The battle over air conditioning is political Heat waves are changing everything

The debate over whether or not to use air conditioning has become increasingly heated year after year. Many experts, for example, suggest moving beyond the idea that cooling systems are simply a comfort for a privileged few, encouraging people to view them as a genuine tool for protecting public health. What many people point out, however, is that while air conditioning is practically a must-have in Italy, once you cross the Alps, climate control systems are far from common.

Major international health institutions argue that heat waves, which have become progressively more intense and frequent due to climate change, risk causing an increase in heat-related deaths worldwide in the coming decades. As noted by the Financial Times, one way to limit the consequences of extreme heat on health is to encourage the adoption of cooling systems, which today are not as widespread across Europe as one might think. But why?

Is air conditioning really that widespread?

In several European countries, air conditioning is still relatively uncommon in homes, especially in Northern Europe and parts of Western Europe. Overall, cooling systems are found in less than 30% of households. The main reason is historical: for decades, summers were mild enough that investing in cooling systems was not considered necessary. In addition, many homes were designed to retain heat during the winter, with strong thermal insulation and natural ventilation regarded as sufficient for summer.

A striking example is France. Despite recent heat waves, a significant share of French homes still does not have air conditioning. For a long time, the climate was considered temperate enough not to justify its installation, especially in the northern and western regions. Added to this are energy costs, greater sensitivity to consumption levels, and the presence of historic buildings, where installing air-conditioning systems can be complex or subject to restrictions.

Similar situations can also be found in Germany, the Netherlands, Belgium, and Nordic countries such as Sweden and Denmark. However, climate change and rising summer temperatures are leading to a rapid increase in installations in these countries as well.

Air conditioning in Europe

But beyond economic considerations, ethical and environmental factors, as well as historical and social ones, also influence the decision of whether or not to install an air conditioner. In Europe, for example, the lower adoption of air conditioning is linked to the fact that, for a long time, summer temperatures generally remained at levels considered manageable, especially when compared to other parts of the world. Today, however, this is no longer the case. For this reason as well, the International Energy Agency predicts that the number of air conditioners installed globally will grow dramatically in the coming decades.

For example, last year, during an intense heat wave, Marine Le Pen stated that a government led by her far-right party, the Rassemblement National, would promote a program aimed at expanding the use of air-conditioning systems. In France, the use of cooling systems has historically been less widespread than in other countries, even in the most populous urban areas, and this contributes to making the debate over their use particularly heated and divisive.

Air conditioning itself does not generate direct carbon dioxide emissions; its environmental impact depends on the source of the electricity used. In this regard, the transition toward energy production systems based on renewable energy rather than fossil fuels could significantly improve the overall sustainability of this technology, further encouraging its adoption and generating positive effects in terms of prevention.