Paris Heatwave
'Don't lecture us': Paris Deputy Mayor slams Americans over AC criticism amid deadly Europe heatwave
Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar has hit back at American tourists who mocked France's lack of air conditioning during a deadly heatwave sweeping across Europe.
France is grappling with extreme temperatures, with the mercury climbing as high as 40°C in several regions this year.
The intense heat prompted some American tourists to question why air conditioning remains uncommon in many French homes, hotels, and restaurants.
Responding to the criticism, Paris Deputy Mayor Audrey Pulvar argued that the United States should bear greater responsibility for the climate crisis driving such extreme weather events.
She said France has been actively implementing measures to combat climate change, one of the world's most pressing challenges.
In an Instagram post, Pulvar wrote: "Paris didn’t wait until June 2026 to reduce its environmental footprint and adapt to the consequences of climate change. Since the left took over the city government, we have consistently pursued ambitious public policies regarding ecological transition: greening the city, reducing car use, transforming mobility, making the Seine swimmable, improving the energy efficiency of buildings, eliminating pesticides, and supporting the ecological transition of agriculture that supplies Paris’s institutional food services."
She argued that conditions would have been far worse had France not taken these measures.
"Yes, there is still much to be done. No, the situation is not ideal. But perhaps it would be more appropriate for one of the countries most responsible for the problem not to lecture those who are trying to find solutions for their own populations," she wrote, taking aim at the United States.
The ongoing heatwave across Europe, which has severely disrupted daily life in several countries, has been linked to more than 1,300 excess deaths since June 21, according to the World Health Organization (WHO).
Temperature records have continued to fall across the continent, with countries including Germany, Poland, and the Czech Republic experiencing exceptionally high temperatures.
WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned in a post on X that Europe is warming at an alarming rate, underscoring the growing health risks posed by climate change.
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