According to a European survey published last Thursday, Paris has made great strides in terms of air quality. In fact, our beloved capital has cut greenhouse gas emissions by 25%! Although carbon neutrality is still a long way off by 2050, the efforts made over many years by Paris City Hall seem to be bearing fruit… Paris could even achieve its -50% greenhouse gas emissions target by 2030.
Paris, a cleaner city than 10 years ago
The news is bound to make you feel better. According to AirParif, the capital has significantly reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by around 25% in 10 years! To carry out this study, some thirty atmospheric sensors were installed in Paris and the Ile-de-France region to capture carbon dioxide levels in the air. These sensors were placed in strategic locations: on rooftops, antennas, towers, in high-traffic areas, etc.
The result? A net drop in CO₂ emissions of 25% was recorded between 2015 and 2025. According to Professor Thomas Lauvaux of LSCE, this would be equivalent to removing the equivalent of 200,000 inhabitants from the map! Huge progress, then, which can be explained by, among other things, a reduction in thermal cars on the roads (due to low CO₂ emission zones but also to government subsidies encouraging the purchase of a cleaner vehicle), a massive increase in cycle lanes in the capital as well as the development of the public transport network or even the energy-efficient renovation of thousands of buildings.
Pleasing news, which we hope will augur well for the years to come.