Uploaded August 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Many parts of the Global North are facing unprecedented heat waves. And their buildings were not designed for this heat. Can countries retrofit existing homes for a warming world - without turning every apartment into an air-conditioned box?
#PlanetA #heatproof #heat #AC #airconditioning #insulation #shade #greenroof
Credits:
Reporter: Beatrice Christofaro
Camera: Marco Borowski, Manuel Vering
Video Editor: Frederik Willmann
Supervising Editor: Kiyo Dörrer, Michael Trobridge
Fact Check: Alexander Paquet
Thumbnail: Em Chabridon
Read more:
Global Cooling Watch 2025, UNEP
unep.org/resources/global-cooling-watch-2025
Kühle Gebäude im Sommer, Umweltbundesamt
umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/kuehle-gebaeude-im-sommer-0
Keeping cool in a hotter world is using more energy, IEA
iea.org/commentaries/keeping-cool-in-a-hotter-world-is-using-more-energy-making-efficiency-more-important-than-ever
Green roofs and roof gardens in Berlin, Berlin.de
berlin.de/en/urban-gardening/7870644-9519328-green-roofs-and-roof-gardens.en.html
Building envelope, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
german-energy-solutions.de/GES/Redaktion/EN/Text-Collections/EnergySolutions/Buildings/building-envelope.html
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:45 A look at a hot apartment
01:49 ACs aren’t the silver bullet
03:35 Different eras, different problems
05:30 A look at a cool apartment
06:17 External shading
07:20 Green roofs and facades
08:38 Insulation
11:07 What are governments doing?
13:24 Conclusion
We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. We'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
Follow Planet A on TikTok: tiktok.com/@dw_planeta
Many parts of the Global North are facing unprecedented heat waves. And their buildings were not designed for this heat. Can countries retrofit existing homes for a warming world - without turning every apartment into an air-conditioned box?
#PlanetA #heatproof #heat #AC #airconditioning #insulation #shade #greenroof
Credits:
Reporter: Beatrice Christofaro
Camera: Marco Borowski, Manuel Vering
Video Editor: Frederik Willmann
Supervising Editor: Kiyo Dörrer, Michael Trobridge
Fact Check: Alexander Paquet
Thumbnail: Em Chabridon
Read more:
Global Cooling Watch 2025, UNEP
unep.org/resources/global-cooling-watch-2025
Kühle Gebäude im Sommer, Umweltbundesamt
umweltbundesamt.de/publikationen/kuehle-gebaeude-im-sommer-0
Keeping cool in a hotter world is using more energy, IEA
iea.org/commentaries/keeping-cool-in-a-hotter-world-is-using-more-energy-making-efficiency-more-important-than-ever
Green roofs and roof gardens in Berlin, Berlin.de
berlin.de/en/urban-gardening/7870644-9519328-green-roofs-and-roof-gardens.en.html
Building envelope, German Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy
german-energy-solutions.de/GES/Redaktion/EN/Text-Collections/EnergySolutions/Buildings/building-envelope.html
Chapters:
0:00 Intro
0:45 A look at a hot apartment
01:49 ACs aren’t the silver bullet
03:35 Different eras, different problems
05:30 A look at a cool apartment
06:17 External shading
07:20 Green roofs and facades
08:38 Insulation
11:07 What are governments doing?
13:24 Conclusion
We're destroying our environment at an alarming rate. But it doesn't need to be this way. Planet A explores the shift towards an eco-friendly world — and challenges our ideas about what dealing with climate change means. We look at the big and the small: What we can do and how the system needs to change. We'll take a truly global look at how to get us out of this mess.
Follow Planet A on TikTok: tiktok.com/@dw_planeta
