It is known that Christian Estrosi does not lack ambition for “his” city, to which we now must add “his” metropolis.
Yesterday, he announced that he intended to make the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis the Green Metropolis of the Mediterranean.
Did the Mayor-President choose ecological transition as his new battleground? This might surprise those who recall that, in fact, for some time now, ecology no longer rhymes with ecologists. So there is no deception; the essential thing is to have a clear and not merely superficial objective and the capacity to conduct effective action. The rest can be left to those who speak without saying anything…
The preamble to this transition is typical of newcomers (his critics have always accused Christian Estrosi of being a “concrete-maker,” and indeed, since he has been at the helm of local governments, projects have been abundant): “In light of the compelling observations of NGOs, like the recent WWF report a few days ago revealing that 60% of wild animals have disappeared in 40 years, or the IPCC report warning us about the harmful consequences of climate warming beyond 1.5° […], today, we must be bearers of local solutions, supported by the Government, but also by the European Union.”
The commitment is unwavering and long-term: “The 49 mayors of the Metropolis have an ecological will, a track record, and an action plan. However, we are convinced that our country is starting from such a distant point that nothing will be done through brutality or punishment. We want to move forward with the citizens and with incentive measures rather than punitive ones. We are focused on education and volunteering rather than obligation. That’s why we embrace the term ecological transition.”
To align goals with actions, “the future PLUM fully commits to preserving our environment and natural spaces,” Christian Estrosi clearly stated, not missing the opportunity to self-applaud: “Today, natural spaces represent over 73% of our metropolis, and more than 25 hectares of parks and gardens have been developed, just in Nice, since 2008.”
And ever since 2008, (just as a reminder), the year of his election as Mayor of Nice, “we have established the first metropolitan Agenda 21 and developed sustainable mobility in our territory (1€ transport, tram network extension, Vélobleu, Autobleue…). We have also taken numerous measures, notably at the port of Nice, where I have already announced a specific plan, with thematic working groups.”
On the financial question: “Currently, 75 million euros per year are committed to these issues. Thus, the measures I am going to present will allow a reallocation of funds to reach up to 80 million euros by 2020 (operational budget and investment in ‘sustainable development’).
“I specify that this is not additional expenditure, but a reallocation of funds serving the ecological transition,” Christian Estrosi was willing to conclude—a necessary clarification to preemptively address the criticisms of ‘republican’ metropolitan councilors of ‘Ciottist’ observance, who criticize him for what they claim is the happy-go-lucky spending of the cicadas, while they consider themselves as parsimonious ants (it’s worth noting how it’s always easy to assign roles to one’s advantage).
