on 1 Sep 2026
Cannes Mayor David Lisnard has spent a decade turning the French Riviera into a blueprint for sustainable coastal tourism, from marine energy to underwater art.
Few cities are as closely connected to the world of luxury yachting as Cannes on the Côte d’Azur. Ensuring it stays that way is David Lisnard, who has governed the city as Mayor since 2014.
Most recently voted in with a significant majority, Lisnard, who also heads up the Association of Mayors of France, has actively pursued one of Europe’s boldest municipal sustainability agendas. A world-first underwater eco-museum, a thalassothermal plant drawing heating and cooling from the Mediterranean, and pioneering wastewater reuse schemes that kept the city’s taps flowing through repeated droughts have all been spearheaded by his administration and increasingly he’s turning his attention to the role the yachting industry can play in the city’s future.
What does it mean to be the mayor of a major coastal city, especially one with the international glamour and prestige of Cannes?
Being the Mayor of Cannes—the French city best known abroad after Paris—means combining international influence with the preservation of our unique way of life, our coastline and our heritage. Glamour is not simply a façade; it’s built upon security, cleanliness and the quality of the welcome we provide during major cultural and business events, such as the Cannes Film Festival, Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity, and the Cannes Yachting Festival. Cannes remains deeply rooted in its Provençal and Riviera traditions while being resolutely open to the world.
What does the Cannes Yachting Festival, one of the world’s leading boat shows, mean for the city and how does the municipality contribute to its success?
The Cannes Yachting Festival, Europe’s leading in-water boat show, perfectly embodies the maritime lifestyle that defines Cannes. The city plays a full role in its success by making both the Vieux-Port and Port Canto available, while also providing security, logistics and financial support.
The show’s economic impact is substantial, with nearly €100 million (US$114 million) generated for our local economy and tens of thousands of overnight stays each year, not to mention the international attention it affords the city.
The €82 million (US$93.74 million) redevelopment of the Vieux-Port is the most ambitious transformation of Cannes’ waterfront in generations. How do you reconcile the commercial and energy demands of superyachts with the city’s commitment to protecting its marine environment?
The redevelopment of the Vieux-Port includes the construction of a dedicated superyacht pier precisely to prevent these vessels from anchoring in the bay. Berthed alongside the quay, they can switch off their engines, connect to shore power, and benefit from controlled waste management as well as the collection and treatment of grey and black water by the port operator.
A carbon assessment carried out in 2023 demonstrated that this solution is significantly more environmentally responsible than anchoring in the bay. From its very first year of operation, the project is expected to reduce operational emissions by nearly 18,000 tonnes of CO₂.
Moreover, enforcing anchoring regulations for these large vessels is relatively straightforward, as they are operated by highly professional captains and crews.
The redevelopment also includes a carbon offset programme, charging stations for electric vehicles and boats, solar panels, sustainable building materials, and underwater drones to monitor pollution. How much further does the yachting industry—and Cannes’ port itself—still have to go before achieving genuine carbon neutrality?
In our ports, we have chosen an approach based on practical environmental action. The transformation of the Vieux-Port fully integrates environmental considerations through concrete investments made by Marina du Vieux-Port (Fayat Group and IGY) in infrastructure, energy, mobility and marine ecosystem protection.
Carbon neutrality cannot simply be declared—it must be built. It requires technological progress, sustained investment and a gradual evolution in practices. Our responsibility is to anticipate these changes pragmatically, favouring solutions that are concrete, measurable and effective.
The hydrogen revolution in luxury yachting is gathering pace. Does the planned redevelopment also factor in accommodating this new generation of vessels?
We are naturally following developments in hydrogen technology with great interest. However, we must remain realistic: widespread adoption of hydrogen propulsion in the luxury yachting sector is still some way off. The Vieux-Port has been designed to remain adaptable and will be able to accommodate new generations of vessels once they become economically viable and once the necessary safety standards, infrastructure and regulatory framework are fully established.
You personally went diving to inspect the condition of Cannes’ seabed and assess the impact of the marine protection measures introduced by the municipality. What are the most important initiatives and what did you observe during your dive?
The Bay of Cannes enjoys a remarkable marine ecosystem, as demonstrated by the regular presence of dolphins close to our shores. This richness is the result of a proactive policy pursued for many years by the City of Cannes and the Cannes Lérins metropolitan authority to improve water quality. Among the measures implemented are a state-of-the-art wastewater collection and treatment system, the creation of a new five-hectare Ecological Mooring Area south of Sainte-Marguerite Island, and a protected fishing zone on the Plateau Des Moines, south of Saint-Honorat Island.
We have also recently installed a connected buoy to monitor and forecast water quality, along with dozens of litter-trap baskets fitted to harbour drains and stormwater inlets to prevent waste from reaching the sea. This is in addition to the launch of the largest-ever Posidonia seagrass restoration programme, in partnership with the NaturDive association. Of course, this is far from an exhaustive list.
Cannes is developing an underground marine energy plant and powers its hydrogen buses using energy produced from wastewater. What inspired these innovations and could they serve as models for other coastal cities?
The objective is to make use of our local resources to reconcile environmental protection, energy sovereignty and purchasing power. This enables us to produce energy independently of external market fluctuations while offering subscribers to our marine energy network stable prices that are around 15% lower than gas and electricity.
Each city must decide which projects are appropriate for its own circumstances. In Cannes, we chose these initiatives because they are coherent, economically viable and of sufficient scale to generate long-term value.
Cannes’ Tourism Strategy 2026 aims to strengthen the city’s international appeal. Yet more visitors inevitably place greater pressure on the marine environment. What is the maximum level of tourism Cannes can sustainably accommodate before its marine ecosystem begins to suffer?
The real issue is not setting a limit, but ensuring tourism is spread throughout the year. Through its “12/12” strategy, the Palais des Festivals et des Congrès hosts 179 professional and cultural events from January to December.
The sea remains our most precious asset. So far, 12 beaches and three marinas have been awarded the Blue Flag label while an ecological mooring zone protects the Posidonia seagrass meadows around the Lérins Islands, and a connected buoy continuously monitors water quality.
We are also committed to higher-quality cruise tourism by reducing by half the number of large cruise ships calling at Cannes from 2026 onwards.
More broadly, I have long advocated for environmental policing powers beyond the 300-metre coastal zone to be shared between the French State and municipalities.
You’re currently a candidate in the French presidential election. If elected, how would you leverage France’s position as the world’s second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ), and would you seek to apply some of the sustainable initiatives developed in Cannes on a national scale?
With 10.2 million square kilometres—97% of which lie overseas—France possesses the world’s second-largest Exclusive Economic Zone. Making the most of this asset begins with asserting our sovereignty through patrol vessels, drones, satellite surveillance and the protection of submarine cables. It also means encouraging entrepreneurship, from doubling aquaculture production by 2030 to further exploring our seabed. Marine renewable energy, particularly from ocean currents, represents a tremendous opportunity, as does the sustainable development of our fisheries.
Cannes demonstrates that environmental responsibility and economic prosperity can go hand in hand. This method—grounded in science, evaluation, contractual governance and decision-making as close as possible to the field—is equally applicable to France’s entire Exclusive Economic Zone.
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