After a brutal heatwave that claimed around 1,300 lives in Europe and with a second one approaching at the beginning of July, climate politics are becoming more polarised than ever.
Unveiled in 2019, the European Green Deal is built on the premise of consuming less energy, burning fewer fossil fuels and making Europe's homes more efficient in an effort to prevent future warming by reducing greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs).
Yet Brussels' vision was shaped largely by winter, prioritising how to keep Europeans warm while cutting reliance on imported gas.
Then came the heat. As Europeans struggled through scorching temperatures, many began to feel the costs of the Green Deal before they experienced its benefits.
Executive European Commission Vice-President for a clean, just and competitive transition, Teresa Ribera, acknowledged that the heatwave currently hitting Europe is something "we knew could happen, but we have not been smart enough to address the root causes."
