Europe May Never Be Cool, but It Can Be Air Conditioned
The continent’s political class needs to get over its aversion to life-saving technology.
If you really want to get a European politician wound up, try suggesting that, in the 21st century, human civilization has progressed to the point that we need not be at the mercy of the elements; if the temperature outside is uncomfortable, we can adjust the climate in our homes and businesses to our taste. That will get you a stuffy lecture about the virtues of suffering for the good of the planet. Well, unless powerful people are being inconvenienced; then the air conditioning comes on.
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Stuffy Politicians vs. Cool Indoor Air
"I'm horrified by the people who tell me you can put air conditioning everywhere. You think it will avoid forest fires?" France's Minister of Ecological Transition Monique Barbut huffed in June, even as temperatures soared and the World Health Organization (WHO) reported more than 1,300 deaths in Europe just since June 21 because of high temperatures. After conceding the need for emergency leniency to permit the use of cooling technology, she complained, "It is not adaptation to climate change."
Reports noted that Barbut swapped out train for airline tickets to avoid heat-related disruptions.
Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar was even more Frenchly snotty.
"Dear American journalists and social media 'influencers': for days some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris, because the city doesn't have AC in every room of every apartment and places. OMG, this is so rich!" she posted. "As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, you bear a significant responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities, '90% air-conditioned,' are not unrelated to this."
Pulvar should have more of a bone to pick with neighboring Germany, which closed its clean nuclear power plants that once provided a quarter of the country's power in favor of dirty coal for ideological reasons. But sure, blame Americans for "consequences" suffered in Europe—though not by everyone. As Pulvar complained about American advocacy for air conditioning, the European Commission headquarters in Brussels turned off cooling, but only for low-level staffers.
Life-Saving Technology, but Only for the Powerful
"Staff working at the Berlaymont building received a text at midday, reading: "BERL — URGENT — Due to extreme weather conditions, forced shut down of air cooling system from floor 1 to 7 for the rest of the day," Politico's Sebastian Starcevic reported. "The 13-story building is home to Commission President Ursula von der Leyen, her 26 commissioners and about 3,000 staff. Von der Leyen works on the 13th floor, and most of her commissioners' offices are housed on floors eight or above."
Apparently, air conditioning is just fine when it's chilling the air for the powerful and well-connected. Then again, cooling technology can be a literal lifesaver for all of us.
"In Europe, annual heat-related mortality increased by 52 deaths per million inhabitants in the last decade compared to the 1990s," the WHO warns. "In 2024, heat-related deaths in Europe were estimated to be nearly 63 000….The associated health effects are largely preventable."
The International Energy Agency (IEA) agrees. A 2023 report, Sustainable, Affordable Cooling Can Save Tens of Thousands of Lives Each Year, noted that "about 345 000 heat-related deaths occurred globally in 2019 among people aged 65 years or older." It also observed that "thanks to AC access, around 195 000 heat-related deaths were averted in this high-risk senior and elderly population in the same year….Among people aged 65 years or older in Japan, where more than 90% of households had AC in 2019-2021, we estimated that 32 500 heat-related deaths per year were averted thanks to AC."
The United States enjoys roughly the same 90 percent air conditioning rate as Japan. That's no surprise when you look at a globe and see that New York City is a bit south of Rome and the bulk of Americans live at warmer latitudes than do Europeans. Researchers link the U.S. adoption of of air conditioning to big drops in heat-related deaths.
"Effective cooling saves lives, whether through AC or more sustainable, lower-energy-consumption approaches," the IEA concluded in the 2023 report.
Red Tape Stands Between the Public and Comfortable Homes
The IEA expresses a preference for passive, lower-energy approaches to cooling, such as shading, high ceilings, and other elements of design that maintain tolerable temperatures without using electricity. That's a fine approach for new buildings. But when you already have a lot of older buildings in place, as in much of Europe, pretty much all you can do is retrofit structures with air conditioners—which, it should be noted, are increasingly efficient.
But while 90 percent of Japanese and American households are air conditioned, only about 48 percent of those in Italy, 25 percent of those in France, 5 percent of the U.K., and 3 percent of Germany for an average of 19 percent across the continent enjoy the same comforting technology. Part of the explanation for that gap is cultural, but much of it is because of rules and regulations that make it difficult to purchase and install potentially life-saving air conditioners.
Formal rules vary from country to country across Europe. The European Union regulates refrigerant gases, energy efficiency and labeling, and energy usage for buildings. More important and potentially intrusive are national and local rules imposing permit requirements, noise regulations, red tape regarding home appearance, and the like. France, Greece, Italy, and Spain are among those which put a floor on temperature settings in commercial buildings. France regulates energy consumption in apartments. Some extreme local restrictions drive residents to purchase relatively inefficient mobile air conditioners which can be concealed from prying eyes.
And European politicians—as in Germany—push energy policies that drive electricity prices through the roof. "Europe's electricity prices are two to four times higher than those of the United States," notes the Institute for Energy Research. That makes it expensive to cool a business or home even as people suffer and die from high temperatures.
"Simply put, Europe treats air conditioning as part of the problem when it should be considered a big part of the solution," writes Ben Lieberman of the Competitive Enterprise Institute.
Humans learned to master cold a very long time ago, heating homes to prevent people from freezing to death. We can now do the same with ever-improving technology at the other extreme of temperatures. Americans embraced air conditioning for good life-saving reason. The members of Europe's busybody class would be well advised to do the same, and not just for themselves.
