The strategic course of Paris La Défense
At the end of 2021, Paris La Défense charted a ambitious strategic course for the area, to make Paris La Défense the first post-carbon global business district.
The world has undergone a sea change since La Défense was founded. Two changes particularly stand out.
First of all, the district’s transformation into a true economic and social hub, as well as current environmental and climate issues, compel us to find new ways of living and shaping the urban landscape.
Secondly, the area’s emissions are equivalent to those of a regional capital; this carbon footprint must be reduced.
Paris La Défense is charting a new course in line with contemporary social, societal and environmental requirements. Through its "raison d'être*", the establishment wishes to embody the vision of a low-carbon future for the territory and is committed to halving territorial greenhouse gas emissions by 2030.
To achieve this, Paris La Défense will focus its actions on four main areas:
Eole construction sites at CNIT 2021 © Paris La Défense Benedite Topuz
Better building and development
Building a post-carbon business district means finding new and better ways to develop, build and renovate, in cooperation with public development organizations.
Ambiance Paris La Défense 2019 © Benedite Topuz
Living better together
The post-carbon business district must also be a place where people live better together, in terms of land use, diversity, mobility and quality of life.
La Défense towers 2021 © Benedite Topuz
Harnessing collective intelligence for a post-carbon future
Paris La Défense must set an example, fostering a collective dynamic in support of this post-carbon shift.
Parvis and towers of La Défense 2021 © Benedite Topuz
The ecological transition : everybody's business
Calling on all players within Paris La Defense to take action on these environmental issues is an essential step in building the first post carbon business district.
These axes will be translated into a charter which will be offered for signature to all the stakeholders of Paris La Défense, both public and private.
The Pact Law (Action Plan for Growth and Transformation of Companies) requires all companies to “take into consideration the social and environmental issues of their activities,” and encourages the most proactive companies to examine their “raison d’être,” i.e. their statement of purpose, and to include in their articles of association the purpose behind their contribution to society, by bringing social and environmental objectives together with a certain governance model. While this law does not officially apply to Paris La Défense, the public establishment sought to go beyond the obligations of its general-interest missions.
To go further
The Paris La Défense public establishment ║ Empreintes: a call for mixed-use, low-carbon urban projects ║ The history of Paris La Défense ║ Paris La Défense in figures