88 Time September 23, 2019
Climate disasters have rarely been so devastating.
Across Europe, temperatures have reached new heights.
Our planet has endured an extraordinarily hot summer,
sea ice continues to melt at an alarming rate, and fires
raging through the Amazon confirm our worst fears.
The good news is that we are finally talking about it.
But talking is not enough. Our survival depends on action.
These weather events did not come about by pure chance.
We are responsible.
Today, the young are showing us the way forward.
Many have listened to Greta Thunberg’s call to action.
High school activists are marching
in our cities, challenging their
leaders to act once and for all.
I hear them, I am listening. It is
my responsibility as a politician to
give concrete answers. Individual
action will not be enough
unless policymakers create the
conditions for collective change.
Change is still possible.
As chair of the C40
organization—a group of mayors
representing many of the largest
cities in the world—I have seen
that cities can act together, even
when countries refuse to do so.
Within our network, hundreds
of cities around the world have
committed to cutting their carbon
emissions.
But we will fail if we turn our
cities into climate sanctuaries
disconnected from the rest of their countries and
reserved for the richest citizens. How do we design a
transformation to benefit everyone?
In Paris, I have been fighting against pollution for a
long time by gradually limiting the city’s exposure to the
most polluting vehicles and reducing parking spaces in
the streets. It has not been easy, but I am deeply convinced
that the environment is a concern for everyone in society.
We need to take everyone into account to find the best
solutions. My vision for Paris is as a green city where
we can all breathe fresh air, share open space and enjoy
our lives.
That is why we are adapting our
city to give more space to pedestrians
and bicycles. For instance, the Seine’s
banks— urban highways in the heart
of Paris—have been converted into
promenades. On Sundays, entire
neighborhoods turn into pedestrian
zones. And 620 miles of bike lanes will
be completed by the end of this year.
Wherever possible, in streets, squares
and playgrounds, we are removing
asphalt to give space back to nature.
Soon, the Eiffel Tower will sit in the
middle of a large park. With tree-
planting programs, real urban forests
will act as the lungs for neighborhoods
across the city.
This is the city we want to show the
world during the Summer Olympics
in Paris in 2024. In times of crisis,
we need such major unifying events
to stimulate dialogue, facilitate an
exchange of ideas and push us to meet
challenges. We have a clear deadline
to work toward, and we plan to host
the most environmentally sustainable
Olympic Games in history.
For that, we will build little and
only when it will be useful to residents.
Public transport will be at the heart
of the project, 100% green energy will
be used, and single-use plastic will
be banned. This legacy will benefit
Parisians and everyone who loves Paris.
The situation is urgent, but I am
confident because I know I am not
alone in this battle. There are more and
more of us fighting for a different vision
of the world—a world that takes care
of our most precious resources: the air
we breathe, the water we drink and the
places we share.Hidalgo has served as the mayor of Paris
since 2014Our cities cannot
become climate
sanctuaries for the rich