Having given its name to the historic Paris Climate Agreement in 2015 and given its current mayor's commitment to climate action (she currently leads C40 Cities, an international network of cities addressing the climate problem), Paris sees itself as a leader in the international climate debate. Given its geographical location, very high population density and unique urban structure, Paris faces particular challenges when it comes to both adapting to and mitigating climate change.
The aim of this module is to study and explore the city through a “climate change lens”. Key questions include: How exposed is Paris to climate change? How will the city cope and adapt to it? What will the city look like in 30 years (urban planning, transport, architecture, spatial and class divisions)? As large carbon emitters, can "global cities" like Paris contribute to the broader struggle to curb global temperature rises and maintain them at acceptable levels?
