The climate crisis and worsening social inequality could be responsible for more than 100,000 deaths annually in Europe, a stark warning for policymakers across the continent.
As record-breaking heatwaves sweep through Europe, the experience of extreme temperatures varies dramatically depending on income and living conditions.
In Paris, an American writer claimed the heat was not apocalyptic, relying on shutters and misting to stay cool.
Meanwhile, just 20 kilometers away, 60-year-old Aboubakar wept as temperatures inside his fourth-floor flat reached 40°C.
He could not afford a fan and had no shutters, describing his home as a furnace.
Julio Díaz Jiménez, a professor at Madrid's Carlos III health institute, noted that a heatwave is not the same for someone in a shared room without air conditioning as for someone in a villa with a pool.
This disparity became evident during the most severe heatwave on record, affecting up to 150 million people from Bordeaux to Budapest.
While some Parisians slept in parks and Berlin police used water cannons to cool crowds, not everyone had equal access to relief.
In the UK, hotel bookings for air-conditioned rooms surged. In wealthy areas west of Paris, some towns restricted municipal pool access to non-residents.
In Germany, a public swimming lake turned away non-German speakers.
Half of French homes lack sufficient protection from high temperatures.
Many residents live in heat-trap buildings or concrete-heavy areas with little greenery, rely on crowded buses, and work in sectors like agriculture and construction where heat exposure is unavoidable.
As Asad Rehman, chief executive of Friends of the Earth, told the Guardian, the heat “throws a grenade into every vulnerability you already have.”
Europe is the world's fastest-warming continent. Research indicates that extreme heat and inequality combined could kill over 100,000 people per year.
During the recent heatwave, France recorded about 1,000 excess deaths between June 24 and 27, while Spain linked over 600 deaths to the heat.
The Democracy in Europe Movement 2025, led by former Greek finance minister Yanis Varoufakis, posted on social media: “This heat is not only a climate emergency, but it is also a class war.
The rich burn the planet, then buy air conditioning, private pools and second homes while workers are left in overheated flats, unsafe jobs, failed public services and burning cities.”
