Montreal Climate Summit: all for solutions to the climate crisis
Entrepreneurs, elected officials and experts are meeting today for the Montreal Climate Summit , to exchange their knowledge share possible solutions to tackle the climate crisis.
The event should provide guidelines for the City and all the players concerned in order to accelerate its fight against climate change. climatic changes. More than thirty experts, elected officials and business leaders will speak during the day. In total, more than 400 participants are expected at the Montreal Climate Summit.
Buildings and heating
One of the challenges in Montreal's climate transition and the decarbonization of the real estate sector. The principal director of Vivre en Ville, Christian Savard, recalls that the building sector represents 30% of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. He will also lead a workshop on this subject.
Around the table will be present real estate developers such as the MACH Group, whose new buildings no longer have GHG emissions. The Energy Performance Financing and Support Company (SOFIAC) will also explain its way of financing the renovation of buildings to enable their decarbonization.
According to Christian Savard, the electrification of heating systems is the main solution for the decarbonization of the building stock. But the big challenge is the “tip”. The moment when the temperatures are very cold and everyone is using the electricity grid. He explains that, for the moment, infrastructure needs gas as a back-up energy source.
The transition of companies
The entrepreneurial sector also has its part to play. play in this green bend. Companies and large institutions will also share examples of initiatives as part of their own transition.
“(The objective) is to inspire and mobilize people in the room and organizations so that they can get active in the climate transition that we need to make and to identify the conditions for success,” explains Jean-Patrick Toussaint, Senior Director of the Trottier Family Foundation's Climate Program and host of a Climate Summit workshop.
According to the director of the Young Chamber of Commerce of Montreal, Marie-Krystine Longpré, the Concerns about social acceptability are “very big” among young entrepreneurs under 40.
“The objective is to demonstrate that there are companies that are profitable, profitable, innovative and that have a climate impact model. […] Which are carbon neutral and which are aligned with the Sustainable Development Goals. We want to send the message that we are moving from solutions to action to elected officials and large companies,” she said.
One of the big issues for her is supply chains. The new business models must therefore favor companies with impact in the call for tenders process.
The transition of cities too
The Director General of the Regional Council of environment of Montreal, Emmanuel Rondia, will lead a workshop on adaptation to climate change and the resilience of the City of Montreal.
In accordance with the latest IPCC report, cities must imperatively increase their level of adaptation to climate change. Water management, extreme heat waves or even floods were at the heart of the workshop discussions.
“The issue of adaptation is already present in Montreal […] but there are plenty of other areas that deserve faster action, as the IPCC reminded us,” says Emmanuel Roundia.
Taxation at the service of the environment
The world of finance was also present at the Climate Summit to collaborate for a rapid and effective climate transition. Luc Belzile of the Institut du Québec led the workshop on ecofiscality.
Ecofiscality can be applied in different ways. Examples are the water charge, the residual materials tax or the kilometer tax. According to him, eco-taxation can be an incentive measure but also an interesting source for financing the climate transition.
“The particularity of ecofiscality is that we will levy royalties, taxes or pricing that will be dedicated to funds to act on an environmental externality, explains Luc Belzile. There may be very specific tools that aim to reduce the balance of emissions […] and that can also finance means of adaptation such as green spaces”.
The Montreal Climate Summit will take place all day and will end with a gala organized by CRE-Montréal and hosted by Léa Stréliski.
