These days, the shelves of shops in France that sell air conditioners and fans resemble the empty shelves of grocery stores in the Soviet Union. The unbearable heat that has been affecting the country for days, and has cost the lives of at least 1000 people, pushes the French to go on a “safari” in search of machines that will lower the temperature. But beyond their capacity to provide relief from the heat, air conditioners are becoming the subject of acute political controversy.
The Left, mainly the far-left party of Insubordinate France (LFI) under Jean-Luc Mélenchon, and the Environmentalists, under Marine Todelier, denounce the incompetence of the current Lecorny government as well as the previous ones, for not taking climate change seriously. Both the LFI and the Environmentalists oppose the installation of air conditioners in public buildings, arguing that the climate crisis would further worsen and burden the state budget.
On the other hand, the far-right National Rally (RN) of Marine Le Pen is in favor of immediately installing air conditioning in all public structures – schools, hospitals, nursing homes – in order to protect citizens and prevent deaths from the heat. At the same time, the centrist government of Prime Minister Sébastien Lecorny, as well as President Emmanuel Macron, are under fire from the entire opposition for their inadequacy to handle extreme weather conditions and for France being unprepared, even though global warming due to climate change is not a new phenomenon.
The political debate on climate change is taking on greater interest ahead of the presidential elections in France in April 2027: almost all opinion polls show the Far Right candidate as the winner in the first round.
Ecology or comfort: a pseudo-dilemma
As the political scientist Olivier Costa, director of research at the CNRS (National Center for Scientific Research) at the Paris School of Political Sciences (Sciences Po) points out in an article for the independent think tank, Telos, the public debate on climate change in France is simplistic.
On the one hand, the fanatical environmentalists, who consider climate change supporters to be potential criminals and enemies of the people and the planet. On the other hand, conservatives who argue that the French would be foolish to be the only ones deprived of this essential comfort, and that conservationists want to return us to the cave age.
The French parties with an eye on the presidential elections of 2027
Le Pen’s National Rally is proposing a plan to install air conditioning in all public spaces in France, which, according to Le Monde newspaper, is, for now, very vague.
With an eye on the presidential elections of April 2027, the French Left seeks to balance between taking emergency measures to deal with the heat, and at the same time not giving the impression that it is downplaying the climate change phenomenon. But both the Socialist Party and the far-left Insubordinate France (LFI) and the Environmentalists find it difficult to support an energy-intensive solution such as the installation of air conditioners.
In addition, how could the deputies of the Left support only measures “about the green transition”, when the thermometer exceeds 40 degrees in many regions of France, and when they themselves are in the French National Assembly, whose hall is air-conditioned? That’s why they start putting water in their wine.
What do environmentalists say?
The Environmentalists, who in June 2025 had tabled a very critical resolution on the use of air conditioning, stating that it aggravates climate change, now consider that the issue is not “taboo” and that “that air conditioning can be a solution, sometimes, not always”, mainly for hospitals, schools, nursing homes.
Air conditioning is a last resort for Insubordinate France
Spaces hosting vulnerable populations justify the installation of air conditioners, and for Insubordinate France, which otherwise rejects this solution. The party’s plan for the 2025 heatwave suggested prioritizing the installation of air conditioners in hospitals, nursing homes and schools. Last Tuesday, LFI presented the same plan, with a variation: “To install ceiling fans, ventilators, solar films and even air conditioning everywhere where necessary.” In other words, Insubordinate France sees air conditioning as a last resort.
A very complex issue
However, according to political scientist Olivier Costa, the issue is more complex. Opponents of air conditioning point out that it contributes to worsening the problem as it consumes huge amounts of electricity. For this reason, ecologists also propose other solutions, such as the planting of large trees, the thermal insulation of houses, the adaptation of the architecture of buildings, the creation of green roofs.
In countries where the energy mix is still dependent on fossil fuels, the use of air conditioning indirectly contributes to global warming. In France, however, where electricity comes largely from nuclear and hydroelectric generation, this is not the case to the same extent.
However, during hot periods, some nuclear reactors experience cooling problems, while water shortages reduce the production capacity of hydroelectric dams. Therefore, the risk of widespread power outages, such as those experienced in California or Spain, is real.
Social and ethical dimension of air conditioning
To these parameters, Costa adds the social and ethical dimension of air conditioning, which is still the privilege of a minority of the world’s population, while its negative consequences – pollution, the burden of electrical networks and the worsening of climate change – affect everyone.
In an environment of social and environmental crisis, isn’t it unfair that some people can protect themselves from the heat, while others suffer its consequences in a much harsher way?
Heat waves a real threat – Decrease in productivity
Heat waves are not just a nuisance that the wealthy seek to avoid; they are a real threat to life. In 2022, more than 60,000 deaths in Europe were directly attributable to high temperatures, according to a study in The Lancet.
Victims of these extreme conditions were mainly the elderly, infants, people with chronic conditions, and those performing heavy manual work. Air conditioning is no longer a luxury, but a means of protecting the most vulnerable. In addition, studies have shown that when the temperature exceeds 26°C, productivity at work decreases by 10% to 15%.
Adaptation to the new reality
The real problem, Costa concludes, is not the air conditioning, but the way it is used. Using air conditioning does not mean that one denies the existence of climate change, nor that one gives up trying to deal with it. Banning air conditioning in advance, without suggesting alternatives, would be like banning umbrellas in the hope that it will stop raining.
Twenty years ago, a heat wave with temperatures reaching 40°C in France was an extremely rare phenomenon that did not justify the installation of air conditioning. Today, however, it has turned into a recurring possibility every summer. Refusing to adapt to this new reality is tantamount to denying reality itself and endangering the population.
