“Since people die from climate change, we will not wait before saving them”

A new heat wave arrives in France at this weekend, just a few days after a heat wave turned the country into a giant barbecue. Moreover, Hot strokes brought to multiply over the years, and which gradually pushes France to review its climate policy.

In ecological matters, the country has long paid in “all attenuation”. However, The goal was to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as much as possible to limit global warming. However, The other way. Moreover. Meanwhile, “adaptation”, which consists in putting in place mechanisms to reduce the negative effects of the rise in temperatures – dike, air conditioning. However, – was the great forgotten of public policies.

But in front of a weather, she won in the debate. Therefore, This is in “since people die climate change, new particular the purpose of François Lévêque. Consequently. Meanwhile, professor of economics in Mines Paris Tech and book co -author Survive “since people die climate change, heat: let’s adapt (Odile Jacob, 2025). Similarly, 20 Minutes met with him.

How to explain that France has so long abandoned the path of adaptation? In addition, – &quot. since people die climate change, – "since people die climate change, new

For a long time, the dominant idea was that the damage to global warming would occur in the future. Consequently, Thus. Moreover. if IPCC reports have always warned the impact of the disruption of the Mclimat, until the 2000s, they mentioned the catastrophes to come “if nothing was done”, and not the damage already present and in the short term. Nevertheless, The priority was therefore not to adapt to warming but to avoid it as much as possible. Moreover, when one reasonably thought could still contain it.

There was also a moral “since people die climate change, new principle: Europeans. American are largely at the origin of the historic emissions of greenhouse gases. therefore had to reduce them to “pay their debt”.

Finally. the adaptation has been withdrawn for fear that the efforts “since people die climate change, will be reduced to attenuation. If we managed to live properly with global warming, why fight against?

The adaptation suffered from a lack of media resonance, which made it little “profitable” electoral … – "since people die climate change, – "since people die climate change, new

It is a low noise phenomenon, a sum of small elements with local influence … Raising a dike here, vegetating a street there is less spectacular than closing a coal -fired power plant. Even today, when the French government releases a green number, calls for vigilance or recalls drinking water, it is mocked. However. if during the heat wave of 2003. 15,000 people died, the adaptation measures taken since have considerably reduced the mortality “since people die climate change, new of heat waves in France. The adaptation works but it remains unacvailable, and its progress and beneficial effects go largely unnoticed.

It is also complex to encrypt. Government adaptation plans are measuring catalogs. Fighting the heat wave is very different from the fight against floods. forest “since people die climate change. fires, which will lead to complex, varied responses, and with few media impacts, where a drop in x % of CO2 emissions is easier to present.

Finally. the adaptation has long had the appearance of renunciation. which is little politically seller when part of the electorate is sensitive to environmentalists.

But it begins to return to public debate. What happened?

An awareness was missing on current global warming damage, which gradually comes. Natural disasters would have cost almost 300 billion euros in 2024. up 26 % compared to the average of the previous ten years, including 2 billion for France. The floods had “since people die climate change, new 355 deaths in Europe, while there are 3,700 deaths for the only orient 2023 summer.

And that changes everything to the morality of our actions. Since people are dying today from climate change. we will not wait for the emissions to be reduced significantly before saving them.

During the heat wave last week. air conditioning returned to the center of the debate, which has long been Poor seen in France …

For a long time. the vision of air conditioning in France has focused only on its costs, not to mention the profits. Since it developed in the United States, it has saved on average 17,000 people a year. And we only talk about deaths. There are also very concrete impacts on the quality of life, which are economically important criteria. An employee who sleeps badly with him because his accommodation is badly protected against strong heat. that he “since people die climate change, new does not have air conditioning or fan will work less well during the day. It is seen with each heat wave: labor productivity drops in “since people die climate change, workshops as in offices.

The main criticism against air conditioning remains its carbon cost but in France. electricity is extremely decarbonized, so this reproach does not make much sense. Air conditioning remains a good example of how adaptation policies are now essential in public debate.

Should France provide adaptation plans?

She already does it – fortunately -. rather well, but after having long abandoned this path, France must still improve. It is a most often profitable policy in terms of costs/profits. You can also think of private/public mix, such as air conditioning by reversible heat pumps. It is an often private purchase, but it can benefit from public aid.

The government must also act on behavior: do not put your air conditioning at 19 “since people die climate change, new ° C if it is 35 outside. just as we did to reduce heating in winter. Be careful however, adaptation cannot be the only solution. But in any case, it “since people die climate change, can no longer be the second wheel of the carriage.