Overview
- A record heatwave over the weekend pushed daytime highs above 40°C and night temperatures past 29°C, leaving hospitals, care homes, schools and daycare centres without reliable cooling.
- On Monday Greens parliamentary leader Katharina Dröge called for an immediate Abkühl‑Sofortprogramm to climatize public facilities and proposed subsidising 'Klima‑Solar‑Anlagen', meaning air conditioners powered by rooftop solar.
- Legal and administrative responsibility for heat protection rests mainly with Länder and Kommunen, which limits what the federal government can directly deliver.
- Reporting highlights that chronic municipal underfunding and limited local capacity are the main barriers to installing cooling systems, planting trees, adding shading and expanding water infrastructure.
- Commentary warns the debate will focus on short‑term technical fixes and long‑term financing, with critics noting that Greens in local government have not always advanced heat‑protection measures themselves.