This panel discussion, entitled Cities and Climate Action: Perspectives from Dublin and Marseille is jointly organised by the IIEA and the French Embassy in Ireland.  On this occasion, Hazel Chu, Lord Mayor of Dublin and Michèle Rubirola, Deputy Mayor of Marseille, share experiences of best practice in making Dublin and Marseille climate-resilient cities. The distinguished panellists discuss the impacts of climate change-related events on cities, examine efforts to promote a circular economy, and tackle biodiversity challenges in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic. H.E. Vincent Guérend, French Ambassador to Ireland, introduces the discission on behalf of the French Embassy.

About the Speakers:

Councillor Hazel Chu was elected the 352nd Lord Mayor of Dublin at the Annual Meeting of Dublin City Council on 29th June 2020.  She is the 9th woman to hold the office of Lord Mayor of Dublin. In 2019, she became the first Green Party councillor to be elected in the ward of Pembroke, where she topped the poll. In the same year she was elected Chair of the Green Party of Ireland.

Michèle Rubirola has been Deputy Mayor of Marseille since 21 December 2020 and was previously elected Mayor of Marseille on July 4, 2020. Ms Rubirola was the first woman to hold this position. She has been a member of the French Green Party since 2002 and, during this time, has focused on improving ecological sustainability and housing access in Marseille..