air conditioner

Climate

Air con is overheating Europe’s energy system. Is there a solution?

Experts are urging alternative ways of cooling, including opting for lower-emission air conditioning units and more strategic house designs.

29/05/2026

Europe News

Why Brussels doesn’t hate AC — but Europe still struggles with it

No, the EU hasn't banned air conditioning. So why do Europeans still resist it? Here's a policy look at Europe’s love-hate relationship with staying cool through the summer.

20/08/2025

Ecotech

These European countries are the greenest at heating their buildings

District heating networks help Nordic and Baltic countries top the list, while many major economies are lagging behind.

05/04/2025

Europe News

Air conditioner use driving up emissions as global heating bites

Record high temperatures last year fuelled demand for air conditioning, in turn driving an increase in dirty coal-fired power generation in a dangerous feedback loop revealed by a new global survey from the International Energy Agency.

24/03/2025

Ecotech

Don’t have AC? This new fabric has you covered during heatwaves

The fabric was 6.2°C cooler than the surrounding environment in experiments.

12/10/2024

Earth News

Neighbours at war over illegal air-con as Italy’s heatwave drags on

There are reports of drones being used to find hidden air conditioners in Italy’s richest municipality.

13/08/2024

Earth News

Record high temperatures in Tokyo left 123 people dead in July

Tokyo residents have been urged to pay attention to heatstroke warnings as high temperatures continue into August.

07/08/2024

Earth News

Dubai hit by dangerous ‘feels like’ temperature of 62C

This perilously high figure is due to the combination of intense air temperature and high humidity generating a heat index far hotter than the recorded air temperature.

18/07/2024

Earth News

Paris 2024 to install 2,500 air-conditioners in green policy U-turn

Organisers of the Paris Olympics want it to be the greenest ever Games, but athletes are prioritising their health.

04/07/2024

Earth News

Could a heatwave make the Paris Olympics deadly for athletes?

Paris’s population is the most at risk of dying from heatwaves of any capital in Europe.

20/06/2024

Earth News

Fearing a heatwave, Olympic teams are bringing portable A/C to Paris

Teams say they’ll go to any length to keep their athletes cool.

25/02/2024

Climate

Fact-check: Is air conditioning making cities hotter?

A study found that waste heat generated by a city’s worth of air conditioners during a heatwave can raise the outside temperature by more than 2 degrees Celsius.

30/08/2023

Earth News

Europeans reluctantly turn on the AC as heatwaves bite

As the summer breezes fade, sweltering Europeans are giving air conditioning a sceptical embrace.

02/08/2023

Earth News

Which European countries are not prepared to cope with hot days?

Researchers say buildings in places like Northern Europe "act like greenhouses" and aren't designed to cope with hot days.

14/07/2023

Earth News

India's hospitals overwhelmed as heatwave death toll reaches 170

Officials are investigating the deaths and how many were directly caused by the soaring temperatures.

20/06/2023

Climate

Sleepless night? Climate change could be to blame, research shows

A new study examines the damaging impact of global warming on sleep.

22/05/2023