As temperatures in eastern Germany reached an unprecedented 41.7°C (107°F) on Sunday, the continent-wide struggle with extreme heat became more visible. While some residents have taken precautions by purchasing air conditioning units, they remain rare; in Germany, only about 6% of homes have fixed mechanical cooling.
Europe is currently experiencing its worst heatwave on record. The situation has triggered a debate about why the continent has been slow to adopt air conditioning. Health experts argue that cooling is desperately needed for vulnerable groups in locations like hospitals, care homes, and schools. However, they are also cautious about recommending widespread installation in private homes.
According to Hans Kluge, head of the World Health Organization’s (WHO) Europe office, governments should focus on a combination of solutions. While mechanical cooling is necessary to protect those at high risk, long-term strategies such as creating shade, improving building insulation, and opening public cooling centers are also crucial.
Although heat adaptation efforts have successfully reduced deaths by 75% for temperatures that were considered extreme twenty years ago, recent heatwaves have become much hotter. Over 200,000 people have died from heat in Europe over the last four years, and the record-breaking temperatures this summer are expected to cause thousands more casualties. By contrast, the United States, which is also facing extreme summer temperatures, has air conditioning in 90% of its homes.
The issue has now entered the political arena, creating what some describe as a "culture war." In Germany, construction spokespeople for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) party have accused mainstream politicians of blocking air conditioning to protect energy efficiency ratings, claiming that "climate hysteria" is causing heat-related deaths. This represents a significant shift for the AfD, which previously dismissed heatwave death tolls and vehemently opposed energy-saving devices like heat pumps. Similarly, in France, the far-right National Rally has made access to air conditioning a key campaign point while opposing renewable energy projects.
This domestic debate has been further fueled by external criticism, particularly from the United States. A social media post on X, which was boosted by Elon Musk and viewed nearly 20 million times, argued that Europeans should simply install air conditioning and that the American approach to summer was correct.
Globally, only 15% of the 3.5 billion people living in hot climates currently own an air conditioning unit. While experts warn that widespread AC use can warm up city streets and strain power grids, Europe's transition to clean energy means that the carbon footprint of air conditioning is shrinking. More than a dozen European countries plan to completely phase out fossil fuels from their power grids within the decade.
Ultimately, cultural and practical factors are the main reasons for the low adoption rates in northern Europe. In southern countries like Spain and Italy, more than half of households now have air conditioning, whereas in Germany, high rates of renting and the belief that the heat only lasts a few days keep the numbers low.