.