Climatologist: France Is Adapted to a Climate That No Longer Exists

French climatologist François Gemenne stated today that France is entering a climatic phase that is unknown to it because it is adapted to a climate that no longer exists, and that this is a „frightening challenge,“ reported the Parisian daily Le Monde on its website.

„We are completely unprepared. The country is adapted to a climate that no longer exists. It is quite frightening,“ said Gemenne, adding that France is facing its second heatwave this year.

According to him, it is necessary to overcome the idea that adaptation is a form of surrender.

„We used to consider saying such a thing as defeatism, but the reality is that we will have to adapt while simultaneously reducing greenhouse gas emissions,“ the expert claims.

Gemenne points out that exceeding 50 degrees Celsius in France is entirely possible in the next 20 years, especially since the High Council for Climate found in a study that by 2050 there will be five times more heatwaves.

„Yes, we must take into account that a large part of the summer could be spent in a heatwave, and therefore we must think about everything we can do: adapt buildings, working hours, and so on,“ said the researcher.

According to him, repeated heatwaves will have an impact on the landscape: rivers, mountains, and vegetation.

„We are entering a phase that we do not yet know. We must not see this as inevitability, but as a frightening challenge,“ said Gemenne.

According to him, the priority is exclusively on buildings, and Paris is the European city „where the most people die from heatwaves,“ because the city is very densely populated, highly built-up, and has very little air conditioning.

„We will have no choice regarding air conditioning, despite its impact on the environment. We must acknowledge the benefits of air conditioning in terms of public health,“ said Gemenne, who reiterates that adaptation is primarily aimed at saving lives.

The expert said he is rather pessimistic about a true collective awakening.

„I do not think that heatwaves will change the situation. In 2022, with an especially dry summer, we thought this was a major turning point. We did absolutely nothing. There are stories, but the main challenge for us researchers is to stop just giving warnings and to start working, finding and promoting solutions,“ said the climatologist.