Climate activists today scaled the Louvre Museum Pyramid in Paris and threw orange paint on it to demand a nationwide plan for the thermal insulation of buildings from the French government.
About a dozen protesters of "Derniere Renovation" (Final Renovation) threw balloons filled with paint on the iconic glass-and-metal structure, while another scaled it and doused it with paint.
In a statement, the group called on the government to devote €12 billion each year to enhance the thermal insulation of French buildings, as the National Assembly is debating the 2024 budget.
Derniere Renovation says the move could drastically cut French carbon emissions. Poorly-insulated real estate ranks fourth for the most polluting sectors of the French economy behind transport, agriculture and industry, according to a parliamentary inquiry published earlier this month.
About a dozen protesters were arrested by police after the Louvre stunt, according to the climate action group.
Derniere Renovation has made a name for itself in France after several similar actions denouncing what they say is the government's "climate inaction," targeting governmental buildings, cultural sites or motorways.