About this episode

The episode discusses France's controversial stance on air conditioning amidst a heatwave and the political implications surrounding its adoption.

Is this the heatwave that finally changes French minds on air conditioning? Not for Environment Minister Monique Barbut. She said she was "horrified" by the idea of it becoming widespread. The rest of the world looked on perplexed as France suffered a brutal week, particularly for schools, hospitals and care homes. Long suspicious of it, French people are slowly adopting A/C, but it remains politically controversial and difficult to install in historic towns and cities. Technology Editor Peter O'Brien pours cold water on what he says is a needlessly hot topic in France.

More episodes of Tech 24

• Why Anthropic won't mind Alibaba's Claude ban · July 5, 2026 · 6 min
• Love, loneliness and robots: AI prompts new questions around human connection · June 21, 2026 · 6 min
• Tech 24 takes to the skies as VivaTech takes over the Champs-Élysées · June 14, 2026 · 3 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the Tech 24 podcast page.