European Heat Wave Deaths Prompt Debate Over Air-Conditioning Use
Around 1,000 heat-related deaths were recorded in France during a recent record heat spell, highlighting Europe's vulnerability as the continent with the oldest population and fastest warming rate.
Europe is experiencing a surge in heat-related fatalities, with France reporting roughly 1,000 deaths, primarily among the elderly, during last week’s record temperatures. The World Health Organization estimates more than 1,300 excess deaths across the continent since late June. Although a 2007 study suggested that air conditioning could reduce heat-related mortality by up to 75%, only about 20% of European households have the technology, compared with roughly 90% in the United States.
"My honest response is I don't think that should be the solution anywhere," said Ine Vandecasteele, an urban adaptation expert with the European Environment Agency. "It is an immediate response, which can support essentially those who may be vulnerable in hospitals, or in very short term can help. But in the longer term, what happens is, installing more air conditioning actually emits more heat into our environment, so it will actually increase the speed of warming."
European officials are therefore emphasizing alternative cooling measures, such as publicly funded cooling stations in historic city centers and wearable devices in Rome that monitor elderly residents. Italy, which has a higher adoption rate of air conditioning—about 56% of homes in 2024—accounts for one-third of the EU’s electricity consumption for cooling. A recent French survey found that one in six respondents would forgo personal comfort to protect the environment.
"We're not doing this for us. We're doing this for the future generations," Vandecasteele added.
