The Mayor of the City of Paris, France
Anne Hidalgo
Zone à Faible Émission
Since the first stages of their implementation in 2019, the Zones à Faibles Émissions have provided significant improvement in the air quality of the city of Paris by reducing the overall quantity of harmful chemicals present in the atmosphere. In central Paris, the quantity of pollutants dropped by 6% in the first year after the implementation of ZFE, and has now decreased by 30%. According to the International Council on Clean Transportation (ICCT), emissions of NOx from passenger cars in 2024 are between 76% and 87% lower compared to 2016, exemplifying the success of this policy. Though the levels of NO₂, PM₂.₅ have decreased when comparing 2022 and 2021, the levels of Ozone have remained stable. The World Health Organization recommends following air pollution recommended levels as they help avoid health issues, including asthma, lung cancer, and strokes. While the effects of ZFEs might not be easily visible due to other causes of these pathologies, over time, there should be a general decrease in these issues. The ZFEs were successful in decreasing air pollution; nonetheless, it is insufficient as the levels of particles remain above the WHO recommendations, highlighting that more efforts regarding transportation should be made.
ZFEs were enforced by restricting vehicles belonging to specific categories from the Crit’air criteria. Vehicles that do not follow the guidelines are required to pay a fine ranging from 68 euros for light vehicles and 135 euros for heavy goods vehicles. Even though ZFEs provide cleaner air for Paris, thus reducing the number of respiratory issues in the long run, they also imply an important social cost, stirring frustrations amongst Parisians. Lower-income families may have difficulties financing the switch to a more sustainable means of transportation. Restricting cars from the center of Paris has also caused a lot of traffic congestion in areas where ZFEs do not apply. ZFEs have also encouraged a switch to public transport or to cycling. ZFEs were a policy passed in Macron’s first term as part of his Climate Plan, and Hidalgo was the first to follow through with the implementation of the policy. ZFEs were applied in all of the cities of more than 150,000 inhabitants, and it was meant to follow policies that were passed on the European level. The policy stirred a lot of discontent both in the right-wing parties and left-wing parties since the law passed was not equitable and did not provide enough financial support or enough improvements to the public modes of transportation. Alexandre Jardin, a French left-wing writer, wrote that ecology has turned into a sport of the rich, implying that to have a sustainable society lower lower-income households have to bear the financial burden. A few ministers from Macron’s party joined the opposition from the far-right and far-left to eliminate these zones. The motion to suppress ZFEs was proposed by a member of the far-right party backed by some motoring organisations.
In June 2025, the National Assembly passed a law eliminating ZFEs on a national level, but Hidalgo still plans on carrying out this policy in Paris and continues to tighten restrictions, exemplifying how even when national politics does not align with agendas of local politicians, mayors still have a role to play in climate change.
Bioclimatic Urban Land Use Plan
As the Bio-PLU entered into force in 2024, its novelty has not yet allowed its full impact to be measured, although there are programs and projects directly related to the plan that demonstrate its success. Despite not being referenced in the Bio-PLU, social housing has received a major allocation of funds, resulting in a significant number of renovations in 2023. Throughout 2023, 5,097 social housing units in Paris have received financial aid from the dedicated pool fund, which amounts to approximately €75.7 million. The financial assistance has enabled 755 new social housing projects to receive environmental certifications and 21 social housing units to be accredited with a Bâtiment Énergie Environnement label. The renovations of social housing units have enabled each home to save an average of €440 in energy costs and reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 61%. These results demonstrate the potential of the Bio-PLU to help mitigate energy consumption and meet the 35% reduction deadline, as well as achieve a 50% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
Notwithstanding the limited evidence of the Bioclimatic PLU, the development and implementation of the ‘Zones d’Aménagement Concerté’ (ZACs) are under renovation and construction works provided by the framework of the Bio-PLU. ZACs, or concerted development zones, are land that is under the direct intervention of a public authority to develop and equip the land for subsequent sale or transfer to either public or private users. Directly involving public authorities in the construction of these areas has given the city of Paris complete control to implement the rules and regulatory guidelines of the Bioclimatic PLU. It is essential to acknowledge that not all ZACs are incorporated within the Bioclimatic PLU; some are included in the comprehensive overall ‘Plan Local d’Urbanisme’ for the city of Paris, which addresses various aspects of urban development within Paris.
As part of the Bioclimatic PLU, the Chapelle Charbon ZAC in the 18th arrondissement will be one of the city’s works for the 2024-2030 period. As the first phase of the ZAC is completed with the creation of the Paris Nord-Est public park, the project moves to its second phase, which involves expanding and building residential buildings, schools, and public spaces. The construction of the ZAC will be based on low-carbon, biosourced materials, including cross-laminated timber, hemp concrete, timber-frame construction, and stone, as these materials meet most of the strict requirements under the BBCA quality label.
Additionally, specifications have been made to ensure a low-carbon footprint for the facilities and future buildings. Buildings in Chapelle Charbon will utilize district heating, which already provides 50% renewable energy, complemented by the use of wood and other bio-sourced materials to reduce the area’s carbon footprint further. The construction of the project will comply with the 2025 threshold of the new 2020 environmental regulation and strive for a BBCA label (for low-carbon buildings) at a proficient or excellent level. The measures applied for construction, energy provision, transportation, and utilities will result in a 38% lower carbon footprint compared to if it only complied with the 2012 regulations. The concerted development zones serve as the testing ground for the Bio-PLU. While limited results exist for this policy, the promise and potential of ZACs, such as Chapelle Charbon, exceed expectations in helping to mitigate energy consumption, curb carbon emissions, and mitigate rising temperatures. Furthermore, the impact of Anne Hidalgo’s policies on social housing and the expansion of ZACs in several arrondissements showcases her ambition to transform the city. This, on top of the criticism from right and center-wing parties in the National Assembly, stresses the urgency of involving both private and public stakeholders to mitigate the climatic impact of the building and construction sectors.
Eco-Rénovons Paris+ Scheme
As of 2025, the Eco-Rénovons Paris+ Scheme has been in operation for nine years, having been launched for the first time in 2016.
As seen in the table above, between its launch and 2023, 44,534 private households, 746 jointly owned properties, and 14,465 housing units have been renovated under the ERP+. For the year 2023, the ERP+ allocated approximately €7.83 million in grants and financial support for energy-efficient renovations (Paris Demain, 2024). These resources have financially supported 1,331 private homes in 2023. Thanks to the thousands of renovated households, residents have seen a 51% reduction in their energy costs. The 2023 results of the ERP+ are meeting the goal of renovating 40,000 homes every year, demonstrating the efficacy of the program and the city’s and people’s commitment to reducing energy consumption and improving their living conditions, in line with the climate goals of the ERP+. Additionally, in 2023, 1,721 Parisian housing units committed to implementing energy-efficient renovations under the ERP+. 2022 showed similar results to the Eco-Rénovons Paris+ program: 37,685 private households supported by the ERP+, 5,101 homes renovated through the ERP+, and an average €410 saved on heating for renovated homes.
However, while the results of the ERP+ show Paris’s commitment to promoting ecological adaptation to improve health conditions and mitigate the effects of global warming and greenhouse gas emissions, the French government has sought to halt grants for eco-renovations due to a controversy surrounding false applications. This was due to the number of fraudulent applications and the overwhelming volume of applications, which prompted the government to pause the renovations aligned with the ‘MaPrimeRénov’ program. The pause of financial aid programs, like ‘MaPrimeRénov’, may be linked to the government’s efforts to reduce the heavy public debt France has faced in recent years. However, the government has chosen to resume funding for individual renovations, such as roof insulation, window replacements, and the installation of a heat pump or boiler. The suspension of renovation programs, such as ‘MaPrimeRénov’, could lead to the cancellation of city-wide initiatives, including the Eco-Rénovons Paris+ program, ultimately lowering the goals to reduce emissions from energy use and help combat global warming. Nevertheless, as of the publication date of this report, there are no indications of any suspensions or changes to the ERP+.
IExRAIA Summer Research Program:
This article is an excerpt from a report on Claudia Sheinbaum produced as part of an RAIA research program on climate leaders. For a full picture of Ruto’s climate leadership, including the sources, read the full report. This project was fully financed by IE University’s IE School of Politics, Economics and Global Affairs.
Author: Alice Girotto & Bryan Thorne
Editor: Roxane de Bergevin
Project Leads: Roxane de Bergevin & Stefani Obradovic
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