Paris apartment dwellers blaze over lack of AC
Paris Braces for Rising Heatwaves as Residents Turn to Air Conditioning
Paris’s iconic zinc roofs, long symbols of Haussmann-era elegance, are proving inadequate against the summer scorch that is now reshaping urban living. Many Parisians, once stoic against the idea of indoor cooling, are now installing air conditioning units, a change that experts warn could intensify the city’s climate‑related challenges.
From Resistance to Acceptance
Air conditioning has traditionally been a rarity in Parisian homes, a preference rooted in notions that it is wasteful and climate‑unfriendly. Foreign tourists, puzzled by the locals’ aversion to A/C, have historically met the rejection with a Gallic shrug.
Recent heatwaves, magnified by global warming, are eroding that resistance. However, newly installed A/C systems are often accompanied by a guilty conscience about their environmental footprint.
“Tipping Point” for Comfort
“Even when you know that it’s a selfish pleasure, there is a tipping point at which all counter-arguments are thrown out,” said Ruben Arnold, 47, entrepreneur in building energy efficiency. Despite fully acknowledging the climate cost of cooling technologies, he needed his system for the well‑being of his family.
Living Under the Sun
For those on top floors of Parisian buildings beneath classic zinc roofs, summer can feel like living under a hot pan. Marion Lafuste, 40, from northeast Paris, recalls the last heatwave when her indoor temperature spiked to 41 °C (106 °F). Ice packs and sealed shutters offered minimal respite.
While she prefers to remain in a temperate environment in the countryside, she would have installed an A/C unit in Paris, despite her ideological reservations. She now openly supports others who opt for cooling, recognizing the broader impact of global warming.
Refusal and Adaptation
Martine Bontemps, also on a top floor, often feels suffocating heat but refuses to surrender to cooling. She relies on a ceiling fan installed by her landlord, exemplifying the more sustainable options still available.
Future Heat Forecasts
Météo France projects that Paris may regularly face heatwaves up to 50 °C by 2050, with more nights of tropical heat coming—a health concern because optimal sleep temperatures are below 20 °C.
In 2003, heat‑related deaths among the elderly reached a peak; a third of these deaths occurred at home. This grim data motivates some residents, like Sophie Julini, 53, to install A/C for her 86‑year‑old mother.
Air Conditioning’s Rise and Its Implications
A recent APUR study notes that air conditioning is not yet ubiquitous but is gaining traction, largely due to pressure from foreign renters in private apartments. Portable units, increasingly purchased by residents, are often unaccounted for in building statistics, complicating accurate measurements.
Karine Bidart, director of the Paris Climate Agency (APC), describes this development as “very problematic.” She cites studies predicting that widespread use of private A/C could raise external temperatures by 2 °C.
Frederic Delhommeau, APC’s residential energy director, cautions: “Turning to air conditioning is fine as a refuge for vulnerable people, but it is problematic as a reflex because cheaper, more efficient alternatives exist.”
Roof Renovation and Heritage Constraints
Lert suggests that upgrading zinc roofs could mitigate heat, yet heritage protection agencies often prioritize patrimony over public health, creating obstacles.
Looking Ahead
Anne Ruas, a researcher, believes that private A/C units will become more common in Parisian apartments. “Instead of imposing prohibitions and guilt, we need to devise solutions and develop the least harmful systems possible,” she says.
