Valérie Plante wants Montreal to sign the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty in order to send a clear message to higher governments in terms of the environment. She will submit a resolution to this effect at the city council meeting on Monday.
Although symbolic, this gesture is important in the eyes of the mayor. “It’s not a question of politics, it’s a question of common sense. The IPCC [Groupe intergouvernemental d’experts sur l’évolution du climat] calls on all governments to act to limit global warming to 1.5°C by 2025,” she said on Monday.
She recalled that fossil fuels were responsible for 86% of CO emissions2 responsible for climate change over the past decade. Several cities, including Toronto, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Paris, have already signed the fossil fuel non-proliferation treaty and the National Assembly recently passed a law prohibiting the exploration and exploitation of hydrocarbons on Quebec territory.
In passing, the mayoress scorched the Bay du Nord oil project, which recently received the approval of the federal government, which she described as “counterproductive”. “Obviously, the Bay du Nord project goes against the efforts being made by the City of Montreal to do its part,” she pointed out.
The City has made several commitments to the climate, insisted the mayor, citing the promise of carbon neutrality by 2050, the reduction of 55% of GHGs in Montreal by 2030 (compared to 1990), the creation of the Grand Parc West, the ban on single-use plastics and restrictions on the distribution of flyers.
The City will also hold its first climate summit next Tuesday, which will bring together private and public partners to discuss actions to take to protect the environment and follow up on actions already implemented.
This summit coincides with the holding of the national funeral of Guy Lafleur, next May 3, but the City does not plan to postpone the event. “The planet cannot wait,” said Valérie Plante.
The opposition believes that the administration should focus on Montreal’s environmental issues before considering signing international treaties. “Valérie Plante makes a lot of demands on other levels of government, but when it comes to what’s really happening here, in our city, like the recycling crisis or soil decontamination, there’s no progress in these issues,” noted Ensemble Montreal advisor Stéphanie Valenzuela.