Key actors — tap for context
Oxfam
Originally a British international confederation of charities fighting poverty and inequality, also known in France for its climate agenda
Why here: Author of the study attributing over 5,000 French deaths a year to heat and calling for a "heatwave plan"
More info →
Cécile Duflot
Former French Minister of Housing and ex-leader of the Greens, now director of Oxfam France
Why here: The face of the study; accuses the government of being unprepared for heat "because it didn't want to be prepared"
More info →Santé publique France
France's national public health agency, which tracks excess mortality during heatwaves
Why here: Source of the hard data on heat-attributable deaths that Oxfam's study is based on
A substantial share of the victims, however, do not fall within officially declared heatwaves: these account for only about 6% of summer days, yet are responsible for 28% of heat-related deaths. And it's not just the elderly — roughly a third of victims are under 75. Santé publique France ↗ This year's May heatwave sent more children and people aged 15 to 44 to hospitals. Euronews ↗
The study also describes how heat kills. During heatwaves, mortality from heart attacks rises by 7%; on the hottest days, mortality among women is twice that of men; and during heatwaves lasting longer than a week, the risk of acute kidney failure increases by 70%. Euronews ↗
Oxfam's strongest message, however, concerns inequality. In summer 2025, excess mortality in the poorest areas was 31% higher than in the wealthiest, and residents of the wealthiest 20% of urban neighborhoods are exposed to heat up to ten times less. Two-thirds of French people report suffering from heat in their own homes, and 40% of dwellings lack proper shutters that prevent overheating. Euronews ↗
Oxfam, which positions itself as a climate justice organization, is calling for a "heatwave plan" modeled on the winter cold-weather plan, for strengthening the state's green fund to redesign public spaces, and for protecting the most vulnerable, including homeless people. "The government is not prepared — but that's because it didn't want to be prepared," charges Oxfam France director Cécile Duflot. franceinfo ↗
