Abstract/Summary

Heat stress is the leading climate-related cause of premature deaths in Europe. Major heatwaves have struck Europe recently and are expected to increase in magnitude and length. Large cities are particularly threatened due to the urban morphology and imperviousness. Green spaces mitigate heat, providing cooling services through shade provision and evapotranspiration. However, the distribution of green cooling and the population most affected are often unknown. We revealed environmental injustice regarding green cooling in fourteen major European urban areas. Vulnerable residents in Europe are not concentrated in the suburbs but in run-down central areas that coincide with low-cooling regions. In all studied areas, lower-income residents, tenants, immigrants and unemployed citizens receive below-average green cooling, while upper income residents, nationals, and homeowners experience above-average cooling provision. The fatality risk during extreme heatwaves may increase as vulnerable residents are unable to afford passive or active cooling mitigation.