“The tie is the man; it is through it that the man reveals himself and manifests himself”, wrote Balzac, in the Physiology of the toilet (1830). Since then, mores have changed but many men are still forced to wear a tie at work. According to a survey conducted by OpinionWay in 2015, 41% of French people must respect a certain “dress code” in business. For many, it’s a suit, tie, socks and closed shoes… Whether it’s 10 or 40°C. But who says costume in the middle of a heat wave also says strong air conditioning in the offices to ensure a minimum of comfort for employees.
However, in the city, air conditioning generates an increase in electricity consumption and greenhouse gas emissions. In 2021, air conditioning was responsible for nearly 5% of CO2 equivalent emissions in the French building sector, according to Ademe. “This will amplify the urban heat island effect and promote our comfort to the detriment of that of others; those who do not have air conditioning”, summarizes climatologist Valérie Masson-Delmotte. Air conditioning also has the effect of rejecting heat outside. According to a study published in 2019 in the scientific journal type communicationsin the city, air conditioning causes an average temperature increase of between 1 and 1.5°C compared to that of the surrounding countryside.
The Japanese “cool biz”
The President of the Republic announced, on July 14, an “energy sobriety plan” whose goal is to reduce our energy consumption by 10% compared to 2019, by 2024. After supermarkets and administrations public, several hundreds of thousands of companies, grouped together within the French Trade Council and the Confederation of French Traders, are committed to reducing their energy consumption. Turning off illuminated signs as soon as the store closes, lowering the intensity of the light before the public arrives and the ambient temperature in the points of sale… Several decisions have been taken to achieve the objective desired by the government. They also promise to ensure that the exterior doors of stores are closed in the presence of heating or air conditioning.
Air conditioning is an “important lever”, confirms Valérie Masson-Delmotte, especially in summer when it is used a lot. But how to do without it? A semblance of an answer was found in Japan, as early as 2005. In summer, men are called upon to drop jackets and ties in favor of a shirt and shorts. The objective of the movement, called “cool biz”? Maintain air conditioning temperature at 28°C in workplaces. According to figures from the Japanese government, in 2006, this campaign reduced carbon dioxide emissions by 1.14 million tonnes, or the equivalent of the CO2 emissions of one million households for one month.
In France, the “cool biz” would be “conceivable”, according to Inès Bouacida, Climate-Energy researcher at the Institute for Sustainable Development and International Relations (IDDR). Already, in 2019, François de Rugy, former Minister for the Ecological and Solidarity Transition, had appeared with his shirt collar undone on television sets to “show the example”. “The perverse effect [de la canicule] which is understandable, is to push the air conditioning. But if we push them, we consume even more energy and, in a way, we aggravate the phenomenon of global warming”, had justified the former president of the National Assembly at the microphone of BFMTV. This premise of the French version of “cool biz” is “positive” according to the researcher at IDDR, who calls for collective common sense: “for example, air conditioning at 26°C instead of 22 makes it possible to reduce the energy consumption of the device by half.” 26°C is, moreover, the temperature below which it is forbidden to air-condition in certain premises, according to the Energy Code. “A European agreement was concluded on July 26 to reduce gas consumption by 15% next winter. To achieve this goal, we will have to change our habits in the very short term”, warns the specialist.
Social codes still powerful
And that is the problem, as explained by Marie Rebeyrolle, doctor in social anthropology: “In some cases, social codes are stronger than the law.” The tie suit is a perfect example since the norm persists, even in the middle of a heat wave. “The Labor Code does not prevent a man from coming in a shirt, she notes. On the other hand, social codes strictly prohibit a man from going to certain companies in shorts.”
As one integrates a social code, one can also detach oneself from it. But before shorts and shirts are considered codes of good taste in business, there is a little margin, regrets the expert in the business world. “Dress codes have nothing to do with practicality, including in terms of comfort and even less in ecological terms.” Women, on the other hand, ask themselves the question much less, especially during hot weather. In the office, they even have to cover up to withstand the air conditioning.