Building climate-resilient local communities is a major challenge for municipalities. Although Quebec’s municipalities are in a strategic position to take effective action, it’s crucial to strengthen their decision-making capacities.

With this in mind, how can we help municipalities better understand climate issues to promote informed political decision-making? Marie-Andrée Mauger, Mayor of the Borough of Verdun in Montréal, Philippe Guilbert, Mayor of Trois-Pistoles, and Jean-François Fortin, Mayor of Sainte-Flavie, told us about the challenges facing their municipalities and some possible solutions.

Shared commitment as a starting point  

To take action on climate change, one has to understand its origins. But beyond making sure that certain climate concepts are understood, the mayors we interviewed highlighted a major initial issue: the need to build broad-based support within the administration.

“Without visionary, committed municipal leadership, dealing with the changing climate will always be a secondary concern. For example, it’s hard to justify a training session when the need isn’t clearly defined or perceived,” explains Philippe Guilbert, Mayor of Trois-Pistoles.

Living and thriving in a changing climate requires changes in behaviour that are often perceived as disruptive, or even restrictive. The issue lies in the way in which they’re understood: it’s a question of establishing a clear link between the actions and their tangible repercussions.

“The role of an elected official is twofold: on one hand, demonstrating leadership by mobilizing the public and municipal employees, and on the other, developing a shared vision within the administration. It takes solid foundations to be able to unite the entire municipal apparatus behind a common vision,” explains Marie-Andrée Mauger, referring to the  Ville de Montréal’s 2020-2030 Climate Plan.

But not all municipalities start from the same point. Smaller ones, in particular, have to cope with limited financial and human resources. More and more responsibilities are being offloaded onto local authorities, which is exacerbating these disparities. And some municipalities don’t even have a department dedicated to the environment yet.

Sainte-Flavie: When the climate emergency forces your hand

Quebec municipalities are experiencing the impacts of climate hazards at varying paces and intensities. Unfortunately, extreme events can make it very clear to elected officials what the consequences are for their community—sometimes dramatically. That’s what happened to the municipality of Sainte-Flavie, in the Bas-Saint-Laurent region, when the high tides in 2010 forced it to profoundly change its approach.

In the face of an emergency, engagement is almost automatic. The municipality launched several initiatives to ensure that its inhabited areas stay intact in the face of climate change. It started by identifying the adaptation measures it needed, which allowed it to orient its public policies. A close collaboration with the Université du Québec à Rimouski and the Ministère de la Sécurité publique enabled rigorous monitoring and helped strengthen its environmental regulations.  

“Preparing our land and infrastructure for new climate realities involves collaborating with different partners. These projects also require financial resources to be implemented effectively. The municipality had to turn to government programs and external resources to support these efforts,” says Jean-François Fortin. 

The importance of awareness 

Whether or not they are directly confronted with the risks of a changing climate, elected representatives are citizens, above all. Like any individual, they must be taught and prepared to fully integrate climate issues into their decision-making.

“Awareness-raising efforts must be carried out by credible, trustworthy figures who can create a sense of belonging and embody an educational, neutral and unifying approach,” says Guilbert. 

In Sainte-Flavie, for example, awareness-raising and educational work was undertaken alongside the adoption of an environmental policy. One of the first steps was the creation of a position dedicated to coastal resilience (one of the first in Quebec), which is now essential in risk management. This person serves as an information relay for residents and does things like offering practical guides to make information more accessible.

“The establishment of priority intervention zone committees has enabled regional organizations to take action to protect river ecosystems. Municipalities and environmental groups have representatives on these committees,” says Fortin.

Understanding and mastering climate concepts: A challenge for municipalities?

Once awareness and buy-in have been achieved, what challenges remain in ensuring that key climate concepts are understood so that political decision-making is well-informed?

“Although the Plante administration is generally supportive with regard to the environmental crisis, there are disparities in the understanding of climate issues within the 19 boroughs and between the 103 municipal elected officials,” explains Mauger.

Depending on the size of the administration, the diversity of perspectives sometimes leads to a varied understanding of the risks posed by a lack of collective resilience. So it’s a question of harmonizing literacy to ensure a common vision and consistent action. Training sessions are one way to seize that opportunity. Moreover, given how quickly climate adaptation knowledge and solutions are advancing, it’s not enough to acquire a solid foundation: ongoing training is essential.

And lastly, using wording that describes the realities that citizens are experiencing allows for better knowledge retention. By talking about erosion rather than global warming, for example, municipalities can directly address local concerns. To encourage action, the ability to talk about these issues in layman’s terms is essential. This skill can also be improved through training.

“Illustrating these issues through metaphors, like the ‘sponge parks’ in Montréal, rather than using technical terms like ‘drainage system,’ makes the ideas more accessible and impactful for decision-makers and the general public,” says Mauger.

Learning to live with a more extreme climate requires a personalized, scalable approach that’s in keeping with the specific realities of each municipality. By focusing on awareness-raising, the dissemination of easy-to-understand information, and the availability of targeted training, municipalities can strengthen their capacity for action and encourage collective engagement in climate issues. To build a sustainable, resilient future, this work must be done with everyone’s cooperation.