Denmark urged to resist air conditioning despite heatwaves

As Danes emptied stores of fans during the weekend heatwave, a debate has flared over whether air conditioning should become the norm in Europe, reports Danish broadcaster DR.

In France, politician Marine Le Pen has called for state support to expand air conditioning, currently used in 25% of households. Meanwhile, American voices, including economist Noah Smith, have urged Europeans to adopt the technology, with 90% of US households already equipped.

But Steffen Petersen, a professor of building science at Aarhus University, argues against the trend. “We need to remind ourselves that we can handle this without using more energy, without spending money, and without emitting more CO2,” he said.

Air conditioning would worsen both global and local warming, Petersen explains. The systems expel heat outdoors, raising urban temperatures, and their energy use increases CO2 emissions—creating a vicious cycle. He calls the US reliance on air conditioning a product of “a culture of excess.”

Instead, Petersen advocates for long-term solutions like better building design, including revived architectural features such as eaves to block summer sun while allowing winter light. For immediate relief, he suggests manual cooling: opening windows at night to chill indoor materials, then closing them by day to absorb heat.

Philosopher Rasmus Ugilt, appearing on DR’s culture program K-Live, framed the resistance as a European virtue: “When it’s hot, we endure it. That’s something Europeans take pride in.”