European summers are getting brutally hot. So why is air conditioning so rare?

As Europe experiences increasingly brutal heat waves, millions are finding it hard to cope with record-breaking temperatures. Despite the rising need, air conditioning remains scarce in many European homes, with most people relying on electric fans and ice packs for relief. This situation highlights a significant adaptation challenge as climate change drives more frequent and intense summer heat, raising questions about infrastructure, energy consumption, and the overall resilience of European communities to extreme weather.