Paris will be a carbon neutral city and 100% powered by renewable energy by 2050, after the Paris City Council unanimously adopted a new Air Quality, Energy & Climate Action Plan.
A major citizen consultation procedure will now be launched to allow every Parisian to participate in the implementation phase of this plan.
The city of Paris is a leader in action against climate change. Adopted for the first time in 2007, then updated in 2012, the Paris Climate Action Plan is taking a new step in 2018. The Plan sets new, ambitious goals for cutting greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which will ensure Paris will play its part in delivering on the Paris Agreement. More than 500 municipal actions are detailed in the Plan, organised around three timelines.
By 2020, the city will accelerate the actions of the previous Climate Plan, reducing GHG emissions and energy consumption in Paris by 25% compared to 2004 levels and reaching a 25% share of renewable energy powering the city.
By 2030, an operational action plan will be put in place to deliver the objective of reducing GHG emissions by 50%, reducing consumption by 35% and reaching a 45% share of renewable energy in the city. Finally, the goal for 2050 is to build a carbon neutral city, 100% reliant on renewable energy.
“Reaching these objectives are an indispensable condition to remain under the 2°C warming of the planet by 2100, in accordance to the Paris Agreement signed in 2015 after the COP21,” said Célia Blauel, Deputy Mayor in charge of the Environment, Sustainable Development, Water, Canaux Policy and the Territorial Energy Climate Action Plan.
Between December 2017 and February 2018, the Project of the Climate Action Plan was created following a public consultation which collected the opinions of citizens from Paris, the Metropole, the Region and the State. More than 900 responses were submitted. Participants in the consultation identified three priority themes for the Plan: A sustainable food system, energy sobriety and territorial adaptation. Several proposals submitted by citizens were added to the Climate Action Plan, including a study for the implementation of a food donation platform from private individuals to the people in greatest need and the possible extension of connections for the t+ transit tickets between the tramway, bus, Metro and RER.
“After a year of work and the engagement of several partners leading to this plan, I am glad that it was adopted by the City Council unanimously, which proves their will to fight for climate change,” said Aurélie Solans, Adviser in charge of the environment.
Paris is only the second city in the world, after New York City, to have its Climate Action Plan reviewed as compatible with C40’s Deadline 2020 framework. This means, when implemented, it will provide the scale of emissions reduction and ambitious climate action required to deliver on the highest targets of the Paris Agreement.
“Through their Climate Action Plan, Paris has chosen to tackle the core issue that contributes to climate change, our carbon based economy. Not only is the City measuring the carbon footprint of all Parisians but it is taking action to engage and influence communities on the positive role they can have in making Paris, more sustainable, healthier and a better place to live and work. The city’s ambitious ‘carbon footprint’ target includes action to tackle emissions associated with the food and construction sectors, and from transport outside Paris, including air transport,” said Mark Watts, Executive Director of C40 Cities.
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