The transport sector is the one that emits the most greenhouse gases (GHG). The urban and road development model that we have inherited today generates considerable costs, both environmental, social and economic. This affects the quality of life of our employees, as much their wallet as their safety, and harms the attractiveness of the Montreal region and its economic dynamism. Everyone is aware of this, and it must be tackled without further delay.
As employers, we undoubtedly generate travel: that of our employees or our students, that of our suppliers, customers or partners. In this sense, we are part of the solution, but we cannot achieve it without further action by governments.
This is why we are proposing a pact: we, major public and private employers in the city, are ready to make bold moves to accelerate the shift towards sustainable mobility.
These gestures can for example include:
- adopt criteria so that 100% of our new premises are located less than 400 meters from high-frequency public transport, i.e. one pass every 10 minutes maximum;
- implement and maintain structural incentives for sustainable mobility for our employees, such as a monthly allowance for people who walk or cycle to work;
- reduce the individual demand for parking on the part of our business community in favor of active or collective modes of travel;
- optimize and electrify all of our commercial vehicles, when technological solutions exist.
In exchange, we need strong gestures from the governments of Quebec and Canada. The State must set an example and support actions on the ground.
Concretely, this requires massive investments in attractive alternatives to solo car travel by 2030.
In particular, we ask them to:
- maintain and expand financial support programs for employers to support us in the implementation of our sustainable mobility actions;
- support and increase the public transport network in the greater Montreal area, to restore, maintain and maintain an attractive level of service, such as a frequency of passage every 10 minutes maximum on the sensitive bus lines, during rush hours ;
- invest in new non-road infrastructure that will effectively connect employment centers to the east and west of Montreal, as well as the northern and southern rims;
- show leadership and set an institutional example by adopting ambitious sustainable mobility policies and targets.
This ambitious commitment from public and private employers as well as governments is a strong signal for the City of Montreal, the other municipalities of the Metropolitan Community of Montreal, and even more broadly for Quebec to take action. With this pact, we encourage you to accelerate, in a concerted manner, the development of healthy, safe and connected living environments for the entire population of Greater Montreal.
The Montreal Climate Summit is an opportunity to make this pact a reality and thus put sustainable mobility at the heart of our priorities. We are betting that it is by combining the expertise, creativity and commitment of everyone that we will meet the challenge of this generation.
* Co-signatories: Louis Baron, vice-rector for human and organizational development at the University of Quebec in Montreal (UQAM); Aline Berthe, representative of the metropolitan CGDs; Graham Carr, rector and vice-chancellor of Concordia University; Jean-Denis Charest, President and CEO of the East Montreal Chamber of Commerce; Isabelle Charron, President and CEO, Groupe AGECO; Julie-Anne Chayer, chair of the board of directors of Bâtiment durable Québec; Leïla Copti, President, Copticom; Pauline D’Amboise, vice-president of sustainable development and responsible finance at Desjardins; Daniel Dagenais, vice-president of operations at the Montreal Port Authority; Marc Duchesne, vice-president safety and liability at Bell; Philippe Dunsky, President of Dunsky Energy + Climate; Rim El Khouja, coordinator of the Carrefour des femmes d’Anjou; Jean-François Fortin Verreault, President and CEO of the CIUSSS de l’Est-de-l’Île-de-Montréal; François Gagnon, Director General of the École de technologie supérieure; Geneviève Gauthier, National Director of Strategic Innovation at Econoler; Sarah Houde, President and CEO of Propulsion Québec; Martin H. Klein, president and CEO of Audiokinetic; Nathalie Lachance, Vice-President, Talents and Strategy at Ecosystem; Hugo Lafrance, Sustainable Strategies Partner, Lemay; Steve Larose, CEO of Logha urban planning and real estate; Stéphane Lavoie, General and Programming Director of TOHU; Éric Lefebvre, General Manager of the Quartier des Spectacles Partnership; Marie-Andrée Lefebvre, Executive Director of the Urban Health Foundation; Marie-Krystine Longpré, Executive Director of the Junior Chamber of Commerce of Montreal; Martin Massé, vice-president public affairs and vice-president sustainable development at Aéroports de Montréal; Vincent Moreau, General Manager of the Greater Montreal Climate Fund; Geneviève Morin, President and CEO of Fondaction; Claude Pinard, President and CEO of Centraide of Greater Montreal; Roger Plamondon, President of Groupe Immobilier Broccolini; Ron Rayside, architect at Rayside Labossière; Emmanuel Rondia, Director General of the Regional Council for the Environment of Montreal; Eric St-Pierre, Executive Director of the Trottier Family Foundation; Lorne Trottier, owner and CEO of Matrox; Stéphanie Trudeau, Executive Vice-President Québec of Énergir; Laurence Vincent, President of Prével; Christian Yaccarini, President and CEO of Angus Development Corporation; Jenny Zammit, Vice President Marketing and Operations of Sollum Technologies