On 13 July 2026, EU Commissioner for Environment, Water Resilience and a Competitive Circular Economy Jessika Roswall addressed the EU-UNDP High-Level Strategic Roundtable on Water Resilience at Scale in New York, warning that water scarcity threatens Europe's energy, food, and industrial security and calling for urgent action to mobilise private finance. Roswall noted that 65% of Europe's electricity production relies on water for cooling and that June 2026 was the hottest June on record, underscoring the vulnerability of the water cycle. She stressed that public funding alone cannot close the financing gap and that de-risking investments, strengthening governance, and addressing water pricing tensions are essential to scale up private sector involvement.
Roswall framed the EU's response through its Water Resilience Strategy, which aims to restore the water cycle, build a water-smart economy, and ensure universal access to clean water and sanitation. She highlighted the Global Gateway initiative, which mobilises over €300 billion for global challenges including water. The speech did not announce new concrete proposals, numerical targets, or deadlines, but instead offered broad commitments and a call for collective action. Roswall positioned the upcoming UN Water Conference as a key moment to move from ambition to implementation, particularly through its Interactive Dialogue on water investments. She invited stakeholders to identify roadblocks and propose ways to mobilise public-private financing, signalling a listening-oriented approach rather than a prescriptive one. The address reflects a shift towards a more assertive EU stance on water resilience, urging private sector engagement and international coordination to avert a crisis that could disrupt energy production, agriculture, and industry across Europe and beyond.