Cooling is one of the biggest threats to Europe’s climate – says EEA

Cooling interiors with the help of a thermostat is undoubtedly a luxury in the era of increasingly frequent and exhausting heatwaves. Unfortunately, according to the report published on Monday by the European Environment Agency (EEA), it is air conditioning that will become one of the main climate risk factors in the coming years.

The energy vicious circle

The report Europe’s environment – state and outlook 2025, published on Monday, focuses on the challenges facing Europe in the context of climate change, increasing pollution, and biodiversity loss. The publication is released regularly every five years and represents the most comprehensive overview of environmental threats and trends on our continent. What do we learn from the latest edition?
EEA experts emphasize that energy production and use remain a key driver of climate change. Rising air temperatures in southern European countries are turning into deadly heatwaves, prompting people to cool their interiors electrically. Unfortunately, this generates further emissions and additionally heats the climate.

The report shows that between 2010 and 2019, energy consumption for cooling in 19 European countries tripled. Already five years ago, in Malta and Cyprus it accounted for 10–11 percent of total residential energy consumption. It is projected that in the future Greece, Italy, Portugal, and Spain could consume 71 percent of the EU’s total annual energy used for cooling in residential buildings. Meanwhile, in 2023 only 26.2 percent of the EU’s heating and cooling energy demand was covered by renewable sources.

Cooling, drought, and blackouts

The challenges for the European energy sector do not stop there. Drought combined with heatwaves results in insufficient water needed for electricity generation. As a result, during periods when air conditioning is most needed, power grids are overloaded and blackouts may occur – with Spain and Portugal facing particularly high risks.

The authors of the report also point out that by 2020 the goal of limiting water abstraction to less than 20 percent of renewable resources in all European river basins was not met, and it now seems unlikely that it will be achieved any time soon. The largest share of water is taken for cooling in the energy sector, but also for agricultural and industrial activities as well as public water supply.

In short, to run air conditioning we need energy, but hydropower plants are inefficient during droughts, while cooling thermal and nuclear power plants requires enormous amounts of water. In southern Europe we can already observe the phenomenon of summer energy poverty – as many as 19 percent of all EU households report difficulties in maintaining comfort during the hottest months.

What can be done? Take Portugal as an example

According to the authors of the report, the answer to most modern environmental problems lies in natural ecosystems and nature-based solutions. When properly supported and implemented, they help prevent floods and droughts, lower temperatures in cities and rural areas, and additionally protect against fires while promoting the well-being of residents.

Of course, further energy transition toward greater use of renewable sources is necessary – the target of at least 42.5 percent by 2030 already appears difficult to achieve. The EEA, however, points to positive examples. Threatened by heatwaves and drought, Portugal has nearly doubled the share of renewables in total energy consumption – from 19 percent in 2004 to 35 percent in 2023. Last year, renewable energy already accounted for 75 percent of Portugal’s energy mix, making it one of the best examples of a successful transition in Europe.