Paris Declares ‘Climate Emergency’ Like London, New York City
A total of 650 local authorities and two national parliaments from around the world have already declared “climate emergency”.
The authorities of Paris have officially declared a “climate emergency” making the French capital one of the first major global cities to do so, after London and New York City as well as the national parliaments of the UK and the Republic of Ireland.
“Paris, like other cities, declares a climate emergency,” Celia Blauel, deputy mayor in charge of the environment, told a municipal council meeting, as cited by AFP and France24.
Blauel emphasized to necessity of adhering to the goals set by the global Paris Climate Change Agreement hosted precisely by the French capital back in 2015 within the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.
According to the declaration of “climate emergency” of the Paris authorities, Paris city hall is going to establish a “climate academy” in order to raise awareness and educate better the young and the public about the climate change issue.
The declaration of climate emergency is seen as part of the efforts of Anne Hidalgo, the Socialist Mayor of Paris, to boost her green credentials as climate change is increasingly deemed a major issue by many voters.
The UK capital London declared a climate emergency in December 2018. America’s New York City followed suit on June 26, 2019, becoming the largest global city to do so.
Climate emergency declarations are promoted by The Climate Mobilization, a US-based NGO.
The Climate Mobilization says that some 650 local authorities in cities and towns across the world have now declared a climate emergency.
The world’s first national parliament to declare a climate emergency is the British Parliament, which did so on May 1, 2019, with the passage of a primarily symbolic motion.
The Parliament of the Republic of Ireland quickly followed suit on May 10, 2019.
The 195 signatories of the 2015 Paris Climate Change Agreement committed them to limiting global temperature rises to “well below” 2 degrees Celsius and to a 1.5-degree cap if possible.
In June 2017, US President Donald Trump announced he was pulling the U.S. out of the agreement.
(Banner image: Pixabay)
