France is re-evaluating its long-standing reservations about air-conditioning as it grapples with record-breaking heat, and With temperatures nearing 40°C, the country is witnessing a growing debate about the necessity of air-conditioning, or ‘la clim,’ according to BBC.

Low Adoption Rates Fuel Urgent Debate

Only 25% of French households are equipped with air-conditioning units, a stark contrast to 50% in Spain and Italy and 90% in the US and Japan. This low adoption rate has become a focal point of the debate, especially as schools and hospitals face increasingly intolerable conditions.

Thousands of schools have closed this week due to the extreme heat, and medical staff have raised concerns about their working conditions — Portable air-conditioning units have seen a surge in demand, with many residents purchasing them to endure the night in their apartments.

Environmentalists and Politicians Shift Stance

Marie Tondelier, the head of the Ecologists party, recently broke a taboo by acknowledging the need for air-conditioning in schools and hospitals. ‘There are places where we just can’t do without it now,’ she said, signaling a shift from the environmentalist left, which has traditionally opposed air-conditioning as a solution to climate change.

Environmentalists have long argued that air-conditioning does not address the root causes of global warming but merely eases its effects — In addition, it is criticized for potentially worsening climate change due to the electricity it consumes and the refrigerant gases used, which are greenhouse gases.

The urban heating effect, caused by the expulsion of hot air from air-conditioning units, is another concern. Some studies indicate this can raise city temperatures by two or three degrees, exacerbating the very problem air-conditioning is meant to alleviate.

Political Divisions Emerge

Suspicions of air-conditioning have also influenced government policies. New building and renovation norms prioritize insulation and greenery to make air-conditioning unnecessary. However, this approach has led to controversy, such as the planned hospital in Nantes, which will have air-conditioning in only half its rooms, angering medical trade unions.

Valérie Pécresse, the conservative president of the Paris regional council, argues that air-conditioning must be part of the solution. She plans to equip all buses and trains with air-conditioning by 2032 and criticizes her Socialist predecessor for overlooking its importance.

On the far right, Marine Le Pen’s National Rally (RN) has pushed for a nationwide ‘plan clim’ to equip schools and hospitals with air-conditioning. The plan includes €20bn in government-backed interest-free loans to allow 30 to 40 million households to install cooling units. Critics, however, have called the proposal opportunistic and uncosted, noting the right’s late recognition of climate change.

Despite the political disagreements, one conclusion seems to be emerging: air-conditioning is becoming an inevitable part of France’s response to the escalating climate crisis.