The humid greenhouse of the Parc Phoenix houses the meeting room of the Nice Côte d’Azur Urban Community. One couldn’t find a better setting to celebrate the first anniversary of a Charter aimed, among other things, at preserving biodiversity. This was an opportunity for companies, associations, and elected officials from local authorities participating in this project to come together for an initial assessment.
“Through this Charter, the CANCA wanted to show that it is no longer conceivable today to develop a territorial planning project without considering the environment,” explains Jacques Peyrat, mayor of Nice and President of the CANCA.
In one year, 33% of the objectives have been achieved, including the most important: launching a partnership dynamic and ensuring the coherence of actions for a quality environment and sustainable development of the territory. Noël Bellandi, project manager at the Regional Environment Directorate in PACA, praises a very effective synergy of action between local authorities and their partners.
## The 24 municipalities of the CANCA mobilized
The construction of the Nice Tramway is part of a logic of promoting public transportation. Educational actions continue: training companies and raising awareness among building associations on energy savings, training teachers and raising awareness among children on sustainable development… Major projects such as the creation of a protected marine area in Cagnes-sur-Mer are still to be undertaken. Marc Lafaurie, Vice-president of the CANCA responsible for the environment, water, and sanitation, hopes that all objectives will be achieved in 5 years: “We cannot yet say if this will be the case. But the essential thing, in any case, is to launch a dynamic so that all partners continue in this same direction.”
The renowned Community Charter, signed by Jacques Peyrat and former ecology minister Nelly Olin, was awarded the Local Agenda 21 France label. This recognition entitles the right to receive state subsidies. The final budget reaches 350 million euros. Partner companies and associations can use the logo of this label to promote their actions. The CANCA carries one of the 31 labeled projects, with only one other example existing in the PACA region, that of the Aubagne agglomeration. Jacques Peyrat declares, “I am proud that we are contributing to this resistance against the announced degradation. We will be present, along with the other local authorities, at the Environmental Grenelle that the State must organize in the autumn.”
