For my American readers; if you’ve ever been to Europe there’s probably something you noticed very quickly; a lack of air conditioning (and in some places, deodorant). In fact, on average only 20% of homes in Europe have any form of cooling unit, with that number dropping to 6% in Germany and 5% in the U.K.

There are a couple reasons for this, but they mostly boil down to the fact that, until recently, European cities really didn’t get hot enough to need air conditioning. Other than the occasional extra-warm day in peak summer months, European cities never got much warmer than the low-to-mid 70s Fahrenheit (low-to-mid 20s Celsius).

European buildings also have the advantage of being made primarily with stone, brick, and concrete, dense materials that let heat in much slower than the wood-frame houses that are more popular in the U.S. This keeps houses cooler in the summer, with the added benefit of also keeping them warmer in the winter by keeping heat trapped inside.

Other methods like thick curtains, interior courtyards, light-colored exterior walls, and “night purging” – a cooling method where, after sunset all the windows in a building are opened to allow the warm air in the house to escape and everything is shut again in the morning to keep cool air in – are used to keep people cool and comfortable without the need for expensive AC units.

One of the reasons Europeans haven’t made the change to modern AC units, even with the rising temperatures over the past decade, is because of the cost. Things like heavier taxation, greater dependence on imported natural gas, and a recent effort to shift to renewable energy (wind, solar, etc.). In 2025, the U.S. average residential electricity price was $0.13-0.17 per kWh. In Europe, the average price was closer to $0.33 (€0.29).

The European Union also more strictly regulates the kind of refrigerants that can be used in AC systems. Many of these restrictions have forced manufacturers to reformulate their systems, raising the prices even more.

With historic or older buildings, there are often even more restrictions and regulations to installing an AC unit that may require permits or, depending on the situation, may outright ban their installation in the first place.

Up until recently, air conditioning in Europe hasn’t been an issue. As mentioned previously, lower temperatures in the summertime and specially designed buildings have kept Europeans cool in the summertime without issue.

However, within the past decade European countries have begun to see deadly heat waves roll through the continent, pushing temperatures into the hundreds (40s Celcius). And because the buildings are designed to both keep out and hold in heat, many buildings are becoming hotter inside than the outside streets are.

European countries, especially southern countries like France and Spain who have been reportedly hit the hardest over the past couple heat waves, are experiencing warming at nearly double the rate of the rest of the world.

“Over the last five years, residential enquiries have more than tripled” said Richard Salmon, the director of the Air Conditioning Company based in the UK. “This heatwave in particular has sent things through the roof… People just can’t function when they’re boiling at 3 a.m.” 

The problem is that European laws are moving much slower than the temperature gauge.

One of the biggest obstacles standing in the way of air conditioning becoming commonplace in Europe is that the EU has pledged to become “climate neutral” by 2050. Air conditioners would punch a big hole in those plans, both because of the amount of energy they use on a daily basis, but also because air conditioners work primarily by pushing cool air into a room while simultaneously pumping warm air outside. In dense cities, of which Europe has many, an increase in air conditioning units could lead to a 3.6-7.2°F (2-4°C) increase in city-wide temperatures.

“In very dense city spaces, air conditioning … basically transports heat from the buildings to the urban environment and can create an even stronger urban heat island effect,” explains Hans-Martin Füssel, a climate risk expert at the European Environment Agency. 

Some countries are doing their best to find the line between negative climate impacts and their citizens cooking like hot pockets in their own houses. In 2022, Spain imposed a rule stating that AC in public places couldn’t be set lower than 80°F (27°C) to conserve energy. While 80° may sound warm, it probably feels great when the outside is in the hundreds.

All jokes aside, there have been real, deadly consequences with every heatwave that’s rolled through Europe over the past decade. Just last week, more than 250 people died due to heatwave-related causes such as heatstroke, children accidentally getting locked in cars, and drowning while attempting to seek relief from the soaring temperatures.

“We know that every heat wave leads to excess mortality,” said Stéphanie Rist, France’s minister of health on Thursday. “We also know that preventive measures can prevent deaths.”

According to Rist, French emergency service calls have risen by 30% over the past couple of weeks.

Air conditioning isn’t the only solution to the rising heat, just the most obvious. Other options that have been suggested include greening city spaces, creating designated cool zones, and making sure emergency and health officials schedule their vacations differently during periods of possible extreme temperatures.

“It’s not rocket science to come up with solutions, but of course, the implementation can be difficult,” Füssel told CBC News. “Air conditioning can be a solution if it’s done in the right way,” he said, though warns that renters across Europe don’t necessarily have control over their living spaces… The ones who would benefit from it are not always the ones who can take the decision to implement it.”

Luckily for Europe, the current heatwave is predicted to break in early-to-mid July, with temperatures already beginning to cool in some northern countries. However, unless European lawmakers take the next year to act quickly and implement new plans and laws, it’s likely this will not be the last, or worst, heatwave Europe has seen.