Dijon

Dijon is situated between Paris and Lyon on the Rhine-Rhone axis near to Germany and Switzerland, with 155,090 inhabitants and a growing urban area with approximately 260,000 inhabitants. It is the historical capital of the Burgundy Region, and its history is linked with the great wines of Burgundy.

The town of Dijon is very compact, has a population density of 3,935 inhabitants per km², with 60% of the inhabitants living within 3 kms of the inner city, and the greater metropolis is characterised by its proximity to nature, with 68% of the region made up of agricultural and natural spaces. There is a dynamic mix of economic activity, with activities in the tertiary, agri-food and pharmachem sectors. The city is committed to preserving its identity, lifestyle and rich heritage having a double UNESCO recognition, while putting sustainable development at the core of its inhabitants' living environment.

Dijon is a city that values and makes the most of its natural surroundings and setting. This is evident by its top ranking in Nature and Biodiversity, and high ranking in Sustainable Land Use. Dijon has integrated its Biodiversity Plan into the Climate Plan to help increase recognition of the threats to habitats and species from climate change, and the importance of conserving/enhancing biodiversity to limit the impacts of climate change. Impressively, Dijon is integrating ecological thinking into its gastronomy and viticulture, strengthening the links between biodiversity and local economic development.

Dijon has demonstrated a strong commitment to waste prevention over the last decade, including a local household waste prevention target of 7% between 2010 to 2020, and achieved a 5% reduction in municipal waste between 2010 to 2018. It is setting even more ambitious targets beyond 2020 with future waste prevention targets of 10% to 2025, and 20% to 2030 in place. The city also has good reuse initiatives with social enterprises at civic amenity sites since 2009, reuse markets, repair villages, upcycling workshops and notable initiatives in the area of food donations, and an online school meal booking cancellation system.

‘Sustainable Food 2030’ is Dijon’s flagship eco-innovation project, an ambitious and innovative ten year plan to reach a fully sustainable agri-food model in Dijon Métropole, through integrated activities of the territory by encouraging transversal synergies, using digital leverage, and places the citizen end user consumer at its core.