Only one in five European homes has air conditioning, but record-breaking heat is driving soaring demand and reshaping the political debate, with even Green leaders backing cooling systems for schools and hospitals as temperatures continue to hit new highs

Only 20% European homes have AC, compared to 90% in the U.S., but as the climate changes, that vast gulf may be set to shrink.

Cultural baggage: Europe should reconsider its resistance to air conditioning

Europes severe heat wave is forcing many to finally consider home cooling, an idea they had long resisted for reasons ranging from socio-cultural factors to urban design and…