As Europe endures another brutal summer heat wave, one senior Paris official has found an unlikely culprit: Americans with air conditioning.
Audrey Pulvar, Paris’ deputy mayor for international affairs and a member of France’s Socialist Party, ignited controversy after accusing the United States of contributing to the scorching temperatures gripping France and much of Western Europe.
Responding to Americans mocking Paris for its lack of air conditioning, Pulvar fired back on social media.
“As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases in the world, you bear a significant responsibility for global warming,” she wrote, arguing that America’s widespread use of air conditioners is part of the problem.
“Your cities, 90% air-conditioned, are not unrelated to this.”
Pulvar defended Paris’ aggressive environmental policies, touting years of efforts to reduce emissions, expand green spaces, improve energy efficiency, and reshape transportation. She insisted American cities should follow Europe’s lead rather than criticize France’s lack of cooling infrastructure.
The comments came as thousands across France struggled through dangerous temperatures, many without access to air conditioning.
French officials estimate that more than 1,000 excess deaths occurred during last week’s heat wave alone. Across Europe, heat-related deaths reached approximately 62,700 in 2024, dramatically higher than the roughly 2,400 reported in the United States during the same period.
Critics argue the difference highlights a practical reality: air conditioning saves lives.
Despite mounting public concern, Paris officials have remained resistant to expanding residential air conditioning. Paris Mayor Emmanuel Grégoire has previously called widespread home air conditioning a “scourge,” arguing that it contributes to higher urban temperatures.
That position appears increasingly out of step with the French public. Polling now shows roughly eight in ten French voters support installing air conditioning as a standard feature in schools, nursing homes, public transportation, and housing. Yet only about one in four French homes currently has air conditioning.
Pulvar’s criticism also comes as America’s carbon emissions have declined significantly over the past two decades. While the United States remains one of the world’s largest emitters, much of its reduction has been driven by expanded natural gas production following the fracking boom—a technology that remains heavily restricted or banned across much of Europe.
The debate has become a flashpoint in the broader clash between climate policy and everyday life.
As deadly heat becomes more common, many Europeans are asking a simple question: should governments continue discouraging air conditioning, or embrace the technology that much of the rest of the developed world already considers essential?