Mayor of Paris Anne Hidalgo and U.N. Special Envoy Michael R. Bloomberg Announce Extension of Partnership to Improve Air Quality in Paris
Partnership Will Collect Air Quality Data to Inform Paris’ Clean Air Policies and Raise Awareness Among Parisians
Paris, France – Michael R. Bloomberg, the United Nations Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, and Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris, announced today during a visit to the Climate Academy the renewal of their long-standing partnership to improve air quality in Paris with the launch of a new measurement and awareness campaign. The initiative will support Paris’ efforts in the fight against air pollution, provide education, and engage citizen participation to mobilize action for cleaner air.
Building on the first phase of their collaboration, Bloomberg Philanthropies, the City of Paris, and Airparif will measure ultrafine particles (PUF) levels at various strategic locations in the capital. The study aims to better understand these particles’ characteristics, sources, and impacts to help researchers and epidemiologists refine regulations and ultimately inform public policies. The project will not only make it possible to measure these very specific pollutants, but also provide an opportunity for cities to exchange knowledge. Brussels and London will participate in the project’s steering committee and other interested cities may join. The results of the measurements will be made publicly available.
One of the core priorities of this initiative is to empower citizens by providing them with crucial information and the opportunity to collect data on their personal exposure to air pollution through mobile sensors. This project is part of the City’s participatory budget “Lutter contre toutes les pollutions.” Les Petits Débrouillards, in partnership with Airparif, will organize educational workshops for young schoolchildren, college students, and the general public. Information sessions will be hosted in schools, district town halls, and at the Climate Academy — a new Parisian municipal center of educational innovation around ecology, the fight against climate change, and environmental education.
“We’re glad to partner with Mayor Hidalgo to improve air quality monitoring and better understand the concentration of harmful pollution across Paris. This research – the first of its kind in Europe – will track tiny particles of pollution, which are largely unregulated and can be especially damaging to public health,” said Michael R. Bloomberg, U.N. Secretary-General’s Special Envoy for Climate Ambition and Solutions, Founder of Bloomberg LP and Bloomberg Philanthropies, and 108th Mayor of New York City. “Taking on air pollution is a critical public health and environmental challenge, and the data we’re gathering will help inform policies and programs that keep people safe and save lives – not just in Paris, but in cities around the world. ”
“Putting an end to air pollution, which is responsible for at least 48,000 premature deaths in France every year, will require a massive general effort. It is a major public health issue that calls on us to cooperate with other cities facing the same emergency. With Michael Bloomberg, we share the ambition to better understand the consequences of different types of pollution and better regulate them to overcome them. This is the aim of our action and of our common projects, through which we partner with cities, such as Brussels and London,” said Anne Hidalgo, Mayor of Paris.
Launched in June 2019, the first phase of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ and the City of Paris’ clean air partnership provided important learnings on how low-cost sensors could complement the City’s existing air quality monitoring network. The findings of the project, in conjunction with existing monitoring systems, provided important information on schoolchildren’s exposure to air pollution – confirming that air pollution levels are significantly lower in schoolyards than in nearby streets with car traffic.
This partnership builds on Bloomberg Philanthropies’ efforts around the world to improve air quality including through local initiatives with the cities of Brussels, London and Jakarta as well as with the Indian Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. This is the latest example of Bloomberg Philanthropies’ work to leverage data and empower local leaders to meet the intersectional challenges of fighting climate change and protecting public health.
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About Bloomberg Philanthropies:
Bloomberg Philanthropies invests in 810 cities and 170 countries around the world to ensure better, longer lives for the greatest number of people. The organization focuses on five key areas for creating lasting change: the Arts, Education, Environment, Government Innovation, and Public Health. Bloomberg Philanthropies encompasses all of Michael R. Bloomberg’s giving, including his foundation, corporate, and personal philanthropy as well as Bloomberg Associates, a pro bono consultancy that works in cities around the world. In 2020, Bloomberg Philanthropies distributed $1.6 billion. For more information, please visit bloomberg.org or follow us on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and Twitter.
About Airparif:
Airparif is the independent air quality observatory of the Île-de-France region accredited by the French ministry in charge of the environment. Airparif’s mission is to:
- Monitor air quality impacting Ile-de-France residents using a robust and reliable measuring system;
- Help understand air pollution, its impacts and its evolution, by participating in knowledge building and transfer,
- Support citizens, and all stakeholders, to improve air quality in relation to energy and climate, by helping to inform and provide its expertise for the development and evaluation of action plans;
- Innovate by supporting new solutions that improve air pollution and evaluate the performance of these innovations.
Media Contacts:
Daphne Wang – Bloomberg Philanthropies (EN)
+1 646 771 1473