Paris Deputy Mayor Hits Back at US Critics Over Lack of Air Conditioning Amid Heatwave

The Deputy Mayor of Paris has criticized the United States, claiming it bears some responsibility for the record-breaking heatwaves that have recently struck France.
According to the British daily The Telegraph on June 30 (local time), Audrey Pulvar, the Deputy Mayor of Paris in charge of international relations, made the remarks while targeting some Americans who have been mocking the lack of air conditioning in France.
Recently, there has been a wave of mockery online from Americans, particularly those living in the southern U.S. desert or tropical regions, suggesting that people in France and Western Europe are unable to withstand heat that they themselves experience every year.
In response, Deputy Mayor Pulvar wrote on Facebook on June 26, "Some American journalists and social media influencers have been criticizing and mocking Paris because not every room in the city is equipped with air conditioning," adding, "It is truly absurd."
She pointed out, "As the world's second-largest emitter of greenhouse gases, you bear significant responsibility for global warming and the damage it is causing in France," and added, "Your cities, where air conditioning penetration reaches 90 percent, are not unrelated to this problem."
Deputy Mayor Pulvar further argued, "For the past 25 years, we have been implementing policies to reduce air pollution, increase urban green spaces, improve building energy efficiency, and transform our transport systems," adding, "If every city in the United States had made the same level of effort toward ecological transition as Paris or other European cities, the world would be in a better place."
She then urged, "So please, stop the lecturing. It is time for you to start doing what you need to do."

According to The Telegraph, unlike in the United States where air conditioning is commonplace, only one in four households in France owns an air conditioner.
There has traditionally been significant resistance to air conditioning in France.
In an Ipsos poll released earlier this month, 78 percent of French respondents stated that air conditioning is harmful to the environment, and one in six respondents said they were willing to endure discomfort for the sake of the planet.
However, as a heatwave with temperatures hovering around 40°C (104°F) persisted for about ten days starting in the middle of this month, portable air conditioners sold out at electronics stores across France.
In some stores, social media videos captured shoppers rushing to buy air conditioning units as soon as they were unloaded from delivery trucks.
While the heatwave that hit France has currently entered a brief lull, weather authorities have forecasted that the heat will intensify again starting around July 6.
(Photo: Getty Images)
※ Please note: This article was translated by AI and may contain errors.