“We built our cities for the climate from before,” said Jeroen Kluck, a professor at the Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences researching climate resilience in cities.
“We have done simulations that showed that more and more houses will get too hot even if we provide some [sun] screening and ventilation,” he added. “Somewhere in the future, those houses might need active cooling.”
While air-conditioning is on the rise, it remains uncommon in Europe. Only about one-fifth of European households have AC installed, compared to 90 percent in the U.S.
Europe’s high heat mortality is down to “a combination of factors, but definitely, air-conditioning is a life-saving facility,” said Monasso. “In Europe, there’s much less coverage, so that is a serious issue and it would make a difference if that’s better.”
It’s not only homes either: Factories, schools, trains and even hospitals lack sufficient cooling.
Heat deaths in the workplace are up 42 percent in the EU since 2000, prompting the European Trade Union Confederation to call on Brussels to enshrine mandatory cooling breaks and maximum working temperatures in labor legislation.