Key facts
- EDF will invest €80 million to install cooling systems in French educational facilities.
- The funding aims to address disruptions caused by increasingly severe heatwaves.
- €40 million will be allocated to immediate cooling solutions like fans and portable air conditioners.
- Another €40 million will support long-term structural cooling upgrades, such as heat pumps.
- Education unions have protested the inadequate working conditions during heatwaves.
France's state-owned power utility, Électricité de France (EDF), is set to invest €80 million to equip schools, nurseries, and daycare centers with cooling systems as the country contends with increasingly severe heatwaves. This initiative aims to mitigate the disruptions faced by the education system, where classrooms struggle to remain operational under extreme temperatures.
The funding will be divided equally, with €40 million designated for readily available solutions such as fans, misting systems, and portable air-conditioning units, capped at ten units per establishment. The remaining €40 million will be directed towards more sustainable, structural cooling upgrades, including the installation of reversible air-to-air heat pumps.
EDF chief Bernard Fontana stated that the company wanted to take concrete action to help these facilities cope with heatwaves. The move comes as much of France experiences red heat alerts, leading to school closures and highlighting the unpreparedness of the national education system for more frequent and intense heatwaves driven by climate change. Education unions have voiced concerns, calling for staff to exercise their right to strike over the difficult working conditions, with temperatures in some areas exceeding 40°C.