The governments of Canada and Quebec gave their support on Thursday to a call launched by civil society within the framework of the UN conference on biodiversity (COP15) for a questioning of the economic model which supposes “the increase unsustainable extraction and material consumption”.
At the end of a two-day conference on “the underlying causes responsible for the loss of biodiversity”, several civil society organizations launched the “Montreal Appeal” on Thursday evening. He pleads for “the implementation of changes to an economic model and a system of values that are harmful to nature”.
The document recalls that the “unprecedented” rate of decline of nature is currently attributable to “the modification of the use of land and seas, the direct exploitation of living organisms, climate change, pollution and alien species. invasive”. However, all these causes stem from an economic model based on unlimited growth in the exploitation of resources, but also on the overconsumption that characterizes our societies, recall the organizations gathered within the COP15 Collective.
They therefore plead for an end to “the unsustainable increase in extraction and material consumption” and for the implementation of the “necessary systemic changes” to turn away from this economic model.
“Smart Growth”
Federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault said he supports this call from civil society. “We are working on these systemic transformations, including new indicators, in addition to GDP, to measure progress. The Treasury Board is working on it,” he added after a panel organized as part of COP15. Mr. Guilbeault also maintained that “reconciliation” with the First Nations was part of the federal government’s desire to change the paradigm.
Quebec’s Environment Minister, Benoit Charette, also endorsed the text of this “Montreal Appeal”. “The concept of degrowth does not resonate with me when I look at the needs of the health and education networks. There must be growth, but it must be smart and take into account biodiversity or the impacts in terms of greenhouse gas emissions, ”he argued in an exchange with the media.
Mr. Charette cited as an example the decision of the Legault government to close the door to the LNG Quebec natural gas liquefaction and export project. “As Minister of the Environment, I announced good news. But for the community that received this news, we had to make them understand that there are imperatives that will guide our decisions that would not have been considered a few years ago. Growth must be considered, but not at any price. »
The Mayor of Montreal, Valérie Plante, for her part, affirmed that the City wanted to “act on the systemic causes of the loss of biodiversity”, including the extraction of resources and “overconsumption”. According to her, it is important to be able to “discuss” these issues openly. “From now on, decision-makers around the world must protect our green spaces, create and apply new economic models. »