Anne Hidalgo

Anne Hidalgo has championed a bold and ambitious climate vision during her time as Mayor of Paris. Her mission famously includes pivoting the French capital away from cars, doing everything from adding a parking tax on high-polluting vehicles like SUVs to adding more than 800 miles of new bike lanes, to get there. As a result, car traffic and pollution has decreased 40% since 2011. And between 2004 and 2018 local emissions dropped by 25%. Hosting this year’s summer Olympic and Paralympic Games provided another opportunity to showcase the city’s sustainable prowess, illustrating what’s possible for such events: Few single-use plastics were used. The Seine became cleaner. New venues were limited, and any equipment used for temporary sites has since been redistributed for reuse. All of this is helping the city move towards its goal of becoming carbon neutral by 2050.

What is the single most important action you think the public, or a specific company or government (other than your own), needs to take in the next year to advance the climate agenda?

For years, scientists have been explaining the impact of humankind on climate change. We can no longer wait, and we don't need to be convinced. Plans and measures are ready everywhere, and I urge everyone to act. In Paris, forecasts predict heat waves of 50 degrees Celsius [or more than 120 degrees Fahrenheit] over the next few decades, and we have launched a program to adapt the city by involving the private sector to reach the goals.

What’s one sustainability effort you personally will try to adopt in the next year, and why?

As the year 2025 approaches, the City of Paris embraces a set of plans in key areas such as ecology, urban planning, environmental health and resilience, to set the course for the coming decades. This is the outcome of concerted efforts over a number of years with my team. We've already done a lot in the city to curb the number of cars, green the streets, give space back to pedestrians and provide mobility for cyclists. To carry on, we need to look ahead and see what the city will look like in 10, 20, or 30 years' time.

Where should climate activism go in the next year?

Climate justice is a tool for holding political and economic players accountable. I call for an international criminal court to be introduced to tackle ecocide. Recognition of this crime would enable us to curb the misdeeds of major polluters who simply disregard the consequences of their actions.

If you could stand up and talk to world leaders at the next U.N. climate conference, what would you say?

I will not attend the next COP in Baku given the human rights record of the country.