THE BLOG

National Recognition for Nice’s Environmental Policy

The city of Nice has recently earned a significant distinction in the environmental field. The National Council of Flowered Cities and Villages (CNVVF) has renewed its “4 flowers” label for the municipality for a period of three years. A label that the city of Nice has held since 1975.

Additionally, the city has received the National Tree Award, a prize awarded since 1991 that values innovative and ambitious management of a community’s tree heritage.

Historic “4 Flowers” Label

The CNVVF’s highest distinction, the “4 flowers” label, attests to the city’s landscape quality. This label is awarded based on various criteria such as plant biodiversity diversity and the ambition of the greening policy.

According to CNVVF, flowered cities and villages contribute to improving the quality of life and developing tourist attractiveness. Earning and maintaining this label thus reveal ongoing involvement by the city in environmental management.

National Tree Award: An Integrated Approach to Tree Management

Alongside the label, the City of Nice was also honored with the National Tree Award. This award aims to recognize the efforts of communities in implementing a comprehensive environmental and landscape policy. Among the selection criteria are the quality of care given to trees, pruning methods, and communication and outreach initiatives aimed at protecting the tree heritage.

Environmental Policy Driven by Numerous Initiatives

Christian Estrosi, Mayor of Nice, President of the Metropolis Nice Côte d’Azur, Deputy President of the Provence-Alpes-Côte d’Azur Region, expressed his satisfaction regarding these distinctions. He highlighted that the city has been taking multiple initiatives since 2008 to integrate nature in urban settings and protect the tree heritage. Actions include creating the Tree Charter, greening plans, and establishing new parks and gardens. Additionally, an ambitious program named “one tree per inhabitant” plans to plant 280,000 trees by 2026.

Nice, the Greenest City in France

Faced with climate challenges, the importance of urban greening has become an increased priority. A recent study by Kermap, a Brittany-based company specialized in geospatial data analysis, has shown that Nice is the most tree-covered large city in France. Using satellite images and artificial intelligence to analyze aerial photos provided by IGN, the study revealed that Nice has a shrubby cover of 33% of its urban space. Moreover, the city stands out with the largest tree-covered area per inhabitant (53 m²/inhab), surpassing other major French cities like Toulouse and Montpellier. These results position Nice as a leader in vegetation-oriented urban planning.

Nice Green City Fund Accelerates City’s Greening

The “Nice Green City” Fund has been launched by the city to stimulate the engagement of local businesses in greening the city. This fund offers tax incentives and carbon credits, aligning corporate social responsibility initiatives with the ecological objectives of the community. It is part of the strategy of the “2019-2025 Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan” and aims to make Nice a green capital of the Mediterranean.