More than 3,700 excess deaths have been linked to the June heatwave in France, Belgium and the Netherlands alone. These are not inevitable tragedies. They are the result of political choices, or lack of, about how we build and renovate our homes.
Keeping a home cool is no longer simply a matter of comfort but of health and safety. Millions of renters are trapped in homes they cannot improve. Unlike homeowners, they often cannot install external shutters or blinds without their landlord’s permission.
Nearly one-in-three Europeans lives in rented housing. Yet tenants are far more likely to live in energy-inefficient and poorly insulated homes that overheat during heatwaves.
Recent surveys show that many low-income households and almost half of tenants, struggle to keep their homes cool. As temperatures continue to rise, those least able to adapt are paying the highest price.
This is not an accident; it is a systemic failure.
