Europe faces heat from Africa, only one in five homes has air conditioning

The debate over the use of air conditioning has returned forcefully in Europe, as the continent finds itself at the peak of an extreme heatwave.

Record temperatures are increasing demand for cooling systems and, at the same time, are giving new momentum to the political debate on the issue, at a time when only one in five homes in Europe has air conditioning.

The rise in heatwaves has sparked a fierce political clash over how Europe should respond, especially regarding calls for air conditioners to be installed in homes as well.

Even leading figures in green parties, which place the environment at the center of their policies, have voiced support for cooling systems in schools and hospitals as temperatures continue to break new records.

Across most of the continent, air conditioners are still not widely used. At the European level, around 20% of homes are equipped with air conditioning. In France, that figure is approximately 25%, while in Spain, where temperatures are higher, it reaches around 50%.

There are several reasons that explain this low level of adoption. A large share of buildings in Europe are old, making installation more complicated and more expensive, costing up to around 1,000 euros.

Likewise, countries such as Britain and France apply bureaucratic restrictions on the installation of air conditioning, partly to protect the appearance of historic buildings.

Opposition has also been fueled by environmental concerns. Critics say air conditioners release heat in urban areas, while rising electricity consumption would lead to more greenhouse gas emissions. According to climate activists, their widespread use offers only a short-term solution while worsening the problem in the long term.

In France, amid criticism of the authorities for a lack of preparedness in the face of the heatwave, 100 million euros was spent on the emergency installation of air conditioning in hospitals.

Meanwhile, London Mayor Sadiq Khan has also stated that equipping schools and hospitals with air conditioning would become unavoidable.