Soon after the June heat wave, city officials in Rome announced a new, scientifically informed operational strategy to prepare for a hotter world. Rome previously rolled out a heat health warning system in 2002, in time for the 2003 heat wave that killed 70,000 people across Europe (including more than 1,000 in Rome). But while they had some positive effect, this year’s heat wave showed that Europe is still far behind the curve. For example, heat waves create ideal conditions for forest fires, which have now hit several countries in southern Europe. Europe would need to orchestrate a constitutional response to its shifting material conditions, with a state-led program to transform its economy.