As Europe prepares for a second heatwave in less than two weeks, the European Green Deal is facing its most consequential test yet. The ambitious climate package, unveiled in 2019, was designed primarily around winter energy needs—keeping homes warm while cutting reliance on imported gas. But the continent's rapidly intensifying summers are forcing a reassessment of priorities.
Executive European Commission Vice-President Teresa Ribera acknowledged the shortfall in an interview with The Guardian, stating: “We knew this could happen, but we have not been smart enough to address the root causes.” She added that there remains “a fierce fight against facts, science, preparedness and investment,” and called for rejecting “bullshit based on lies and against people’s interests.”
Heatwaves Expose Infrastructure Gaps
From Paris to Amsterdam, from Madrid to Munich, scorching summers are becoming longer and more intense. Buildings designed to retain heat in winter are turning into heat traps in July. France, Germany, Poland and the United Kingdom recorded their hottest June days ever. The recent heatwave claimed around 1,300 lives, with the Balkans and Ukraine now bracing for extreme temperatures as the heat moves east, as reported in Europe's Heatwave Moves East.
EU lawmaker Martin Hojsík (Czech Republic/Renew Europe) told Euronews: “We can't just lock down people, especially the vulnerable ones, during the extreme summers to come. We need to adapt the public space. We need more green spaces that make a massive difference in terms of ambient temperatures.”
The Air Conditioning Dilemma
The fastest way to cool millions of homes is to install air conditioners, but this poses a paradox for the EU's climate transition. Air conditioning contributes to greenhouse gas emissions and strains the bloc's aging power grids. The European Commission has so far refused to take a stance on air conditioning ahead of its climate adaptation strategy due in the fourth quarter of the year, as noted in EU Refuses to Take Sides in Air Conditioning Debate.
EU lawmaker Roman Haiden (Austria/Patriots for Europe) defended the use of air conditioning as a “rather obvious solution,” saying: “Turn on AC if you are hot, turn on the heater if you are cold.” Michal Kobosko (Poland/Renew Europe) argued that Europe will “definitely need” more air conditioning for factories and homes, but stressed the need for clean energy sources and European production rather than relying on Chinese imports. Ana Vasconcelos (Portugal/Renew Europe) backed a market-driven rollout, calling for lower taxes and regulatory burdens to make air conditioning affordable.
Critics warn that widespread air conditioning could cause electricity demand to surge on the hottest afternoons, requiring costly grid investments. Supporters counter that the EU's Grids Package, designed to revamp the power grid for clean energy, should also meet cooling needs. The debate is forcing a broader rethink: cooling can no longer be treated as a consumer choice but as critical infrastructure.
Green Deal's Summer Test
In northern Europe, air conditioning was long an exception, with buildings designed to retain heat. Public policy focused on insulation, efficient boilers, and heat pumps—measures that required significant investment from citizens. Now, demand for cooling is rising rapidly in France, Germany, Belgium, and the Netherlands. In the United Kingdom, long queues for air conditioning units at a Hampshire supermarket underscored the urgency.
Schools, hospitals, and care homes across Europe are confronting heat levels they were never designed to withstand. Employers are rethinking workplace safety, and cities are opening cooling centres alongside winter shelters. The Green Deal's electrification push—encouraging renewable energy—offers a path forward, but the immediate need for cooling clashes with long-term climate goals.
As Europe braces for more extreme summers, the Green Deal must evolve to address both winter heating and summer cooling. The coming weeks will reveal whether Brussels can adapt its vision to a continent that is heating up faster than expected.
