Renault, in partnership with electric utility EDF and others, is installing 90 new EV charge spots in and around Paris for the upcoming COP21 global summit on climate change.

The charging stations, several of which will be donated by Schneider Electric, will be used to charge 200 EVs serving as VIP shuttles for conference attendees.

The COP21 charging stations will use electricity with a minimal carbon footprint. The French power grid is already comparatively clean: according to Renault-Nissan, average CO₂ emissions were less than 40 g per kWh in 2014, compared to the European average of 325 g per kWh. Renewable energy accounts for about 19% of France’s electricity.

EDF plans to offset the remaining CO₂ emissions through UN-certified carbon credits, so the COP21 EV fleet will be charged with fully “decarbonized” electricity.

Fourteen of the 27 quick chargers installed for COP21 will remain in place after the conference and will be available for the public.

“COP21 is a call to action to reduce the impact of climate change, including global warming resulting from personal transportation,” said Renault-Nissan CEO Carlos Ghosn. “Electric vehicles are the only existing, practical and affordable transportation solution to our planet’s environmental challenges – and they are available today. Expanding the EV infrastructure is mandatory for any city or state that’s serious about environmental stewardship.”

“EDF supports the development of electric mobility, which is a cornerstone of countries’ efforts to minimize urban pollution. EDF produces extremely low-carbon electricity in France, which reinforces the favorable ecological footprint of this new generation of transport,” said EDF Chairman and CEO Jean-Bernard Levy.

Source: Renault-Nissan