Paris is often thought of as an ancient city that’s stuck in its ways. Yet it’s always been a city of innovation, from the days of Louis XVI to the present. Today, these innovative initiatives also include going green, and Parisians now have more options than ever before for incorporating sustainable habits into their daily lives.
Paris will banish diesel cars by 2024
Paris is the first European city to ban diesel cars, which will be banned in 2024. The French capital will be the first city in Europe to do so and follows London and Madrid’s lead.
The city is opening a hydrogen-fueled bus route
Paris is well on its way to becoming a leading city in sustainable transportation. In 2018, the city opened a hydrogen-fueled bus route. Hydrogen vehicles are zero-emission and much more efficient than diesel vehicles, making them an ideal sustainable alternative to diesel buses. The buses have been so successful that they have now doubled their fleet of hydrogen-fueled buses and are planning to add more routes soon! When you’re traveling through Paris, remember that these new eco-friendly buses will get you around town quietly and efficiently while helping protect our environment for future generations!
All streetlights are LED
As a city, Paris has many streetlights. In fact, it has more than 10,000 of them! And now that the city is getting rid of its old-fashioned sodium and mercury lights, Paris will be using LEDs (light-emitting diodes) in place of traditional streetlights.
The current light bulbs are being replaced all over the city in an effort to cut pollution by 80%. This means that by 2020, all 50 million lights will have been replaced with LEDs. The project costs $1 million dollars per year and includes both private and public lighting. Replacing these old bulbs will help reduce CO2 emissions by 8% by 2030!
Uber is going electric in the city as well
The company is also expanding its electric vehicle fleet in Paris with a range of different vehicles. As well as the scooters and bikes, Uber has brought in electric cars, buses, and even an electric bike share program.
Bicycles are taking over the city in all sorts of ways
Even if you’re not a bike enthusiast, you’ll have to admit that the electric scooter is an ingenious invention. It’s a cross between a bicycle and an electric car: it’s quiet, lightweight, easy to park and has none of the bulkiness or weight of either. And we’re not just talking about people riding around on these things — they’re everywhere in Paris!
Restaurants are using them for deliveries instead of trucks; grocery stores are using them instead of trucks too; artists use them as props for artistic installations; tourists hire bikes from nearby kiosks to see historic sites; high fashion houses rent out bikes for runway shows so their models don’t look tired by day’s end when they walk down runways toward photographers wielding cameras with flash bulbs popping in their faces (I know firsthand how tiresome this can be as I witnessed such an event while at Chanel).
The most interesting thing about these scooters is that they aren’t really meant for transportation purposes — they’re just fun toys! In fact, some people ride these scooters just because they love how cool they look zipping through traffic jams without having any cares whatsoever!
Sustainable habits and initiatives
Sustainable habits and initiatives can be incorporated into your daily life effortlessly. In Paris, green initiatives are more common than in other cities, so it’s easy to find information about them. Furthermore, many people in the city have adopted sustainable habits and this means that you can learn from their practices.
Final note
When people think about sustainable habits in Paris, they generally think about walking everywhere (this is a great habit to adopt, by the way) and using public transportation. But there are so many other ways to make your life more eco-friendly while living here! By doing simple things like shopping at farmers markets or growing your own vegetables in a community garden, you’ll not only be helping the environment but also getting some exercise. Not only that, but you’ll meet new people and learn new skills along the way too! You can also contribute to these initiatives by volunteering with an organization that promotes sustainability in Paris, such as Greenpeace or 350.org.
The best thing about making small changes? It gives us all hope for building something better together not just now but for future generations as well!