​Progress in the face of pushback 

​Around the world, the leaders driving the most ambitious climate action are increasingly finding themselves at the centre of political polarisation, misinformation campaigns, and public backlash. Yet history shows that transformative change has rarely been achieved by following the path of least resistance. From redesigning cities and defending climate science to challenging vested interests, bold leadership often demands the willingness to go against the grain and withstand intense scrutiny.

​In this keynote address, Anne Hidalgo, former Mayor of Paris, Global Ambassador for the Global Covenant of Mayors and one of Europe's most influential urban climate leaders, will reflect on her experience leading the transformation of one of the world's largest cities. From reclaiming streets for people and expanding active transport to tackling air pollution and embedding climate resilience into urban planning, she will examine how sustained political opposition and misinformation became defining features of delivering change. Drawing on lessons from Paris, Hidalgo will explore what it takes to build trust, maintain conviction under pressure, and deliver tangible benefits of ambitious climate action.

​About the speaker

​In 2014, Anne Hidalgo became the first woman to be elected Mayor of Paris, after serving as First Deputy Mayor of Paris from 2001 to 2014. A member of the Socialist Party, she had graduated with a Master of Advanced Studies in social law before becoming a labour inspector and going on to serve as an adviser to three Ministers under the Lionel Jospin Government. In 2020, she was re-elected Mayor of Paris, with an ambitious programme designed to transform Paris into a zero-carbon city by 2050. She successfully led Paris's bid to host the 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. As Mayor of Paris until March 2026, Anne Hidalgo pursued an ambitious policy agenda focused on housing for families and universal, inclusive public services, working to improve air quality, combat climate change and adapt the city to the climate challenge, reducing car use, greening public spaces and prioritising pedestrians. She fulfilled a promise first made in 1988 to make the Seine swimmable again, ending a ban that had been in place for over a century. She has equally championed these issues on the international stage. In December 2015 in Paris, she organised the climate summit for local leaders, a major side event of COP21. She chaired the C40 Cities Leadership Group and served as President of the International Association of Francophone Mayors (AIMF) and Co-Chair of the World Organization of United Cities and Local Governments (UCLG). Today, she continues in her role as Global Ambassador of the Global Covenant of Mayors, working on climate leadership with mayors around the world.