EU Citizens Ill-Equipped for Rising Summer Heat, Report Finds

This year's European summer has arrived early, with many places setting high-temperature records. However, facing the heat, EU citizens' coping methods appear somewhat insufficient. According to an EU survey, only 32% of EU citizens have ventilation equipment or air conditioning systems installed in their homes.

The report, titled "Overheating and Underprepared: Europeans' experience of living with climate change," published by the European Environment Agency (EEA), points out that climate change is posing an increasingly serious threat to the health, well-being, and prosperity of European society.

This report investigated issues related to "high temperatures" and analyzed how EU citizens are responding to such climate problems.

Data shows that approximately 49% of respondents cool their living spaces through shading; 48% have installed insulation equipment on their roofs and walls. Only about 32% of all respondents have air conditioning or ventilation systems installed in their homes.

The reasons for not installing air conditioning vary. However, the report indicates that about 38% of respondents admitted they could not afford the cost of installing and maintaining air conditioning. If the survey scope is limited to economically disadvantaged respondents, this proportion rises to 66%.

This survey also shows that in the past five years, 49.7% of respondents reported feeling overheated in their homes; 46.8% felt overheated at their workplace or educational institutions; and 60.7% found it difficult to bear high temperatures when outdoors.

More than 52% of respondents expressed concern about future extreme heat, and 48% worried about wildfires caused by high temperatures. The groups most concerned about future climate impacts were primarily women, young people aged 16-29, and respondents from Southern and Central-Eastern Europe.

The report emphasizes that to mitigate the impact of high temperatures on the health, well-being, and productivity of EU citizens, it is crucial to ensure that EU buildings and living and working environments possess heat-resilient capabilities.

"Overheating and Underprepared: Europeans' experience of living with climate change" is an online survey conducted among over 27,000 respondents across 27 EU countries, presenting respondents' experiences with climate impacts, their concerns about future impacts, and the resilience measures observed in their homes and neighborhoods.