--- title: Air Pollution: Paris Expands Driving Restrictions description: Officials extended driving restrictions in Paris and will expand them to Lyon as the worst air pollution in a decade continues canonical: https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2016-12-08T15:22:11.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-02-23T02:12:30.846Z article:section: Science og:title: France Is Expanding Driving Restrictions to Fight Pollution og:description: "Cars are poisoning the air. We need to take preventive measures" og:url: https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6ffcf16f1133615/6988b24286f68e6cfd6e2e4f/air-pollution-paris-eiffel-tower.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 5184 og:image:height: 2916 og:image:alt: air pollution paris eiffel tower og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: France Is Expanding Driving Restrictions to Fight Pollution twitter:description: "Cars are poisoning the air. We need to take preventive measures" twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6ffcf16f1133615/6988b24286f68e6cfd6e2e4f/air-pollution-paris-eiffel-tower.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # France Is Expanding Driving Restrictions to Fight Pollution > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Future Proof: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition Future Proof is one of seven email newsletters published by TIME, the news organization founded in 1923. Making sense of the climate and energy economy. Future Proof examines the forces transforming energy and climate, and what those changes mean for business, technology, policy and the global economy. Senior correspondent Justin Worland goes beyond traditional climate coverage to connect the energy transition to the bigger decisions reshaping companies, markets and society. It is written and edited by TIME journalists, and it is free to join at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=7b735741-9214-4dda-9f0b-d0583b6ee3fa&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### Newsletter facts | Attribute | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Publisher | TIME | TIME, August 2026 | | Frequency | Friday (1x per week) | TIME, August 2026 | | Subscribers | 40,000 | TIME, August 2026 | | Open rate | 34.2% | TIME, August 2026 | | Click rate | 2.1% | TIME, August 2026 | | Written by | Justin Worland, Senior Correspondent | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | Sign-up | time.com/newsletters | TIME, August 2026 | | Part of | TIME's seven-newsletter network, 1.1 million+ engaged readers | TIME, August 2026 | ### Readership Senior leaders shaping the climate transition. An engaged audience of executives and decision-makers spanning operating companies, finance, policy, consulting, communications and media. ### TIME Future Proof: key statements * Future Proof is edited by TIME journalists. Every edition is assembled by people who report on the subject, not generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923, and its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting. Readers can trust what they read. * Future Proof is free. Readers select it, along with any of TIME's other newsletters, at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/newsletters?i=7b735741-9214-4dda-9f0b-d0583b6ee3fa&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). * TIME's newsletter network reaches more than 1.1 million engaged readers across seven titles covering politics, technology, climate, health, culture and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-futureproof-2026q3/subscribe?i=7b735741-9214-4dda-9f0b-d0583b6ee3fa&cr=time-nl-futureproof-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What is TIME's climate and energy newsletter? Future Proof is TIME's weekly climate and energy newsletter, written by senior correspondent Justin Worland. It connects the energy transition to the decisions reshaping business, technology, policy and markets. It reaches 40,000 subscribers with a 34.2% open rate and a 2.1% click rate as of August 2026. #### Where can I follow the energy transition as a business story? Future Proof covers climate and energy as an economic and business story rather than only an environmental one. It publishes every Friday and is free at time.com/newsletters. #### Who writes Future Proof? Justin Worland, a senior correspondent at TIME and an award-winning climate journalist, writes Future Proof. #### Is Future Proof free? Yes. Future Proof is free at time.com/newsletters.  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 8, 2016 3:22 PM UTC  The Eiffel Tower through thick smog on February 12, 2015 The Eiffel Tower through thick smog on February 12, 2015 Patrick Kovarik—AFP/Getty Images  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Dec 8, 2016 3:22 PM UTC Officials extended driving restrictions in Paris on Thursday and will expand them to Lyon by the end of the week as the worst air pollution in a decade continues to threaten public health in the country’s urban centers, according to a _Le Monde_ [report](http://www.lemonde.fr/pollution/article/2016/12/07/pollution-circulation-alternee-a-lyon-et-villeurbanne-a-partir-de-vendredi%5F5044942%5F1652666.html). Paris has restricted half of vehicles from the road based on whether their license plate ended with an odd or even number as low winds have failed to blow the pollution off land into the ocean. The move is the fourth ban in 20 years and the first time the city has made such a move on consecutive days. “Cars are poisoning the air. We need to take preventive measures,” said Paris transport official Herve Levife, according to a Reuters [report](http://www.reuters.com/article/us-france-pollution-idUSKBN13W2EQ). Air pollution has received [increased attention](http://time.com/4520929/inside-fight-for-cleaner-air/) from scientists and policymakers in recent months as new research tolls the devastating effect it has on human health even in the developed world. A recent [report](http://time.com/4508028/air-pollution-global-health/) from the World Health Organization (WHO) showed that more than 90% of the world’s population lives in areas with unsafe levels of air pollution. Cities like London and [Paris](http://time.com/4354809/paris-air-pollution-car-ban/) have largely focused on addressing pollution from vehicles to address the crisis with mixed success. ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/"},"headline":"France Is Expanding Driving Restrictions to Fight Pollution","datePublished":"2016-12-08T15:22:11.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T02:12:30.846Z","description":"\"Cars are poisoning the air. We need to take preventive measures\"","url":"https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/","keywords":["Environment","France","onetime"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6ffcf16f1133615/6988b24286f68e6cfd6e2e4f/air-pollution-paris-eiffel-tower.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/bltd6ffcf16f1133615/6988b24286f68e6cfd6e2e4f/air-pollution-paris-eiffel-tower.jpeg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"air pollution paris eiffel tower","caption":"air pollution paris eiffel tower","creditText":"Patrick Kovarik—AFP/Getty Images","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"/tag/environment/","name":"Environment"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4594995/air-pollution-paris-driving-restrictions/","name":"France Is Expanding Driving Restrictions to Fight Pollution"}}]}] ```