The mayor of Paris was praised by the American magazine for her multiple initiatives carried out in the French capital. She stands alongside figures such as Bill Gates and Prince Harry.
Distinguished last September by Forbes magazine for her “action against global warming”, Anne Hidalgo is once again praised by an American magazine in this regard.
The mayor of Paris is cited by Time among the 100 most influential personalities for the climate in 2024. The only Frenchwoman among the lucky few, she is ranked sixth and appears as “Titans”, that is to say the first 20 names of this classification.
She shares this honor with Bill Gates, co-founder of Microsoft, Sadiq Khan, mayor of London, and Prince Harry.
“I am particularly proud and honored,” reacted Anne Hidalgo. “This world ranking recognizes the actions that I have been leading in Paris for more than ten years to transform our city and adapt it to climate change with the aim of a more united, more resilient and greener city. And we will continue!” she adds.
Strong initiatives in Paris
As with every distinguished personality, the American magazine devoted a page to Anne Hidalgo. The mayor of Paris is particularly praised for her actions promoting the movement of cars away from the French capital, such as the addition of 1,200 km of cycle paths and the increase in parking prices for the most polluting vehicles.
These initiatives have made it possible to reduce car traffic and pollution by 40% since 2011 in the City of Light. Local emissions also decreased by 25% between 2004 and 2018, explains the magazine.
The Olympic and Paralympic Games also had their effect. Time cites the “few single-use plastics” used during the Games. “The Seine has become cleaner, and the equipment used for temporary sites has been limited. Since then, it has been redistributed for reuse,” he adds.
An International Criminal Court dedicated to climate
Time was also able to ask the mayor of Paris a few questions. These discussions allowed Anne Hidalgo to renew her determination to move forward on the climate issue.
“We can't wait any longer, and we don't need to be convinced. Plans and measures are ready everywhere, and I call on everyone to act,” she explains, referring to alarming predictions regarding weather for Paris, including heatwaves with very high temperatures in Paris.
For 2025, the city of Paris already has on the table “a set of plans in key areas such as ecology, urban planning, environmental health and resilience”.
During this interview, Anne Hidaglo expressed her desire to assist in the creation of an International Criminal Court “to fight against ecocide” and to “put a stop to the misdeeds of major polluters who simply ignore the consequences of their actions.”
She also announced that she would not participate in the Conference of the Parties (COP), organized in Baku, Azerbaijan, since November 11, “given the country's human rights record.”
Nicolas Dumas with Mélanie Hennebique
