Is this another climate conference that could end in a failure of negotiations
No way. Unlike conferences of the parties, better known by the acronym COP, the Adaptation Futures conference does not aim to agree on an agreement between participating countries. It is essentially a meeting where scientists and experts from various countries share their successes in terms of adaptation and present the most recent discoveries on the subject. The success of the event is therefore not measured by the signing of an agreement, but rather by the quantity and quality of exchanges between participants.
And what is adaptation in concrete terms?
These are all the measures that are being deployed to help deal with the increasingly visible effects of climate change. For some experts, adaptation is becoming more important than ever as the world has so far failed to significantly reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to limit global warming to 1.5°C by the end of the century. Certain actions can constitute both a mitigation measure and an adaptation measure. This is particularly the case for planting trees: the canopy allows carbon to be stored, which helps to remove GHGs from the atmosphere (mitigation). It also makes it possible to fight, among other things, against heat islands during heatwave episodes (adaptation).
PHOTO JOSIE DESMARAIS, LA PRESSE ARCHIVES
Hot day in July 2023 in Montreal
Who is organizing this conference on adaptation?
This conference, which is held every two years, is organized under the aegis of the Global Science Program for Adaptation, managed by the UN. The organization of the seventh Adaptation Futures conference, which is being held in Montreal, has been entrusted to the Government of Canada in collaboration with the Quebec consortium Ouranos, which specializes in the study of climate change. It is the largest conference in the world that addresses issues related to adaptation to climate change. “There are 2,200 people registered, so this is likely to be a record for the Adaptation Futures conference, but it is not entirely surprising given the scale of the impacts of climate change which seem to be increasing one year to the next,” said Alain Bourque, director of Ouranos, in an interview with The Canadian Press.
PHOTO CHRISTINNE MUSCHI, THE CANADIAN PRESS
Alain Bourque, director of Ouranos, Benoit Charette, Quebec Minister of the Environment, the Fight against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, and Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montreal, at the Adaptation Futures conference, Tuesday
Why is it important to talk about adaptation?
The effects of climate change are already clearly visible around the world. Mitigation measures will not be enough to limit the damage, especially since the planet has already warmed by 1.2°C since the pre-industrial era. The year 2023 is likely to be the hottest on record and extreme weather events are increasing in several regions of the world, causing significant damage and forcing populations to evacuate their homes. Proof that adaptation has become an essential subject, more and more governments are devoting significant resources to it.
PHOTO ANGELOS TZORTZINIS, AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE
Flooding following the passage of the storm Eliasin Greece, on September 29
Are there any concrete examples of adaptation?
The examples are numerous and can vary greatly, depending on the region. For an island population in the Pacific Ocean faced with rising sea levels, the ultimate adaptation measure will be to leave the island to live on the continent. Not all measures are this extreme, but adaptation will be essential everywhere in the world in the coming years.
Who is present in Montreal?
Representatives from 120 countries will be at the Palais des congrès all week.
Does this mean that there is no longer any point in reducing our polluting emissions?
No way. If the goal of limiting warming to 1.5°C seems practically out of reach, the world can still hope to contain warming below 2°C by the end of the century, although the challenge seems significant. As American climatologist Zeke Hausfather and several of his scientific colleagues regularly point out, “every tenth of a degree counts”. Especially since adaptation measures are not a panacea. Beyond a certain warming, it becomes more difficult to adapt. We must also remember that a warming of 2°C would constitute an average on a global scale. In certain regions, such as Europe or North America, warming will be more like 4°C.