Paris: A Living Climate Lab

Across the international climate landscape, Paris occupies a distinctive position. As a city whose municipal government pursued an aggressive—and, at times, contested—program of urban greening and mobility transformation, Paris is an international leader in the green energy transition. As the namesake of the landmark 2015 Paris Agreement, the city has established itself as a major player in international climate diplomacy. And after a deadly 2003 heat wave, which killed over 15,000 people across France, the city refashioned itself a leader in urban climate adaptation through its efforts to prepare for future extreme heat events.

Over the course of a 5-day intensive in Paris, students will engage directly with the policymakers, practitioners, and academics who are actively shaping the city’s climate response. Through a combination of guest lectures, site visits, and self-organized expert meetings, students will gain a broad overview of the climate and energy political landscape in Western Europe, along with firsthand insights into how climate commitments are developed, implemented, and revised on the ground. Rather than treat the city as a fixed success story, the course approaches Paris as a “living laboratory,” in which ambitious policy commitments confront the practical constraints of urban governance, finance, and politics.