Six years after the Paris Agreement, which was intended to be decisive in terms of States’ commitment to the fight against climate change, the 26e United Nations Conference on Climate Change (COP26) presents some interesting courses of action that could inspire the future National Policy on Architecture and Regional Planning.
First of all, it was obvious to those who were able to attend COP26: cities and urban agglomerations of all sizes are now playing an increasingly important role with regard to climate change. This level of local intervention is already in action, particularly through development. Whether through the electrification of public transport, the renovation of built heritage, the increase in the canopy and the consolidation of green spaces in order to maintain ecological corridors, cities seek to reduce emissions on their territory and to mitigate the effects of climate change.
Another significant breakthrough at COP26 is the recognition that the climate crisis is intimately linked to the weakening of biodiversity and that the efforts needed to mitigate climate change go in part through nature-based solutions.
It is indeed essential to protect biodiversity and natural environments, because they are essential for climate regulation, by providing services such as filtration and regulation of water, pollination, but also the production of food and of materials.
Like the cities which are taking action and which now integrate the protection of biodiversity, the Government of Quebec must be exemplary and coordinate the objectives while facilitating the means of action of the municipalities. This is the role that the National Policy on Architecture and Regional Planning (PNAAT) can play, which is currently being drawn up. It is decisive in achieving the targets that Quebec has set for itself, because land use planning is becoming a transversal intervention tool. It can help reduce greenhouse gases, it helps protect natural and agricultural environments, and it contributes to the resilience of communities and ecosystems.
PHOTO EDOUARD PLANTE-FRÉCHETTE, ARCHVES LA PRESSE
The Léon-Provancher marsh in Neuville, a natural environment rich in biodiversity
A “South Plan”
The recognition of the importance of biodiversity at COP26 is therefore a step forward on which we must build, and quickly. The solutions are accessible, numerous, and bearers of hope. Several responses are put forward through the white paper “Un Plan Sud pour le Québec”.1 Stemming from the collaboration between academia and nature conservation, this book is the result of a broad consultation carried out with more than 200 stakeholders. It offers around forty recommendations to accelerate the protection of natural environments located south of 49e parallel. Divided into six major orientations, the recommendations propose to integrate the protection and conservation of biodiversity into land use planning at all levels, to set intermediate targets for 2022 and 2025 so as to be able to achieve the objective of 30% of the land area by 2030 and better equip municipalities in their conservation efforts.
The fight against climate change requires a coordinated and comprehensive approach, which calls on all stakeholders to recognize common interests, pursue common goals and manage common risks. The objective of COP26 was to clarify these objectives and to perfect the roadmap to achieve them. The PNAAT can and must be ambitious and make it possible to define common objectives in terms of spatial planning so that all public decision-makers can be coherent.