Three master climate plans have been unveiled in recent weeks, namely from the federal government, the Quebec provincial government, and the municipality of Montréal. Even if the main focus is still on reducing greenhouse gas emissions, emphasis is also placed on adaptation in the actions planned to tackle climate change.
Federal Climate Strategy
Presented by Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on December 11, the federal climate change plan undertakes to slash GHGs, notably by tightening regulations, in addition to developing the country’s very first national strategy for climate change adaptation. In collaboration with the country’s provinces, territories, municipalities and Indigenous peoples, this strategy seeks to establish a common vision for climate change resilience and establishment of a framework for measuring progress at the national level. Ouranos is awaiting the details of this framework as well as the actions associated therewith.
Quebec’s Plan for a Green Economy
On November 16, the 2030 Plan for a Green Economy (2030 PGE) and its implementation plan covering 2021-2026 were announced by Quebec Premier François Legault as well as the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change (MELCC), Benoit Charette. This action plan notably addresses provincial electrification issues, energy efficiency, investment in an ecosystem of sustainable production and climate change adaptation.
Although the portion earmarked for adaptation is relatively small with a total investment of $6.7G for all actions planned over the next five years, Ouranos considers that this is a step in the right direction. Another good piece of news that directly concerns Ouranos is the decision of the MELCC’s climate expertise directorate to renew funding for Ouranos’ projects. A total of $12.5M in project funding will be granted. These figures are all the more interesting in that they are perfectly in line with Ouranos’ soon-to-be announced Five-Year Plan.
Ville de Montréal’s Climate Plan
Ville de Montréal presented its ambitious climate plan on December 10 in which it announced a GHG emissions reduction target of 55% by 2030 as well as an objective of becoming carbon neutral by 2050. The city’s plan details 46 actions falling into five broad categories, including climate change adaptation. Between 10 and 15% of the investment budget will be dedicated to these initiatives, which represents 1 to 1.5 billion dollars over a 10-year period. Ouranos, which is a member of the city’s advisory board responsible for developing this plan, is hopeful that the actions taken by Montréal will help create living environments that offer greater resilience to climate change.
