Environmental racism : a French (hi)story : class, race, and air quality in Paris

Abstract

Despite growing in recognition as a topic of academic research and of grassroots activism, environmental justice remains under-studied in Europe. This paper will explore the unequal distribution of environmental goods (clean air and water, access to nature) and wrongs (pollution, biodiversity loss), as well as the structures that allow for the overburdening of certain communities in France. First, a cartographic study analysing the relationship between class, race, and air pollution in the Greater Paris area will highlight the fact that the most polluted neighbourhoods in the north and northeast of Paris, host a population that is relatively impoverished and more racially diverse. It will be concluded that the French social hierarchy, largely rooted in the country’s colonial past, shaped housing policies, urban planning, and environmental regulations into disproportionately impacting the poor and racialized communities. Addressing the state’s colour-blindness and colonial heritage is, therefore, essential to redressing environmental injustice in France.