About this episode
This episode explores the urban climate leadership of Anne Hidalgo, the Mayor of Paris, and her impact on sustainable city initiatives.
In this episode, we sat down with Alice Girotto and Bryan Thorne to explore the urban climate leadership of Anne Hidalgo, the long-serving Mayor of Paris. Known for her bold policies to reshape the French capital, from low-emission zones and car-free initiatives to green urban planning and energy-efficient housing, Hidalgo has positioned herself as a global voice for sustainable cities. We discuss how her leadership during COP21 and her ambitious Bioclimatic Urban Plan have transformed Paris into a laboratory for climate governance, and what her approach tells us about the power and limits of city-level action. This episode is the second in a series of six as part of the IExRAIA Summer Research Program of 2025. RAIA has invited twelve IE University students to join our think tank and spend 9 weeks researching a figure from around the world to try to answer a simple question: Are they a climate leader? Don’t forget to read Alice and Bryan’s article ( https://raiagroup.org/hidalgo-mild-aligning-climate-action-social-justice ) and report ( https://raiagroup.org/ie-university-x-raia-research-program-2025 ).
People in this episode
Host: RAIA
Guests: Alice Girotto, Bryan Thorne
Topics covered
- urban climate leadership
- sustainable cities
- climate governance
- city-level action
- environmental policy
- climate leadership
Keywords
- Anne Hidalgo
- urban leadership
- sustainability
- climate action
- Paris
- environmental policy
- COP21
- Bioclimatic Urban Plan
Mentioned in this episode
Organizations: IE University
Books & works: Bioclimatic Urban Plan
More episodes of RAIA(ffairs)
- Episode #47: Modi's Semiconductor Reform Draws Huge Foreign Investment · June 4, 2026 · 24 min
- Episode #46: Tuvalu's Taiwanese Ties: A Geopolitical Analysis of this Unique Pacific Partnership · March 25, 2026 · 16 min
- Episode #45: John Swinney's Vision for an Independent Scotland Unlikely Ahead of Elections in 2026 · March 4, 2026 · 21 min
- Episode #44: Climate Leaders 101: King Mohammed VI · October 22, 2025 · 29 min
- Episode #43: Climate Leaders 101: Anthony Nyong · October 15, 2025 · 35 min
- Episode #42: Hostilities between Tshisekedi and Makenga: The Battle for DRC · October 9, 2025 · 34 min
Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the RAIA(ffairs) podcast page.