Europeans prioritize air conditioning over emissions cuts

A YouGov survey conducted across several European nations indicates that a significant portion of the population prioritizes the use of air conditioning to mitigate heatwave impacts over the reduction of CO2 emissions. Following extreme heatwaves that caused thousands of excess deaths, between 30% and 52% of respondents in France, Germany, Italy, Poland, Spain, and the United Kingdom expressed concern for their families' health during temperatures exceeding 40°C.

Findings show widespread support for making air conditioning a standard feature in new homes, with 61% to 73% of respondents in favor. Additionally, between 65% and 75% support simplifying installation processes by removing the need for local authority or landlord permission, while 52% to 66% favor government subsidies for installation.

In most surveyed countries, excluding Italy, between 41% and 48% of people believe that prioritizing air conditioning to reduce heat-related harm should take precedence over lowering carbon emissions. The survey also noted that air conditioning remains significantly less common in Europe than in the United States, with adoption rates in the surveyed European countries ranging from as low as 11% in the UK to 63% in Italy.