The City of Quebec is no longer going it alone in its ambition to reduce its GHG emissions by 45% compared to 2010 by 2030. The capital’s business, community and institutional circles are committed to its continued in the climate transition, united around a new initiative inspired by Boston and Montreal: Québec Capitale Climat.
“As a city alone, we cannot do it,” conceded the mayor of the capital, Bruno Marchand, during the inauguration of the initiative. To accomplish the decarbonization of the region, the private sector is now also committed to uniting to “accelerate” the battle against climate change.
Co-chaired by the rector of Laval University, Sophie d’Amours, and by the CEO of the Beneva insurance company, Jean-François Chalifoux, the coalition brings together around twenty “economic, philanthropic, institutional and community leaders » of Quebec, including the Chamber of Commerce, the CHU de Québec, the CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale, Caisse Desjardins and Michel Dallaire, a real estate developer with a considerable portfolio in the capital.
Everyone is committed to sharing best practices in sustainable development and mobilizing their respective communities around the ecological transition. This mobilization will “perhaps allow us to have more ambition”, believes Christian Savard, general director of Vivre en ville.
“This was the consequence in Boston and Montreal where there were similar initiatives,” he indicated in reference to the Boston Green Ribbon Commission, set up in Massachusetts in 2010, and to Partenariat Climat Montréal, in operation since 2021. There has been an acceleration of actions and an increase in targets. I wish us something similar for Quebec. »
Québec Capitale Climat will have a budget of “at least” $900,000 for the next two years, financed mainly by the City of Quebec. “Seeing the enthusiasm for this project,” hopes Valérie Beaudoin, CEO of the Fondation Québec Philanthrope, “we know very, very well that we will be able to get there at high speed and work with a budget of operations of two million. »
The machine now launched, members will be able to “take up the pilgrim’s staff” and “go knock on doors” to unite civil society and boost QCC’s funding.
“We created a mobilization committee,” explains Steeve Lavoie, president of the Quebec Chamber of Commerce and Industry. For example, Pierre Moreau, [un important restaurateur de la capitale], go talk to other restaurateurs. He has credibility. Michel Dallaire, it’s the same thing: he’s going to talk about it and everything will come together very quickly. »
The partners united around the initiative will set their own objectives in terms of reducing polluting emissions, will agree to obey a precise timetable and will participate in annual accountability exercises.
However, their membership in the grouping is not binding, since no consequences will await any bad students. The initiative relies more on peer pressure and the good faith of participants than on punishment to achieve its climate ambitions.
“They all have children, these people,” underlined Alexandre Turgeon, the director general of the Regional Environmental Council of the Capitale-Nationale. Seriously, we have to be able to look at our children and tell them: we took the right actions. These are the consequences. »