Europe needs access to efficient cooling

BELGIUM: EPEE has described the EU president’s state of the union address as a “rare moment” for electrification of heating and efficient cooling to be named in the same speech.

The speech by Ursula von der Leyen underlined the need to electrify Europe, with the intention to double electricity’s share of final energy use by 2040. In addition the EU president committed to a new European Heatwave Plan, stating that the EU needed to capitalise on energy-efficient cooling among the areas where Europe is a leader in adaptation technologies.

Two days prior to the speech, EPEE (the European Partnership for Energy and the Environment) called on policymakers to recognise access to efficient air conditioning and heat pump technology as an essential public health and climate-adaptation measure.

Quoting figures published in The Lancet, EPEE said approximately 489,000 heat-related deaths occurred globally each year between 2000 and 2019. Europe accounted for 36% of these deaths, despite representing less than 10% of the world’s population. In the summer of 2022 alone, an estimated 61,672 heat-related excess deaths occurred in Europe.

A separate study in The Lancet estimates that, by the early 2020s, air conditioning was preventing around 190,000 deaths every year among people aged 65 and over.

“These figures show that extreme heat is not simply a matter of comfort. It is a serious and growing public health risk, particularly for older people and those with existing health conditions,” said EPEE director general Russell Patten.

“Europe must recognise cooling as an essential part of heat-health protection and ensure that safe, sustainable, and affordable solutions- including reversible heat pumps are accessible to those who need them most.”

Despite this, EPEE points out that access to cooling remains limited in Europe, with only around 23% of European households having an air conditioning unit. 

It calls for cooling to be fully integrated into European and national heat-health action plans but says that efficient air conditioning and reversible heat pumps should be combined with passive cooling measures, such as better insulation, shading, and natural ventilation. 

It also insists that investments in smart electricity grids, storage and demand-response systems will also be needed to manage peak electricity demand across Europe during heatwaves.

“We need a balanced strategy combining efficient cooling technologies, smart buildings resilient energy systems and targeted support for schools, hospitals and vulnerable citizens,” Patten added.