Europeans favour air conditioning over emissions cuts, poll finds

Given the choice, more people across six major European nations including the UK favour encouraging the adoption of air conditioning over keeping carbon emissions down, a survey has found, the Guardian reported on Monday.

The poll, conducted after four extreme heatwaves this summer, found sizeable majorities who believe it should be easier to install air conditioning in homes, a preference that complicates Europe's climate targets as the continent warms.

The findings reflect a growing tension between immediate comfort and long-term decarbonisation, a dilemma that is particularly acute in southern European countries like Italy, where summer temperatures have repeatedly broken records.

The Guardian's report, published Monday, said the survey covered six European nations and found that respondents prioritised cooling over emissions reductions when forced to choose. The poll also showed strong support for simplifying the installation of air-conditioning units in private homes, a regulatory change that many EU countries have resisted due to energy and climate concerns.

The survey did not break out Italian responses separately in the Guardian's account, but the findings resonate across the Mediterranean, where air-conditioning use has surged in recent years. The Local Italy reported Monday that air-conditioning use has driven a sharp rise in Italian electricity bills, underscoring the practical cost of the cooling boom.

For Piedmont, the issue is acute. The region's continental climate brings cold winters and warm, humid summers, but recent heatwaves have pushed temperatures in Turin well above historical averages, making air conditioning a near-necessity in offices and apartments alike. The region's industrial base, including the aerospace and automotive sectors, relies on reliable energy supplies, and any policy shift toward cooling over efficiency could have implications for the local grid.

The Guardian noted that the survey's findings present a challenge for EU policymakers, who have set ambitious emissions-reduction targets for 2030 and 2050. Energy experts cited in the report warned that a widespread shift to air conditioning could strain power systems and undermine climate goals unless paired with investments in renewable energy and efficiency measures.

The poll comes as European governments grapple with the health consequences of extreme heat. A separate report from The Local Italy, citing provisional figures, said Europe logged at least 30,000 excess deaths across the summer's heatwaves, a toll that scientists have blamed on man-made climate change. Those figures have intensified pressure on governments to protect vulnerable populations, even as they seek to cut the emissions driving the warming.