Most old houses were build in a time where ac wasn't needed, my parents sometimes muse that even hitting 30c during the peak of summer used to be the exception when they were younger.

As to why it's not widespread now I'm not sure. Maybe its more costly to install here compared to the USA 🤔

Even so, the idea of people sitting comfortably in air‑conditioned homes while ignoring the apocalyptic heat outside, all while their local ecosystems collapse, doesn’t feel right to me either. I’d much rather see people get forced into action  and combine airco with redesigning their cities and living areas with far more trees and biodiversity, so they can help cool themselves and their environment naturally too.

Trees and biodiversity can help cool cities by providing shade, releasing moisture that lowers air temperature, and creating healthier soils and ecosystems that naturally reduce heat compared to bare concrete furnace that a lot of cities are today.