In 2015, the nations of the world finally agreed in Paris on a strategy, the Paris Agreement, to address climate change. As mayor of Paris, I have always felt a special responsibility to uphold this agreement. Climate change is scientifically proven and already happening. Its impacts are felt first by the poor and the vulnerable, and therefore it must be addressed to ensure justice and equity as basic human rights.
We – officials, local authorities, and citizens – need above all to recognize the climate emergency and act, even if doing so can be hard. In Paris, when my decisions and policies have come under criticism by media and lobbies, I have been reassured by the support of residents of our city and the global voice of young people demanding for action.
In this task, I have had the privilege of working in partnership with my fellow mayors who take action, learn from one another, and interact with their city administrations, residents, business, industry, and their national governments.
The mayors who are members of the C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group elected me chair from 2016 to 2019; it has been a great honor. During my time as chair, nearly one hundred cities committed to develop and implement plans to keep global average temperature rise to 1.5 degrees, with ambitious action to reduce emissions from transportation, buildings, energy, and waste. Thirty-four of our members monitored their emissions and implemented significant policies. Hundreds of miles of public space were given back to people on foot and on bike, electric buses became commercially feasible, and a lot was accomplished.
We have shown the world the potential for city-based action to dramatically lower greenhouse gas emissions and get the world on track to halve emissions by 2030. However, we must be realistic: our goals will take significant time and effort to achieve.
I truly believe that we can still reach the goals of the Paris Agreement. In the same vein, regional, national, and local governments are mobilized to cope with the global COVID-19 pandemic, and we need to be united and keep our minds open to new ideas, taking the best practices and making them universal, challenging ourselves daily to make our cities healthier, more equitable, and better places to live.
Like David Miller, I am hopeful that we can build this future – not only because it is possible, but because we cannot fail.
Anne Hidalgo
Mayor of Paris
Paris, France
June 2020