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French energy firm EDF allocates €80 million for school cooling systems
EDF announced Friday it will spend €80 million to install fans, misting devices and air conditioning units in more than 10,000 schools, nurseries and daycare centers. The funding follows a record heatwave that forced thousands of schools to close earlier this week.
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French state-owned energy utility EDF said Friday it will allocate €80 million to equip schools, nurseries and daycare centers with cooling systems. The company stated that half the budget will pay for more than 100,000 pieces of equipment such as fans, misting devices and air conditioning units across more than 10,000 establishments by the end of September 2026.
The remaining funds will be distributed as €10,000 lump sums per facility to support cooling improvements through June 2027.
Background on the heatwave A record-breaking heatwave this week pushed temperatures as high as 53°C and forced the closure of thousands of schools. Most French schools lack air conditioning and are not designed to handle extreme heat. Teaching unions called a strike on Thursday to protest what they described as unacceptable working conditions.
Some parents have used chalk-based coatings or emergency blankets on windows to reduce classroom temperatures. "As heatwaves increasingly affect our country, we wanted to take concrete action by helping schools, nurseries and daycare centers equip themselves with both immediately available cooling solutions and longer-term improvements," EDF CEO Bernard Fontana said in a statement.
