On the sidelines of COP15, last Sunday and Monday, the mayors of cities all over the world gathered, signaling at the same time that local governments must have the powers to act to better protect biodiversity.
Cities have shown leadership in the fight against and adaptation to climate change, as well as in the protection of biodiversity, two issues that are closely linked. The Montreal Commitment, which Mayor Valérie Plante invited her counterparts to sign, is a good example. The Montreal Commitment aims in particular to increase the surface area of blue and green spaces, improve their accessibility for the public and restore lost ecosystems and connectivity. Major cities around the world have also responded to the call, including Barcelona, Buenos Aires and Paris.
Municipal governments are typically at the forefront. It’s not just circumstantial in Quebec right now. Why ? This is explained by their proximity to the citizens.
Local governments are the first to face the challenges and even the crises linked to the upheavals that the planet is currently experiencing, as well as the human misery they cause. Cities are able to make decisions that are best suited to their reality because they have a great capacity for action and they make decisions based on detailed knowledge of the territory and its resources.
As part of the seventh summit of the International Council for Local Environmental Initiatives (better known by the acronym ICLEIL, in English), the Minister of International Relations and La Francophonie, Martine Biron, made the following statement: “Our ambition must be global, but our actions must be local. This statement is perfectly fair and encouraging on the part of the new government.
The tools to act
Indeed, it is the responsibility of national governments, in particular those gathered within the framework of COP15, to adopt objectives and targets which will therefore be shared by the international community (ideally based on conclusive data). However, the solutions will be the most promising and concrete at the level of territories and municipalities. When it comes to protecting biodiversity, municipal governments have a great deal of power to act. But you still have to give them all the tools to do it.
In Quebec, the legislative framework governing the activity of cities promotes urban sprawl, it is well known, and therefore the destruction of natural environments and animal species. Against all odds (almost), several municipal governments, in particular the member cities of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal, set themselves the objective of protecting 30% of natural environments, which corresponds to the objective sought by the international community in the framework of COP15.
Although this leadership is exemplary, it will be necessary to reform municipal taxation and several laws affecting land use planning to enable cities to achieve this. If the legislative provisions are not aligned with the ambition of the cities, the latter risks being compromised.
Municipalities’ financial tools will have to be reviewed. Their excessive dependence on property tax is a huge barrier to land use planning that is more respectful of the resources that the planet offers us. Also, in the past, despite investments for the protection of natural spaces, very little money has landed in urban areas, whereas this is where biodiversity is most important, and where the ecosystem services make natural spaces more important to us. The Quebec government’s Nature plan and the additional amounts announced by the federal government have the challenge of overcoming this problem. A revision of the Wetlands and Bodies of Water Act can also be an additional lever to enable local governments to better protect biodiversity.
Biodiversity protection involves all levels of government. In this regard, the Government of Quebec could better support the efforts of municipalities and assist those that have not quite reached that point yet. To arrive at public policies that are as effective as possible, Quebec must transform its relationship with municipalities, increase its collaboration with them and give them tools so that governments have the means to achieve their ambitions.