Marine Tondelier, national secretary of the Les Écologistes party and 2027 presidential candidate, detailed a comprehensive plan to combat heatwaves during a Wednesday interview [1].
The proposal arrives as France grapples with increasing temperature extremes that threaten public health and strain energy grids. Tondelier said that sustainable urban planning must replace a heavy reliance on mechanical cooling to protect citizens from rising temperatures.
Central to the plan is a mandate for urban greenery. Tondelier said that every citizen should be able to see at least three trees from their home [2]. This reforestation effort is designed to lower city temperatures naturally and reduce the "urban heat island" effect in densely populated areas like Paris and its surrounding suburbs [1].
Tondelier also proposed the creation of a "climate leave" to protect workers during extreme heat events [1]. This measure would allow employees to take time off or adjust schedules when temperatures reach dangerous levels, prioritizing health over productivity.
Regarding energy, the candidate advocated for the promotion of renewable energy sources and the limitation of air conditioning [1]. She said that air conditioning cannot be the sole response to heatwaves and criticized the government's lack of preparation [3]. This critique follows a specific orange heat alert issued for Paris on May 28, 2026 [3].
The broader environmental strategy includes a long-term phase-out of synthetic pesticides. Tondelier said that the goal is to completely exit the use of these chemicals by 2050 [4].
"The government has made itself guilty of unpreparedness," Tondelier said [3].
“"Every citizen should be able to see at least three trees from their home."”
Tondelier's platform represents a shift toward 'passive' climate adaptation, focusing on structural changes like urban forestry and labor law adjustments rather than technological fixes like air conditioning. By linking public health to urban ecology, the proposal seeks to decouple heat mitigation from energy consumption, though the feasibility of the 'three trees' mandate will likely depend on municipal land-use laws and urban density.
