Paris Official Links Heat Wave to Air Conditioning Usage

A senior figure in Paris’s Socialist Party government has attributed the current heat wave affecting the French capital and much of Western Europe to the prevalence of air conditioning in the United States and France.

Audrey Pulver, Paris’ deputy mayor for international, European, and francophone affairs, expressed frustration that American journalists and social media influencers are mocking Paris for its absence of modern amenities, while locals and visitors suffer in the sweltering heat without air conditioning this past week.

“Oh, this is so rich!” she commented on social media, pointing out that as the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases globally, the U.S. carries significant responsibility for climate change and its effects in places like France. She added, “The fact that 90% of your city is air conditioned is not unrelated to this.”

A Caribbean-born former TV presenter, Pulver noted that Paris has worked over the last 25 years to cut air pollution and enhance the city’s energy efficiency and transport networks.

“We’re reducing our environmental impact while adapting our cities for the long term. This isn’t a one-time issue. If every American city embraced green initiatives like Paris and other European cities, the world would benefit,” she stated.

“Now, enough with the lecture. It’s time to do your part. Thank you,” she concluded.

While the United States remains the second-largest carbon dioxide emitter after China, it has also seen significant declines in emissions, owing partly to the increased use of natural gas from hydraulic fracturing—something largely banned in Europe.

Moreover, the U.S. experiences far fewer heat-related deaths compared to Europe. For instance, in 2024, around 62,700 heat-related deaths were reported across Europe, while the U.S. saw approximately 2,394 deaths from similar causes.

Last week’s heat wave in France was linked to over 1,000 excess deaths, surpassing the average from previous months, primarily attributable to the extreme temperatures.

Despite the evident dangers posed by inadequate air conditioning, Paris’s socialist mayor, Emmanuel Grégoire, criticized private air conditioning use as an “unjust act,” asserting it would only raise the city’s temperature further. This stance seems to diverge from public sentiment, as surveys indicate that about 80% of French citizens believe air conditioning should be standardized in schools, nursing homes, and public transport, with only a quarter of homes in France currently equipped with air conditioning.