The composition of the group of experts who will advise the Quebec government on adaptation to climate change was announced Monday morning.
Alain Webster, president of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change and Alain Bourque, general manager of Ouranos, the two co-presidents appointed by Minister Benoit Charette, have set up “a multidisciplinary team of recognized experts”.
These experts will have to help the government determine the priorities and the most promising courses of action in terms of adaptation.
Carrying out comprehensive risk analyzes and making recommendations accordingly are also part of their mandate.
In addition to Alain Webster and Alain Bourque, nine specialists are joining the group: Michel Allard, professor at Laval University and researcher and member of the Center for Nordic Studies; Karine Dauphin, general director of the Regroupement des organizations de bassins versants du Québec; Joanna Eyquem, general director of climate resilient infrastructure at the Intact Center; Christian Fraser, researcher at the University of Quebec at Rimouski; Mario Gauthier, professor at the University of Quebec in Outaouais; Yona Jébrak, professor at the University of Quebec in Montreal; Christian Messier, professor at the University of Quebec in Outaouais; Julie-Maude Normandin, chief scientific advisor to the City of Longueuil; Jeanne Robin, senior director of Vivre en Ville.
“The members of this group, carefully selected by the co-presidents, embody excellence in their respective fields. The group’s final report will propose recommendations for an in-depth analysis of risks across Quebec, accompanied by concrete opinions intended to guide our public policies,” indicated the Minister of the Environment and the Fight against climate change, Benoit Charette, in a press release.
A second group of experts
The Legault government can already count on the advice of the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, which it created a few years ago.
At the end of August, energy specialist Pierre-Olivier Pineau resigned from this committee denouncing “a sort of censorship”, a lack of vision and transparency, ineffective programs as well as the absence of questioning the way Quebecers consume energy.
The researcher particularly wanted the committee to be able to examine the expenditure of the Green Fund, which became the Electrification and Climate Change Fund (FECC), and which has been the subject of criticism in the past, among others from the from Sustainable Development Commissioner Janique Lambert.
Pierre-Olivier Pineau wanted the committee to at least summarize the criticisms that have been made to understand whether the government is improving in its programs.
The Legault government rejected Professor Pineau’s criticism.
“The government does not interfere in any way in the activities of the committee. Moreover, he has produced several reports in recent years, reports that we have been able to analyze carefully, and we have already implemented several measures which are contained in these reports,” the minister defended. Benoit Charette.
“The climate change advisory committee remains an independent entity, whose expertise is valuable for Quebec and in which we have full confidence,” he added at the time.