This summer, Europe found itself at the epicentre of a global heat crisis. According to a new analysis by the nonprofit Climate Central, more than 1.5 billion people worldwide endured dangerous levels of heat between June and August, but no region was hit harder than Europe. The continent recorded the most unusually high temperatures of any region on the planet, with nearly nine in ten Europeans experiencing at least a month's worth of what researchers call “risky heat”.
Risky heat is defined as days hotter than 90 per cent of what a local area typically saw between 1991 and 2020 for that time of year – the threshold at which health risks from extreme heat begin to climb. The study found that 203 countries saw the average person face at least 30 such days, and 54 countries recorded their hottest June–August on record. Of the ten countries with the most extreme temperature anomalies, seven were in Europe.
France led the world, with temperatures averaging 3.5°C above the historical norm for the season. Other European nations, including Spain, Italy, Greece, and parts of the Balkans, also saw exceptional heat, with wildfires and drought compounding the strain on communities and infrastructure.
A warning we cannot ignore
Kristina Dahl, a climate scientist at Climate Central, called the findings a stark warning. “Whether it's nine in 10 Europeans enduring risky heat, hundreds of millions impacted across Asia and Africa, or relentless record-breaking temperatures in North America, human-driven warming is pushing communities beyond safe physical limits,” she said. “These past three months are a warning sign we cannot afford to ignore – the human and economic costs of fossil fuels are playing out in real time, and the urgency to shift away from them has never been clearer.”
Simon Steill, executive secretary of the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC), who was not involved in the study, echoed that sentiment. He said the research highlights the “spiralling costs of the climate crisis caused by humanity's addiction to burning coal, oil and gas.” The solution, he insists, is straightforward: a rapid transition from fossil fuels to clean energy, which he described as “cheaper and safer”.
Scientists have said that this summer's heat would have been “virtually impossible” without climate change. The broader trend is deeply worrying: earlier this month, the UN warned that keeping global warming below 1.5°C – the legally binding target agreed by nearly 200 nations in the 2015 Paris Agreement – is no longer achievable. The UN Environment Programme (UNEP) now projects a best-case scenario of 1.8°C of warming, with other pathways exceeding 2°C. The best hope, it says, is a trajectory of “overshoot, peak and decline”.
Can renewables cool Europe down?
The expansion of renewable energy is seen as a critical lever to keep that overshoot as small and short as possible. In 2025, renewables generated almost 34 per cent of global electricity, but UNEP's report says that share needs to rise to 60–70 per cent by 2030 to give the world a chance at a limited-overshoot scenario.
Europe has already made significant strides. Last year, wind and solar generated more electricity in the EU than fossil fuels for the first time – a major milestone. According to SolarPower Europe, EU solar generation alone has saved the bloc €33.8 billion in avoided gas imports since the beginning of the war on Iran. That is a tangible economic benefit, but also a reminder of how energy security and climate action are intertwined.
Yet the pace of change may not be fast enough. Despite a record €1.9 trillion being invested in clean energy annually, green power currently meets only about 40 per cent of the increase in global electricity demand. That demand is being driven up by energy-intensive air conditioning and the rapid growth of artificial intelligence. Data centre energy consumption rose by 17 per cent in 2025, accounting for roughly 1.5 to two per cent of global electricity use, and is expected to double by 2030, according to the International Energy Agency (IEA).
For Europe, the challenge is twofold: accelerate the deployment of renewables while also curbing the growth in energy demand. Some European leaders are already pushing for tougher efficiency standards and smarter grid management. The EU's digital identity wallet, set to roll out by 2026, could help streamline energy services and enable more dynamic pricing, though its impact on consumption remains to be seen.
As the continent swelters through ever hotter summers, the question is no longer whether climate change is happening, but whether Europe can lead the way in cooling the planet. The answer, many experts argue, lies in a rapid and equitable shift to renewables – before the next heatwave arrives.
