by Mia Taylor
Last updated: 2:50 PM ET, Tue June 30, 2026
A Paris official clapped back this week at American tourists who criticized France’s limited air-condition infrastructure amid the record-breaking heat wave impacting the European continent.
Audrey Pulvar, deputy mayor of Paris for international relations, partially blamed Americans and their widespread reliance on air conditioning for the deadly heatwave Europe is now facing amid worsening climate change.
Pulvar made her comments in a lengthy Instagram post on the heels of American tourists and social media users mocking France's lack of widespread air conditioning.
“Dear American journalists and social media ‘influencers’: for days, some of you have been criticizing and making fun of Paris because the city does not have A/C in every room…OMG, this is so rich!” Pulvar wrote in her social media post.
Pulvar went on to point out that the criticism of American tourists is entirely misguided, pointing to the fact that the United States is one of the top greenhouse gas emitters in the world.
"As the second-largest emitter of greenhouse gas emissions in the world, you bear a significant amount of responsibility for global warming and the consequences we, in France, are experiencing. Your cities '90% air-conditioned' are not unrelated to this. In Paris, we take responsibility."
“Paris didn’t wait until June 2026 to reduce its environmental footprint and adapt to the consequences of climate change,” Pulvar added.
"If every American city made the same ecological transition efforts as Paris and many European cities, believe me, the whole world would be better off. So please, enough with the lecture. Just start doing your part,” she concluded.
Pulvar’s statements are factually accurate. The United States is second largest greenhouse gas emitting country in the world, following only China.
In 2025, U.S. greenhouse gas emissions increased by 2.4%, marking a change from the prior two years of notably decreasing emissions and making progress toward addressing climate change, according to Rhodium Group, an independent research group.
U.S. emissions in 2025 also grew faster than the economy that same year, during which the GDP expanded by about 1.9%. That trend shows that the country is reversing its prior two years of important progress with regard to decoupling emissions from economic activity. Emissions in 2025 were 6%, well below pre-pandemic levels in 2019.
Pulvar, meanwhile, pointed out that Paris has implemented extensive environmental policies including expanding its urban green spaces, reducing car use, improving building energy efficiency, and promoting sustainable agriculture.
These measures likely helped limit the impact of the heat wave, Pulvar explained. But she said more work remains. She concluded by pointing out that countries contributing the most to climate change are in no place to criticize the countries that are actively working on solutions.
Amid the brutal heatwave, Paris reduced hours at many of the country’s iconic landmarks, such as the Eiffel Tower and the Louvre.
For the latest travel news, updates and deals, subscribe to the daily TravelPulse newsletter.
Topics From This Article to Explore
