Overview
- France recorded its hottest day on June 24, triggering unprecedented departmental warnings and forcing schedule changes in about 8,000 schools and closures of roughly 1,800 institutions.
- On June 24 government spokesperson and energy minister Maud Bregeon said the state is "favorable to air conditioning wherever it is necessary," with schools singled out as a priority but not a universal fix because installations cost money and take time.
- Bregeon indicated the government is open to allowing the Fonds vert, the €837 million fund tied to the third national adaptation plan, to finance targeted cooling where needed and that the idea will be discussed in upcoming budget debates.
- Rassemblement National is preparing a broad national plan to expand air conditioning but its scope, cost and financing remain unclear, while Green leader Marine Tondelier accepts AC as one adaptation tool and criticizes past cuts to the Fonds vert and equity gaps in access.
- The debate now centers on trade-offs between short-term protection and long-term climate policy, with immediate effects on school days and local services and a likely political fight over how much of the Fonds vert or new credits will be redirected to cooling installations.