France is proposing to introduce "climate leave" due to heat waves and natural disasters
The French Green Party has proposed introducing a special “climate” leave of up to five days, which would allow workers to protect themselves during extreme weather events without losing their income.
On June 21, representatives of the political party launched a petition calling on the government to create a new mechanism for social protection of the population amid increasingly frequent climate crises.
The initiative applies not only to extreme heat but also to other dangerous natural phenomena, including floods, wildfires, and temporary school closures due to extreme weather conditions.
“We propose establishing climate-related leave of up to 5 days to allow everyone to more easily cope with heat waves, floods, fires, or school closures caused by climate-related events without losing income. No one should have to risk their health or the health of their loved ones just to go to work,” the petition’s authors note.
According to the initiators, this new type of leave will help people avoid dangerous commutes and situations that could pose a threat to their lives and health.
As an example of an effective solution, the French Greens cite Spain, where a four-day paid leave has been in effect since 2024 and can be used during extreme weather conditions. This mechanism allows citizens to stay home during natural disasters and avoid putting themselves at risk.
The idea of “climate” leave emerged amid a rise in the number of extreme weather events in Europe, which are increasingly affecting businesses, educational institutions, and people’s daily lives.
This was reported by Le Figaro.
On Monday, 845 schools and colleges in France will temporarily suspend classes due to the intense heat. Another 1,800 educational institutions will shorten the school day and send students home early.
In Spain, May 2026 was a record-breakingly difficult month due to a heat wave that claimed the lives of at least 101 people. This is the highest figure for that month in the last 11 years of records, and it is more than three times the average for the previous decade. Authorities attribute the rise in mortality specifically to the impact of extremely high temperatures.
