For years, political leaders from around the world have participated in major international meetings and made commitments that are intended to be reassuring, but actions do not always follow. The example of COP15 on biodiversity, held in Montreal in December 2022, illustrates this well. A little over a year later, we are still awaiting the concrete results of these commitments, particularly in terms of access to nature, protection of threatened and vulnerable species and support for indigenous leadership.
It is clear that the late Hubert Reeves was right when he said: “Only citizen and associative mobilization will encourage, not to say force, elected officials to take concrete action to stem the planetary devastation. »
The responsibility for recalling these commitments and ensuring their realization seems to rest once again on the population and civil society, at least until proven otherwise.
Faced with the urgency to act, citizens are not fooled
At the forefront of witnessing the destruction of natural environments, more and more of us are getting involved. Our mobilization is embodied in the actions of hundreds of groups throughout Quebec: like Nature Hudson, which led the Minister of the Environment to cancel the certificate of authorization that he had given to a real estate developer wanting to build in the habitat of species in precarious situation; and the mobilization against Stablex, near the Blainville peat bog, a case in which the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment (BAPE) agreed with citizens and environmental groups by recommending that the company not develop a new toxic waste landfill cell.
Faced with the multiple challenges to be met, we unite with environmental organizations, arm ourselves with biological characterizations and fiscal studies, increase the number of consultation meetings, undertake legal proceedings and go to the end, most often voluntarily and with conviction that our power of influence is very real.
Faced with the urgency to act, citizens are demanding better
The essential contribution of citizen groups to the transformation of our society to respond to the environmental crisis must be recognized and encouraged at all levels, in particular through transparent access to information and revised and improved public participation mechanisms. However, it is the opposite that we see in the case of Northvolt: opacity, redacted information, refusal to submit the entire project to an examination by the BAPE. One year after COP15, this way of doing things is worrying.
Faced with the urgency to act, citizens are launching a call for mobilization
Too often, our leaders have delivered fine words which, in reality, have not translated into actions, imprisoned as they are in the vocabulary of economic development and a short-term vision. In doing so, they are playing dangerously with the confidence of the population and the future of future generations. Faced with this situation, it is tempting to give up. However, we do not have the luxury of walling ourselves off in fatalism.
The battle continues and we must celebrate our victories. When citizens mobilize, political authorities listen and can change course.
Citizens, join the ranks of the mobilization, help us to nourish hope and put pressure on elected officials at all levels to realize our vision of a world in balance with nature. Let us remain vigilant, committed and unite our voices to counterbalance those of companies and their lobbyists; We demand to be listened to. The survival of democracy, that of nature and future generations is at stake.
*The full list of signatories to the letter is here.