She told Heinrich Böll Foundationa German political foundation affiliated with the Green Party, that she had first considered buying one in the summer of 2022, when the EU’s Copernicus Programme said Europe had experienced its hottest summer on record.
The need to cope with extreme heat is driving demand for air conditioning across Europe, which critics say often attracts opprobrium for lecturing the rest of the world on protecting the environment, but where, to its credit, such appliances were once uncommon.
Air conditioners installed in a residential apartment in Europe amid rising summer temperatures. Photo from Pexels |
The share of households with air conditioning in Germany rose from 13% in 2023 to 19% in 2024, according to Clean Energy Wirea leading European platform for collaborative and solutions-oriented climate and energy journalism. Air conditioner production in 2024 was also 75% higher than in 2019. Even so, household penetration rates remain far below the 90% in the U.S. and 91% in Japan.
In France, air conditioning was long viewed as wasteful, environmentally unfriendly, and unnecessary, But recent heat waves are beginning to shift attitudes, according to France 24.
Ruben Arnold, owner of a French building energy solutions company, said he fully understands the environmental impact but still felt compelled to install air conditioning.
“Even when you know it’s a selfish choice, there comes a point when all arguments against it are pushed aside,” he said.
The heat burden is especially severe for people living in top-floor apartments. In Paris, many historic buildings feature Haussmann-style zinc roofs, which absorb and retain heat, making the spaces below hot.
Marion Lafuste, 40, said temperatures inside her apartment reached 41 degrees Celsius during the latest heat wave. Placing ice in front of a fan and shutting the blinds did little to help, and without a cooler place to escape to in the countryside, she would have bought an air conditioner despite her dislike of the appliance, she said.
Meanwhile, Martine Bontemps, another Paris resident living in a top-floor apartment, said she still tries to endure the heat with a ceiling fan instead of installing air conditioning.
Forecasts suggest Paris could regularly face heat waves of up to 50 degrees Celsius by 2050. Experts warn that when the body cannot cool below 20 degrees Celsius at night, the health impact becomes severe.
Researchers at the German Institute of Urban Affairs say the health and economic consequences of extreme heat are still being underestimated. Germany recorded more than 8,500 heat-related deaths between 2023 and 2025, most of them among older people.
At the same time, growing reliance on air conditioning could worsen climate change because of high electricity consumption and greenhouse gas leaks.
Jürgen Resch, executive director of Deutsche Umwelthilfe, told Euronews: “emissions from refrigerants contribute to global warming, which in turn drives even greater demand for cooling.”
Germany’s consumer protection center has also warned that many air conditioner advertisements rely on laboratory conditions that do not reflect real-world energy consumption.
In the long run, Mertens believes air conditioning cannot become the main adaptation tool because it risks deepening inequality. “I still hope cities can find solutions that allow everyone to stay cool, not just those who can afford air conditioning,” she said.
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