In Paris, Nîmes Métropole wins a new Marianne d’Or for its actions in favor of sustainable development

De gauche à droite : Bernard Angelras, Franck Proust et Michel Verdier, élus à la Métropole. Midi Libre – Pierre Meuriot

At an official ceremony held on Tuesday, October 8 in Paris, the president of Nîmes Métropole, Franck Proust, was awarded a Marianne d'Or for his ecological initiatives. An award that crowns an ambitious strategy focused on the eco-metropolis of tomorrow.

“It's a great reward.” The majestic reception room of the Hôtel Intercontinental Paris Le Grand saw a parade of personalities committed to the environment on Tuesday, October 8, during the presentation of the Marianne d'Or 2024. Among the lucky winners, Franck Proust, president of Nîmes Métropole, proudly received this trophy, thus saluting the efforts of the community in terms of sustainable development.

This is not a first for the Gard metropolis, already crowned in 2016 for the organization of a congress on environmental crime. This new distinction confirms that Nîmes Métropole persists and signs in its ecological ambition.

The eco-metropolis in action

For several years, the Agglo has established itself as a model of sustainable management. The eco-metropolis strategy implemented is bearing fruit with concrete actions. These include the replacement of thermal buses with electric or biogas vehicles, the planting of microforests on six new sites in 2023, as well as the development of an ambitious territorial food project. The objective is clear: to combine economic development and respect for the environment.

Alain Trampoglieri as president of the Marianne d'Or ceremony. Midi Libre – Pierre Meuriot

This Tuesday morning, Bernard Angelras, vice-president of Nîmes Métropole, in charge of the environment and waste, did not hide his pride: “It's good to announce a program, initiatives, it's even better to carry them out and follow through. Today, the Métropole is rewarded for its efforts. It's a great reward.”

A reward beyond the symbol

The ceremony, chaired by Alain Trampoglieri, Secretary General of the Marianne d'Or competition, saw fifteen mayors and local authority presidents from all over France honoured for their ecological initiatives. Among them, Yann Galut, Mayor of Bourges, future European Capital of Culture in 2028, and Jacques Kossowski, Mayor of Courbevoie, praised for his efforts in terms of security. But on this Tuesday morning, it was also (and above all) Nîmes Métropole that shone, particularly for its innovative actions in terms of urban greening.

In his speech, Franck Proust thanked the jury for this recognition: “This prize recognizes the place of plants in our urban and peripheral spaces. With the creation of 18 microforests planted at the heart of the activity, 800 employees carried out the planting themselves." A way for the metropolis to make economic activity zones and biodiversity coexist. The president of Nîmes Métropole also highlighted the transversality of the projects: “Our ambition of an eco-metropolis by 2032 involves many means, whether it be water management, energy transition or firefighting.”

Towards an even greener future

This Golden Marianne, specially sculpted to celebrate the 40th anniversary of the competition, symbolizes a true collective success. “The strength of Nîmes Métropole lies in the fact that it is not just a word, it is a reality that we experience in the region, and this is what will allow us to continue to move forward on this path for years to come”, recalled Bernard Angelras.

With concrete actions, Nîmes Métropole wishes to assert itself as a pilot community, ready to take on the ecological challenges of tomorrow. This prize is not an end in itself, but a further step towards an ever greener and more sustainable metropolis.

Franck Proust: “We must rethink the entire territory in a sustainable logic”

What place do you give to urban and peri-urban plants in your policy ?

The place of plants crosses all the skills of Nîmes Métropole, whether it is regional planning, economic development, or waste collection and management. This means that it is not just a matter of greening the city, but of rethinking the entire territory in a sustainable way.

Nîmes Métropole is located in one of the hottest regions of France. How do you anticipate the challenges related to global warming ?

This requires rethinking the future strategically. We must integrate the notion of global warming into all our decisions, whether for the management of natural spaces, the energy transition or the fight against fires. We have implemented several actions, particularly within the framework of our Territorial Climate Air Energy Plan (PCAET). It is essential to reflect and think about tomorrow's future based on climatic hazards.