French mayors overhaul climate policies after record heatwave

French local officials are urgently revising their territorial strategies following an unprecedented summer of extreme heat and devastating wildfires. The summer was recorded as the hottest in France since 1900, with a provisional report from Santé publique France estimating nearly 8,000 excess deaths.

Yann Galut, the mayor of Bourges, described the period as a “paradigm shift” that has made climate adaptation an absolute priority. He noted a drastic increase in heatwave days in his city and has ordered his teams to develop an urgent action plan to be presented by October 1st.

The extreme weather revealed significant vulnerabilities in schools, housing, transport, hospitals, and the workplace. Beyond the heat, municipalities faced intense wildfires, such as in Le Porge where 183 homes were destroyed, as well as severe droughts and destructive storms.