Europe’s Cooling Gap: Why Heat Outpaces Air Conditioning

Amid a heat wave in Europe, only about 19% of homes have air conditioning and space cooling accounts for roughly 0.8% of household energy use—far lower than the U.S. (~6%) and Canada. Adoption is rising, especially in warmer countries like Italy (over 50% of households), but northern countries lag (France ~28%, Germany ~6%, the U.K. ~4%), leaving the elderly most at risk during extreme heat.