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City of Marseille is committed to the climate
On the occasion of the 5th anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement, the Mayor of Marseille, Michèle Rubirola, addressed the speech to declare a state of climate emergency in order to act at the local level regarding environmental issues.
Mayor Rubiola stated: “We are living in the hottest years in the history of our planet. 2020 will undoubtedly break a new record. And we live in a region particularly exposed to the risks of climate change.This is why I decided to declare a state of climate emergency in Marseille. The red color – which has illuminated the Town Hall on Friday and Saturday – is a sign of urgency. Scientists are unanimous: we must react. And we must react quick.”
The Paris Agreement is already 5 years old: 195 states have signed the first legally binding global agreement on climate change.
Despite this, greenhouse gas emissions have continued to increase. According to the UN, 70% of the actions to be taken in the fight against climate change must be local actions. And the city of Marseille will be one of the locals to act.
The mayor said: “This state of climate emergency is a commitment. It will be voted on during the 1st Municipal Council of the year 2021. Hundreds of municipal councils around the world have already taken it. We will set up a policy: reduction of greenhouse gas emissions, restoration of natural resources and adaptation of our city to the impacts of climate change.”
Each decision will lead toward development of virtuous solutions, those that make possible the fight against crises (ecological and social), while protecting the most vulnerable ones.
“This crisis is a threat but it is also an opportunity. It pushes us to prepare the city of tomorrow: it will be a more peaceful city, a more vegetated city, which produces part of its food, which protects its natural and agricultural areas, with public transport and quality cycle paths, a less polluted city. In short, we are going to change Marseille”, declared Mayor Rubiola.
The City of Marseille will mobilize all public and private entities to prepare this city of tomorrow, but they will start with themselves: the municipality must make the first example. They have already launched an energy renovation plan for municipal buildings. Furthermore, a renewable energy development plan is also going to be launched and they plan to create a “City of Transition”, a place that will support research and development on these transition projects by promoting our university centers of excellence and ecological transition companies.
Mayor Rubiola also said: “We are therefore going to establish a dialogue between elected officials, citizens, associations, NGOs, experts: Marseille has already voted, during the City Council of October 5, to set up a “Citizens’ Assembly of the future”. Its job will be to reconcile climate and social justice issues, citizen involvement and transparency: what I want is for the ecological transition to be a co-constructed public policy”.
The Mayor’s whole speech in French is available on this link.
