Record Heatwave Revives Europe's Air Conditioning Debate

The reasons are cultural, economic, and environmental. Energy prices are much higher than in the US, many people rent their homes rather than own them, and governments have preferred longer-term solutions such as shade, better insulation, and public cooling centres. Ine Vandecasteele of the European Environment Agency argues that air conditioning "should not be the solution anywhere," warning that it pushes heat outdoors and speeds up warming. Even so, the issue has become a political flashpoint. Right-leaning parties in Germany and France accuse mainstream politicians of sacrificing lives for climate ideology, while conservative commentators call low adoption a sign of a poorer, overregulated continent.

Health experts urge a middle path. WHO Europe director Hans Kluge recommends targeted cooling for the places that need it most — hospitals, care homes, and schools — alongside shade, green roofs, and cooler buildings. Such measures have already cut deaths from once-extreme heat by 75%. Air conditioning is spreading fastest where summers are hottest: more than half of homes in Italy and Spain now have it, against 24% in France. Some scientists warn of a growing gap between those who can afford to stay cool and those who cannot.