Cool solutions could head off the climate-damaging rush for air con

As the Paris Olympics and Paralympics approach, there are warnings the games could be the hottest on record, beating the current holder of that dubious title – Tokyo 2020 – and putting competitors at risk of heat exhaustion and potentially fatal heatstroke. In fact, average temperatures in Paris have risen by 1.8°C since the city last hosted the games a century ago. The reason is obvious.

The organisers are aware of the danger and have fitted an energy efficient system of underfloor pipes that carry water to cool the…