MEP Stanisław Tyszka (ESN) has questioned the European Commission on whether the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS) is indirectly limiting households' access to air conditioning during heatwaves, potentially contributing to heat-related deaths. In a written parliamentary question submitted on 7 July 2026, Tyszka cited WHO data showing over 1,300 excess deaths from a heatwave starting 21 June 2026 and Lancet Countdown estimates that air conditioning averted 195,000 heat-related deaths globally among over-65s in 2019. He noted that only 20% of European households have AC units, compared to over 90% in the US, Japan, and South Korea.
The question follows the Commission's 2 July 2026 concession that air conditioning is a 'very necessary tool,' while warning that widespread use would increase energy bills amid high prices. Tyszka argues that the EU ETS, with CO₂ allowances at around EUR 80/tonne, inflates electricity generation costs and drives up household bills, making AC less affordable. He asks whether the Commission has assessed the extent to which ETS costs limit AC access, whether it will broaden its 2026 ETS review impact assessment to cover AC availability, and whether it considers it acceptable that ETS costs drive up AC prices in homes, schools, hospitals, and care homes during heatwaves.
a request for a specific assessment and a broadening of the impact assessment. It reflects a policy orientation toward weighing climate costs against public health protection, potentially pitting emissions reduction targets against immediate health needs. The Commission is expected to reply within approximately six weeks; its answer will signal whether it sees a trade-off between ETS-driven energy prices and heatwave resilience.