Discussions will be fuelled by a diverse panel featuring representatives from the municipal administration, ecological, community and citizens’ groups, as well as university research. This evening will therefore be an opportunity to cross views, knowledge and, above all, ideas to take action together.
Panelists :

• Isabelle Senécal – Mères au Front
• Sophie Van Neste – Lab climat
• Francis Waddell – Demain Verdun
• 4th to be confirmed…

This event is the first in a series of activities that the Montreal Climate Coalition intends to carry out in this municipal election year and to kick off its second decade: café-rencontres, webinars on topics of interest, work sessions to prepare for city council sessions or debates, exchange tables, with a view to a metropolitan vision and more.

Against a backdrop of political turbulence, here’s an opportunity to ask our elected representatives and all players in society to renew their commitment to supporting citizen climate action.

For those who wish, a meal will be served between 5 and 6 pm (suggested $ contribution). Presentations and discussions begin at 6pm.

It’s a rendez-vous, thursday may 8, at Petites mains, 7595 Saint-Laurent, Montréal (métro De Castelneau).

The Montreal Climate Coalition thanks the Caisse Desjardins for its financial support.

Click here to participate in the virtual debate on Tuesday, October 26th at 7pm

There is a vast pool of talent and energy in our neighbourhoods, businesses and schools that regularly demonstrates its support for a rapid transition to carbon neutrality. Without the participation of these same people in the design and implementation of a credible plan, we risk losing the momentum that was so present before the pandemic.

What is each party proposing to facilitate the participation of the hundreds of thousands of people who marched for the climate? Come hear representatives from Ensemble Montréal, Mouvement Montréal and Projet Montréal debate the best strategies for harnessing popular energy to help the city make a green shift that is fair, equitable and inclusive.
The debate will also cover each party’s position on the implementation of recommendations stemming from the public consultation on the reduction of Montreal’s dependence on fossil fuels. Following the consultation, the #MTL400 Declaration was drafted by the Montreal Climate Coalition to accelerate adoption of the consultation’s most promising climate governance solutions. It now counts some 160 organizational signatories, in addition to prominent scientists and researchers.

A few stats to get you warmed up for the debate: 

• Montreal’s GHG reduction target: 55% below 1990 levels by 2030 (source)
• Annual greenhouse gas reduction between 1990 and 2017: ± 1% (source)
• Annual reduction needed to reach our target (2018-2030): ± 2% ((55% – 29%) / 13 years)

We must therefore double the pace of reductions in a context where much of the low-hanging fruit has already been picked. Moreover, we cannot count on coincidences such as the closure of the Shell refinery in 2010, which on its own represents 20% of the emissions reduced since 1990.

The delay in producing a GHG inventory (and the delay in assessing the effectiveness of our actions):

• Saint-Laurent: 1 year (source)
• Gatineau: 1 year (source)
• Paris: 1.5 years (source)
• Outremont: 1.5 years (source)
• Toronto: 2 years (source)
• Montréal: 3 years (source)

It is important to note that the 55% target does not take into account emissions from our consumption of goods produced outside of Montreal, nor from air travel, making the hole we need to stop digging ourselves into even deeper. Furthermore, the 2050 carbon neutrality target is far from considered equitable for a city like Montreal, as we are a relatively wealthy city from a global perspective. (source)

Register here to participate in the debate on October 26

Other Vire au Vert debates specific to the boroughs and suburbs of the CMM

• Thursday October 14: Environment & Mobility (watch the recording)
• Monday October 18, 7pm: Saint-Jérôme
• Tuesday October 19, 6:30pm: Verdun
• Tuesday October 19, 7pm: Lachine
• Tuesday October 19, 7pm: Longueuil
• Tuesday October 19, 7pm: La Prairie
• Wednesday October 20, 6pm: Rosemont-La-Petite-Patrie
• Wednesday October 20, 7pm: Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve
• Wednesday October 20, 7pm: Beloeil
• Thursday October 21, 7pm: Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu
• Thursday October 21, 7pm: Laval
• Friday October 22, 7pm: Villeray-Saint-Michel-Parc-Extension
• Monday October 25, 7pm: Terrebonne
• Tuesday October 26, 6:45pm: Sud Ouest
• Tuesday October 26, 7pm: Côtes-des-Neiges–Notre-Dame-de-Grâce
• Wednesday October 27, 6pm: Ville Marie
• Wednesday October 27, 7pm: Châteauguay

Need data to inform your interactions with the candidates?

Check out the National Climate League’s 2020 Standings, which highlights best practices from across Canada in municipal climate solutions. Climate Reality Canada and the Community Climate Hub network are currently seeking data for the 2021 edition of the standings. Visit the Benchmarking section of ClimateHub.ca or write to data@climatehub.ca to get involved!

Find out about how your city ranks nationally on 30 sustainability indicators such as air quality, public transport or affordable housing and discover what are your options at the municipal level so you can improve your community’s quality of life.

Learn more about the initiative

More than a hundred people gathered virtually on Friday, February 19th to celebrate our 6th anniversary.

See video captation of the event

In the first part, our guests discussed the issues of carbon neutrality and how to work towards achieving it, transformational public participation – a prerequisite for biparticipation and consensus building – and improving GHG inventories, which are essential for evidence-based decision making and a functional carbon budget. We were pleased to welcome :

• Valérie Patreau, Borough Councillor, Outremont, President of the standing committee on Water, Environment, Sustainable Development and Parks.
• Francesco Miele, City Councillor, Saint-Laurent, Official Opposition critic for the environment.
• Annie Levasseur, Professor at the École de technologie supérieure, Canada Research Chair in Measuring the Impact of Human Activities on Climate Change.
• Jonathan Théorêt, Division Chief, Transportation, Energy and Building, Bureau de la transition écologique et de la résilience (BTÉR) of the City of Montréal.
• Joseph El Khoury, Doctoral student in ecological and social transformation, Université de Montréal, Associate researcher at the IDEOS cluster and the Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES)

In the second part, some fifteen projects were presented by organizations and citizens who are mobilizing to play their role in the transition. These presentations were followed by small group discussions with the project leaders.

See projects presentations

Submit your project

The projects of our members and supporters are posted on our site, allowing us to recruit volunteers interested in contributing.

Six years ago, the Climate Coalition Montréal was founded to unite our voices, now strong with 140 organizations and businesses, and to encourage the city to deepen citizen participation, understanding that this is a prerequisite for accelerating climate action in a democracy. Progress has been made since then, but much remains to be done. In the face of global warming, time is running out and the next ten years will be critical; we must act now to avoid climate catastrophe. More than ever, citizens, businesses, organizations and elected officials must join forces and work together to achieve carbon neutrality.

The Montreal’s climate plan 2020-2030 launched november the 10th is the city’s response to the climate emergency, with the objective of becoming carbon-neural by 2050.

“This plan represents Montréal’s most ambitious effort to date in the face of the climate emergency,” said Jean-François Boisvert, President of the Montreal Climate Coalition. “What’s more, it fits well with several elements of the Quebec ZéN Roadmap for Quebec’s transition to carbon neutrality, the result of a vast co-construction work carried out by more than 190 specialists and representatives of civil society. »

The Climate Plan is less in line with Declaration #MTL400, a document stemming from the vertMTL consultation and counting among its signatories more than 140 Montreal organizations and companies as well as eminent scientists in the field. It advocates four axes of climate governance to ensure an equitable and science-based transition: 

– a rigorous carbon budget;

– a climate test to ensure the compatibility of projects with this budget;

– frequent and granular GHG inventories; 

– public participation in the planning and implementation of the transition.

“The value of a participatory democracy is as much in the search for solutions, as it is in their implementation,” stresses France Levert, member of the Coalition’s coordinating committee and co-founder of the Democratize Montreal Collective. According to her, citizen participation is a key element for long-term success. “The role of public participation envisaged by the city in the years to come will be a determining factor in the mobilization that will guarantee the plan’s success. It is a crucial element »

While the City of Montreal’s climate plan proposes many promising initiatives, we note a few shortcomings.

“It bodes well for the plan that a climate test is integrated, and we would like a “carbon budget” type tool to be put in place as soon as possible, specifying annual ceilings to be respected. In addition, the absence of timely, more reliable and detailed GHG inventories, the climate test will not have the complementary tools to be as effective as it could be.” asserts Mr. Boisvert. “It’s all well and good to set a target for 2030, but at this pace of reporting, we won’t have the data until 2035 to know if we’ve reached that target. » 

The GHG inventory on which the plan is based dates from 2015. Other Canadian cities are leading the way in this regard: Calgary publishes GHG inventories with a two-year delay and Toronto is working with researchers to publish the inventories in real time using best practices developed in Paris and elsewhere.

Without a coherent and credible suite of climate governance tools, the plan risks being quickly politicized to the detriment of our collective progress towards a carbon-neutral, resilient and just city. It is not too late to develop these tools with the help of local researchers and integrate them into the plan. For its part, the Climate Coalition Montreal remains ready to play its facilitation role.

The race for decarbonization is well underway, but it is far from won. Time is running out and the climate crisis will not give us a second chance.

The Coalition Climat Montréal will hold its 5th anniversary on Thursday, February 20 at the Lajeunesse centre (7378 Lajeunesse, Jean-Talon metro station) with a program highlighting the inspiring work of various organizations.
We are expecting 150-200 people to celebrate the past and align ourselves with the future. Lectures and workshops will take place from noon to 4pm, followed by an evening of networking, and exchanges between dozens of Montreal environmental organizations seeking to showcase their projects will begin at 4:30pm. Save the date!

It’s free, but please register

Are you concerned about the future of your city? Just like climate change? France has been running its national “Ecoquartier” programme for a decade now, designed to bring together civil society, developers and municipalities so that new developments contribute to the energy transition while promoting social equity.

In Quebec, Écoquartiers projects such as the Angus Technopole are the exception rather than the rule. But now there is a unique opportunity for Lachinois and other Montrealers to redefine the city of tomorrow. Indeed, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal (OCPM) will hold a public consultation prior to the future Lachine-Est project (more than 50 hectares and more than 4,000 units).

It is in this context that six community organizations have joined forces to invite you to the “Lachine East Summit”. This conference, on the theme of “The eco-neighbourhood of today, the city of tomorrow”, will draw inspiration from best practices for the future development of Lachine-Est, while laying the foundations for a future Montreal eco-neighbourhood development program.

This event will take place on Saturday, March 9 from 9:30 am to 5:30 pm in Lachine. A dinner will be served to participants and a networking cocktail will conclude the event.

You will be able to hear more than twenty guest speakers, including Alain Jund, Deputy Mayor of Strasbourg, in charge of urban planning and energy transition, President of the French National EcoQuartier Commission and Christian Yaccarini, President and CEO of the Société de développement Angus.

In the afternoon, you will have the choice between the following 4 thematic workshops (one of which is in English):

1: Sustainable mobility, TOD and densification

2: From the eco-building to the entire district

3: For a Montreal eco-neighbourhood charter

4 : Toward a real ecodistrict (english workshop)

However, we encourage you to make a tax-deductible donation to GRAME before March 23rd: Go to www.canadon.ca, select GRAME, make your donation and select that you support the “Lachine-Est” project. Please note: if you make a donation when you register on the EventBrite platform, you will not receive a tax receipt. You must use the www.canadon.ca platform to benefit from such a receipt. Thank you!

Register now on Eventbrite

This event is organized in partnership with

OCPM Consultation

To launch its consultation on the future of the Lachine-Est sector, the Office de consultation publique de Montréal will hold an “Open House” event on Sunday, February 24 at 11 a.m., at Maison du Brasseur, 2901 Boulevard Saint-Joseph, Lachine.

Under an endless downpour of depressing news, with facts and images depicting economic, social, and environmental crises, it’s easy to get swept away in despair. And with so many world leaders pushing political agendas in the wrong direction—toward greater economic injustice, human suffering, and runaway climate change—we risk seeing more and more people give up. But please, don’t; it’s still too early to lose hope!
We’re surrounded by solutions. But we must choose to put them to work. Now more than ever, our lifestyle and consumption choices have potential to create remarkable, positive change.

By choosing fair trade products such as small-scale farmer coffee or cocoa, and other smallholder products, we not only support producers and artisans, but also participate in production systems that go easy on the environment and encourage thriving co-operatives and communities. A fair price helps farmers invest in more sustainable practices and infrastructures.

It also empowers producer families, co-operatives, and communities to invest in projects that promote healthier living, such as reduced-emission cook stoves, clean water, or access to health services and education.

But what about everything that doesn’t fall neatly within the fair trade framework?

Fair traders are well positioned to raise awareness and take action in broader circles, making our planet a healthier and fairer place. Climate change is a pending disaster for all living creatures, and we must act now in order to stop catastrophic environmental destruction in the frighteningly near future. Hitching our sensitivity for economic justice to causes that protect the environment is becoming part of our collective challenge.

It’s time for conscious consumers to revitalize, engage, collaborate, act up, and speak out!

Where to Begin?

Start by calculating your individual and organizational carbon footprints (find a carbon calculator online) and discover how your lifestyle contributes to climate change. Incorporate “4R + 1CR” (catchy, right?) into your daily routine:
• Refuse single-use plastics,
• Reduce consumption,
• Reuse what you have,
• Recycle everything that cannot be reused, and
• Compost all organic Residue!

What’s next? Join or create a local climate awareness initiative in your community. Support sustainability curriculums at your school. Educate and mobilize others at your place of spiritual retreat or worship. All this contributes to the common good. Learn about how simple organic practices can regenerate our soils and green spaces—from backyard or community gardens to open pastures or woodland areas—and contribute to carbon sequestration. After that, sign an environmental petition to hold elected local and federal governments accountable to their commitments for economic, social, and climate justice

Let’s stop trying to dominate nature and each other and adopt a spirit of constructive collaboration. Real impact is possible when we dig a little deeper and come together in our awareness to intentionally make positive, systemic change.

This might sound like a very tall order for the fair trade movement. But fair trade itself has been extraordinarily successful at driving noble causes. Fair trade demonstrates that consumers care about the way products are made and how farmers, workers, or artisans are paid and treated. And the process, “Business as Usual” had to sit up and taken notice.

The Growth of Fair Trade Coffee

I’ve worked in coffee for 25 years, a blink in the timeframe of that commodity on the planet, yet I’ve seen tectonic shifts in the industry. I’ve had the opportunity to participate in the birth of the fair trade coffee movement, while working with both producer organizations and early labelling initiatives. I’ve seen fair trade grow, develop, and diversify. I’ve nurtured organic coffee, learning alongside small-scale farmers, and have seen how the nuances of this crop have blossomed into a household vocabulary. I’ve been swept up in the tourbillon of quality coffee, as the concept and realities expanded beyond our wildest dreams. And I’ve also seen countless “extreme challenges” from seed to cup, ranging from market fluctuations to crop failures to the ultimate extremes of power struggles and political assassination.

But when all is said and done, production, market, and living conditions have fundamentally improved for coffee farmers engaged in fair trade.

I grew up in the era of the bitter and bottomless cup and an utter lack of consumer awareness of coffee farmers. With the introduction of fair trade and the ensuing ethical, responsible, and direct trade variations, coffee became chic in remarkably short order. Today, the fastest growing market sectors are gourmet, organic, fair trade, and other cause-related niches within specialty coffee.

Even coffee companies that have tried hard to steer clear of fair trade feel compelled to announce farmer friendly initiatives. For some companies, this is as simple as rolling up the rim to show consumers how their purchase touches the life of a coffee farmer. For others, it’s developing more sophisticated internal criteria or joining an ethical initiative so they can show a connection to the farm.

The impact that fair trade coffee has made reminds me of my favorite quote from Margaret Mead: “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

An informed and motivated consumer base, making intelligent choices, can play a critical role in turning the tide toward a more just, safe, and healthy planet. So get out there and exert your power as if your life depends upon it. Because actually, it does.

Monika Firl, Director of Sustainability for CoopCoffees

To go further…

Adopt a Low-Carbon Lifestyle
Get started on a low-carbon lifestyle with this list of ideas. Do one thing new each week or each month and see your carbon footprint shrink over time.

Sign an E-Petition
Environmental Defence tackles some of Canada’s most critical environmental and health issues: global warming, harmful chemicals, and urban sprawl. Add your name to an e-petition and help protect the environment and our health.

Join a Community Climate Initiative
Through citizen engagement, Climate Hubs help build public support for political leadership on climate change. While international agreements are essential, citizens, businesses, and civil society must step up.

Support Sustainable Curriculums at Your School
Learning for a Sustainable Future encourages educators to include key aspects of the UN’s education for sustainable development program in formal curriculum.

Educate Others at Your Place of Worship
Faith & the Common Good is a national network of diverse faith congregations and spiritual communities, built on the belief that faith groups share a calling to protect our ecosystems and serve our communities.

Learn About Soil Regeneration
Regeneration International promotes regenerative food and farming, with the ultimate aims of restoring climate stability, ending world hunger, and rebuilding social, ecological, and economic systems.

Let’s Talk About A Carbon Budget

Um excuse me, but just what exactly is a carbon budget? It sounds awful – neither of those two words are fun. But in fact, it’s a very important concept that will be key to our success at fighting climate change. In order to understand what a carbon budget is, you need to understand that cumulative emissions matter. It’s not just a question of slowing down how much carbon dioxide is released into the atmosphere, it’s a question of stopping emissions entirely. Climate change 101: when carbon dioxide (and other greenhouse gases) are released into the atmosphere, they trap the sun’s heat, warming the Earth. Because the gases don’t disappear over time, it doesn’t matter where or when they’re released, they will eventually cause the same amount of warming. Specifically, every trillion tonnes of CO2 emitted will cause about 0.5° C of warming. I should point out here that not all greenhouse gases are released into the atmosphere as a result of human activity – there’s a natural carbon cycle that’s always at play, and many natural processes that cause the emission of carbon dioxide. However, the prevailing scientific view at this time is that human activity is accelerating the greenhouse effect due to the massive amount of greenhouses gases that are created by human industry (like the burning of coal and oil). At a certain point, we won’t be able to put any more carbon dioxide into the sky – our emissions will need to reach zero. This means that if we want to avoid the 1.5°C of warming that scientists say is the only way to keep our climate liveable, there’s a finite amount of CO2 that we can emit into the atmosphere. That finite amount of carbon is called the carbon budget.

Why Do I Care?

You absolutely care! Because Canada’s current climate strategy doesn’t include a carbon budget, and it should! Canada’s current climate plan is based on annual emissions targets. We set a goal to reduce our emissions by a given percentage of a previous year. For example, Canada’s target for 2030 is to reduce emissions by 30% of 2005 levels. Both strategies aim to reduce the amount of greenhouse gas we produce, but science says that a carbon budget will be far more effective at helping us avoid the worst outcomes of climate change.

The first big problem with annual emissions targets is that this plan will inevitably lead to more CO2 being released into the atmosphere. Remember that cumulative emissions matter, so more CO2 = more warming = more catastrophe. Another issue is that emissions targets don’t tend to account for the fact that many countries the world over are not in a position to rapidly decarbonize, or that some countries are already guilty of carbon-loading the atmosphere more than others. While some folks might think it unfair that Canada should further tighten the carbon-belt in order to allow developing countries to play catch up, it’s the only strategy that makes sense. At the moment, Canada ranks 15 out of 17 countries for greenhouse gas emissions per capita (that’s a D grade by the way) because we are using far more than our fair share of the carbon budget. Our atmosphere and climate are shared, so what Canadians do will have impact elsewhere, and what happens in other countries will eventually impact Canadians, for better or for worse. Some political leaders and policy-makers have argued that this means that it doesn’t matter what we do! Even if we reduce our emissions to zero, other countries will still be emitting tonnes and tonnes, so we might as well just do whatever we want! This non-solution is counterproductive at best – using a carbon budget in our climate change plans will allow Canada to ethically account not only for our historical responsibility when it comes to carbon emissions, but to allow space for developing countries to upgrade their infrastructure and prepare for what’s coming.

Another benefit of using a carbon budget in policy is that politicians are used to working with budgets. We get a new one every year, right? You might be thinking “But politicians are bad at everything, including budgets! We’re doomed!” Calm down. Politicians have far more experience working with budgets than with targets. And while it might seem like only a semantic difference, the way in which progress is monitored and oversight is done is quite different. The bureaucratic infrastructure needed to use a carbon budget in our climate policy is already in place – how convenient!

What’s Next?

Hopefully by now we can all agree on the following:
1.    Climate change is happening and we need to take steps to prevent the worst outcomes.
2.    Cumulative emissions matter – we only have a finite amount of greenhouse gas emissions left to avoid 1.5° C of warming.
3.    Using a carbon budget makes more sense and will lead to better outcomes that using annual emissions targets. It’s smarter, more ethical, and could even be easier to do.

Happily, solutions are in the works. There are already lots of dedicated activists who are digging into the task of finding better ways to do things – C40 Cities is an organization connecting 96 of the world’s largest cities who are taking bold action against climate change. They’ve put together a blueprint called Deadline 2020, which provides a tangible guide on how cities can implement a climate budget at the municipal level. So what’s left does for us concerned citizens who like to hug trees but are neither policy-makers nor scientists nor activists? What do we do with all these awesome facts? Remember that it’s not impossible for citizens to create change in government – the government is meant to represent the will of the people, and it’s incumbent on our elected leaders to protect the health and well-being of their citizens. It’s up to us to put pressure on our representatives to implement policy that reflects what we actually want and need. But they’ll only know what we actually want and need if we speak up !

Zoë Robertson

In opening, Pierre Lessard-Blais, Mayor of the Borough of Mercier-Hochelaga-Maisonneuve, and Alexandre Boulerice, Member of Parliament for Rosemont-Petite Patrie, stressed the importance of a common commitment to the fight against and adaptation to climate change, as well as the support of citizens for the proposals and actions of elected officials in this direction.

We would like to thank all the presenters and people who came to listen to them.

If you missed this event or would like more information on the groups and projects presented, you can consult the following links:

• Up from the ground / À nous les quartiers
• Coalition Climat Montréal

Présentation Démocratie participative (4e anniversaire)

Présentation Inventaire GES (4e anniversaire)

• Conseil régional en environnement de Laval

Présentation du CRE Laval (4e anniversaire)

• Contrôle des Publi-sacs
• Demain Verdun
• Extinction Rebellion
• Forêt nourricière
• National climat league
• Mobilisation Environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville
• Vegan Option Canada

Présentation de Option Vegan (4e anniversaire)

• Réseau Transition Québec

Présentation du Réseau Transition Québec (4e anniversaire)

• Transition NDG

Présentation de Transition-NDG (4e anniversaire)

• Trainsparence

In 2018, the International Panel on Climate Change, a group mandated by the UN to provide governments with scientific information that they can use to develop climate policies, issued a report stating that we cannot continue to ignore the effect that human activity is having on the planet. Doing so would mean certain death for our species and for much of life as we know it. The report examined how a continued warming of the Earth to 1.5 °C above pre-industrial levels would affect life on Earth in precise scientific terms, and issued this prescription to the world community: Act now! Or else! (I am paraphrasing here.)

The IPCC Report had the effect of a meteor crashing to Earth—we could not ignore it, but we weren’t quite sure what to do with it. We have known for a long time that we have to stop burning fossil fuels, although this realization has yet to percolate up to our elected representatives.

However, even as the Canadian and Québec governments continue to shill for the oil and gas industry, scientists, Indigenous communities, and citizens’ groups have been researching solutions and taking actions, like the fossil-fuel divestment movement. And the IPCC report served to draw attention to Paul Hawken’s Project Drawdown which boldly proclaims itself “The Most Comprehensive Plan Ever Proposed to Reverse Global Warming.” To write this book, Hawken gathered a qualified and diverse group of researchers from around the world to identify, research, and model the 100 most substantive, existing solutions to address climate change.

Notice that a “plant-rich diet” is number four on that list. Consider also, that as an individual, this is a solution that you can act on immediately and with direct impact on the world.

Drawdown top ten solutions

In a new-year tradition-meets-global-awakening effect, suddenly everywhere articles abound on the importance of a plant-based diet. As I write this, the Canada Food Guide has announced that in its new version of the Guide, Dairy will no longer be considered a food group in its own right–it has been demoted to be henceforth a mere member of the Protein food group, along with lentils, legumes and nuts–which is momentous: The long-held myth that one “needs” animal-based protein has been implicitly debunked. (It is a little bit as though proportional representation has come to food—can a PR government be far behind?)

Perhaps you have been toying with the idea of adopting a vegan or vegetarian lifestyle, but you don’t know where to start. This article provides answers to a few of the questions that people typically have about a plant-rich diet, with insider resources for those living in Montréal.

I love meat and I eat it daily! How can I make such a drastic change?

The idea of transitioning to a plant-rich diet can be overwhelming… as long as it is just an idea. Once you try it, you might find it quite easy.

First of all, be clear about your motivation… are you most concerned about improving your personal health? The health of the planet? Love of animals? Love of humanity? “All of the above”?. Be clear in your mind about why you are doing this.

Second, set out the ground rules for yourself, in order to make this a sustainable lifestyle change, and not just a transitory diet. Decide whether to start with a vegetarian diet (consume no animals or fish, but still eat animal-derived products) or a vegan one (no animals or animal-derived products). Then again, if you are currently eating meat daily, you might want to start with meatless meals every-other day, and take it from there. Personally, when I first committed to a plant-rich diet, I had many reservations, so I was initially vegetarian, and later, having realized how easy this was, I become vegan. However, only you know yourself.

One key question is, do you like to cook? If the answer is yes, then, Congratulations! You will enjoy trying new recipes and exploring new tastes and foods like vegan cheeses, tofu, tempeh, seitan, nutritional yeast, and more.

If you would rather walk over hot coals than open a cookbook, no worries! There are more and more convenient vegan versions of comfort foods. Look in the frozen section of your grocery for meatless nuggets and “filets”–Gardein brand has a delicious selection—or try a vegan pizza. For easy recipes that focus on convenience, you can also order a “Vegetarian Starter Kit

What could I use to replace milk, cream and cheese?

This is an easy one! There are so many options! Why not pick up a carton of soy milk the next time that you are at the grocery? Take a moment to do a side-by-side comparison with a carton of cow’s milk. You will see that there is really little difference in terms of the vitamin and minerals. If you want to explore all the plant-based options, consider oat, almond, and rice milk; all are delicious. Personally I use soy milk most of the time, but one of these days I would like to try making oat milk, which would be cheaper than buying soy milk, and also has the advantage of eliminating the carton.
 

As for cream, once you start exploring with vegan recipes, you will see that coconut cream is a perfect substitute for cream from a cow. If you have tasted vegan pastries, you know already that there is no detectable difference! When it comes to coffee, you can use commercial non-dairy creamers like Silk.
As for vegan butter, most vegans I know use Earth Balance brand vegan butter, which is quite delicious. However, it does contain palm oil, which in my mind makes it non-vegan, since palm oil plantations destroy habitat of orangutans and other species. I personally make my own butter, using coconut oil (the refined kind, with no coconut taste) and olive oil. The recipe is here.

Cheese-lovers may find that the sheer ubiquitousness and variety of animal-derived cheeses is a stumbling block—how to give that up? Never fear! Where one door closes, another door opens! Welcome to the amazing world of vegan cheeses—which includes parmesan, cream cheese, mac-n’ cheese, feta, blue and more! You can buy many vegan cheeses ready-made at Montreal stores like Coop La Maison Verte, LOCO, Rachel Berry; Fleur Sauvage and so on, or you can make your own. A vegan version of Parmesan takes only minutes to make, and requires only a handful of cashews, nutritional yeast, and salt. You can find this and many other cheese recipes at the Urban homesteader web site. The site founder, Sheena Swirlz, also gives vegan cheese-making workshops here in Montréal.

Where will I get my protein?

More to the point, where won’t you get protein? Ha ha! There is plenty of protein in tofu, tempeh, seitan, plant-based milks, whole wheat, brocolli, cabbage, beans, legumes, nuts and seeds. Also, nuts and seeds often have a greater density of protein by weight than meat. For example, did you know that 3/4 cup of pumpkin seeds contains as much protein as 3 ounces of turkey, and has more glutamate, zinc, and phytosterols, not to mention copper, manganese, phosphorous, vitamin K, E, and B that are missing in the turkey? And the turkey gets to live! Yay!

The important thing is to get a wide variety of nutritious foods. Here is a poster that you might want to pin up somewhere in your kitchen :
 

If you want a more prescribed regimen until you feel comfortable with all these new foods, try Lise Desaulniers’ book, Le défi vegane 21 jours.

Won’t I lack vitamins on a plant-based diet?

Hmm… let me see if I understood correctly… you are about to ditch your one-food-fits-all, meat-centric Carnist diet, and embark on a nutritional odyssey of plant-rich foods, and you are worried about vitamins? Chances are, your new diet will contain a far greater scope of vitamins than your meat-and-potatoes grandparents ever dreamed of!

Seriously, though, it is commendable to be concerned about vitamins and minerals. Here is a 1-2-3 formula for ensuring that you don’t miss out.

1. Sign up for a farmer’s basket. This will ensure that you are getting a steady, varied and ample supply of organic, local produce.
2. Grab a pencil and make a grocery list, with these vitamin superstars on it:

• Nutritional yeast is a good source of vitamin B12. Start with vegan parmesan, or pick up a cook book like Jean Philippe’s cookbook. You can also subscribe to his blog.
• Flax seed is a good source of protein, calcium and Omega 3 fatty acids (which non-vegans get from eggs). Interestingly, flax seed can be used in just about any baking recipe as an egg replacer.
• Chia seeds contain Omega 3, fibre, and myriad other vitamins and minerals. Throw them in a smoothie for instant benefits.
• Tofu and tempeh (calcium, manganese, copper, selenium, protein and phosphorus; plus, omega-3 fatty acids, iron, magnesium, zinc and vitamin B1.) Pick up some coconut milk while you’re at it, and try a tofu butter chicken recipe. My favorite is from chef Jean Philippe Cyr, but there are plenty of English versions on line.

3. Pick up a good cookbook, or subscribe to a vegan blog (or both!). My favorites so far are Oh She Glows and La Cuisine de Jean-Philippe.

What about eating out?

In Montréal or in any large city, you can find vegan options on the menu of most restaurants. But don’t let that stop you from exploring the really world class, vegan restaurants that abound in this metropolis. Download the HappyCow app, and whereever you are, you will be able to locate nearby veg restaurants.
Some of my favorites here in Montréal: Chu Cha, LOV, Lola Rosa, Panthere Verte, Sushi Momo, Vego, Vegano.

Just about everyone I know eats meat… where will I get moral support?

Some suggestions:

• Facebook groups, like Végétaliens/Véganes Québec.
• If you prefer face-to-face, join a Vegetarian group, like the longstanding Association végétarienne de Montréal
• Attend the Festival végane de Montréal, in October of each year. You will come away with your backpack loaded down with business cards, and your tummy full of samples. You will also be blown away by the size of the vegan community in Montréal!

Good luck on your vegan adventure!

Cym Gomery

Good Evening M. Nakonechny,

It was my pleasure to meet you last week outside the Québec court of appeal.

In the interest of improving CBC’s reporting of issues relating to mitigating greenhouse gas emissions, find below several comments on your piece on the motion to have construction halted in the Technoparc until the court of appeal has its word on the Réseau Express Métropolitain (REM) on November 2. I am copying your colleagues who have published recently on this project; some of the points below relate to their work as much as yours. For more context on why a climate-focused organization would oppose a private transportation project of this nature, see this op-ed addressing that question.

I recommend that staff writing on issues relevant to climate change are adequately trained and resourced to ensure the most factual, objective reporting possible.

Questionable Calculation

“A total of 20 hectares of green space will be cleared during the construction of the entire 67-kilometre rail network — the equivalent of close to 25 CFL football fields. To compensate, CDPQ Infra is committed to planting 250,000 trees over 200 hectares.”

CBC journalists seem at liberty to choose how they define the size of a football field depending on the slant they want to give their piece. When vaunting an expansive new liquor warehouse, one reporter chose to inflate the perceived size by equating it to smaller NFL fields. Another chose a more Canadian measuring stick, comparing protected green space to CFL fields. In Mr. Nakonechny’s piece last week, describing the 20 hectares (in reality 21, see page 15 here) of forest and wetlands that the Réseau Express Métropolitain proposes to bulldoze, he decided to define the CFL field differently – including 18-metre-long end zones, thus opting for the measuring stick that minimized the project’s perceived impact (25 fields instead of 31 or 36 by his colleagues’ calculations). At the very least, I would recommend consistency across your organization. As an advocate of a sustainable future, I would also recommend that environmental degradation not be understated.

False Equivalency

More importantly, the piece concluded with a false equivalency being drawn between the 20 hectares of green space that would be cleared and the 200 hectares of green space that would have trees added to them. Paving over green space is only equivalent to planting trees if the area planted involves removing asphalt/demineralizing that surface. It is unreasonable to assume that such a stipulation was made in the contract with the Jour de la Terre Québec who agreed to plant the trees on behalf of the CDPQ. According to the same press release, the CDPQ paid for the planting of those trees to compensate for GHG emissions stemming from the REM’s construction, not to replace green space that would be razed. The CDPQ is double-dipping and careless reporting allows them to get away with it.

Such compensatory measures for GHG emissions would be welcome were they to represent an honest desire to offset the construction’s emissions. In another successful PR effort, the CDPQ billed the move as a complete offset of emissions during the construction of the project: “La Caisse s’engage à acheter 87 000 crédits compensatoires générés par le programme 375 000 arbres afin de compenser les émissions anticipées de GES durant la construction du REM.” However, due to the cement required for the towering concrete viaducts necessitated by the CDPQ’s choice of technology, those offsets cover just over 10% of total emissions attributable to the project’s construction.

Misleading reporting

Reporting without critical examination the “20-to-200 hectare” trade-off cited frequently by the CDPQ misleads your readers in two other ways:
1) the CDPQ’s carefully worded claim excludes green space that is not legally classified as such; and
2) the green space that they require to be developed around stations like the Technoparc to render the project economically viable is also ignored.

The green space that CDPQ-Infra intends to pave over far exceeds 20 hectares – in large part due to the sprawling parking lots around several of its stations. One of the network’s 15 new stations will require between 30 and 50 hectares of ‘excellent agricultural land’ south of Highway 30 in Brossard. Official estimates for the total number of these grasslands and agricultural lands slated for parking lots or other uses does not figure among the CDPQ’s talking points, but is the kind of question that a conscientious journalist should be reporting on.

As their agreement with the Union des Producteurs Agricoles du Québec states, $3-million has been devoted to protecting land around the 10-30 intersection, which leaves hundreds of hectares of land unprotected and open to speculation and development. (see map). Would the CDPQ have chosen to locate its station in the greenfield adjacent the DIX30 shopping centre if it did not expect to profit from ensuing developments bringing it $10 per square foot in royalties for developments within a kilometre of the station? Brossard’s offer to use an old golf course to avoid expanding beyond the psychological barrier of highway 30 was rejected.

Similarly for the Technoparc, the REM’s arrival will spur development south of Rue Alexander Fleming, with plans to develop 54% of the remaining forest and wetlands. This, in a borough of the city with a surprisingly high rate of vacancy in its commercial building stock. Industrial and commercial buildings across the city sit vacant and brownfields are left for the public purse to remediate. Why provide a transit subsidy (72¢ per passenger km) building on forests and wetlands when the city has so much other available space? Mr. Nakonechny’s decision to publish a map of the station location without mentioning the further development that the station engenders is disappointing and leads readers to facile conclusions about over-reaching environmentalists.

When the CDPQ’s talking points are repeated without analysis or scrutiny, its wager that the public and the media are more concerned with feeling green than actually reducing emissions or protecting biodiversity is validated. The CBC is a trusted source of information. When reporting on an issue of this import, your staff must be adequately equipped to conduct the research necessary to report accurately and completely.

Montreal is far from meeting the objectives for green space preservation as recommended by the World Health Organization and required by the Plan Métropolitain d’Aménagement et Développement (PMAD). It is also facing a major challenge with respect to growing transportation emissions. Those facts, in addition to the ever-growing threat to biodiversity is more than enough reason for sober reflection. The environmental community is not simply opposing the destruction of 20 hectares of forests and wetlands, we are concerned with the hundreds of other hectares of green space and agricultural land that the REM is designed to exploit – and the impact that such sprawl will have on our greenhouse gas emissions.

Sincerely,
Matthew Chapman
President, Coalition Climat Montréal

An open letter from  Matthew Chapman, president of Coalition Climat Montréal to Yvan Cardinal, Pincourt’s mayor

Dear Mayor Cardinal,

Many residents of the Communauté Métropolitaine de Montréal recognize the value of our few remaining green spaces.

They serve as natural infrastructure to filter water, cool neighbourhoods, mitigate flooding and are host to many species of flora and fauna in a period of ever-increasing threat to biodiversity. They also differentiate suburbs like Pincourt from the concrete jungle of denser urban areas, providing respite for residents from the unrelenting hum of city life.

From a legislative perspective, the Plan métropolitain d’aménagement et de développement (PMAD) set targets for green space protection in line with recommendations of the United Nations and the World Health Organization. A decision to raze the Rousseau Forest would further distance the region from its objective. According to one recent Globe and Mail report, sprawl in the Greater Montréal Area is ‘shocking’ urban planners as our expansion far outpaces other major Canadian cities.

Instead of developing the remaining natural spaces in Pincourt, why not consider their value as natural assets? In collaboration with the Suzuki Foundation, the CMM’s 2016 Summit of Natural Infrastructures produced a trove of locally-relevant knowledge on the matter. Another summit this fall backed by the same organizations promises to further develop local expertise while proposing solutions to brownfield reclamation through phytoremediation.

The cost in terms of greenhouse gas emissions of increasing market supply of low-density single-family dwellings is significant. This study by Vivre en Ville demonstrates the carbon footprint of those living in low-density settings to be significantly higher than that of more dense populations, due in large part to transportation fuel and material goods consumption required by such lifestyles. Another report ‘Croitre sans s’étaler’ provides further alternatives to the type of ecologically irresponsible development that is proposed for the Rousseau Forest.

You have the choice as Mayor to stand up for what you know to be true – confluent ecological crises of biodiversity loss and climate change require an ambitious response – or to allow the status quo to trudge along uninhibited. By standing with the citizens behind ‘Sauvez Rousseau Forest’, you’re sending a clear message that you value citizen engagement and understand your role in preventing biodiversity loss and reducing greenhouse gas emissions. I encourage you to explore alternatives that allow Pincourt to grow in an ecologically responsible manner, such as redevelopment of the seas of parking and brownfields that encircle Faubourg de l’Île, which represent an ideal location for transit oriented development given their proximity to the Pincourt-Terrasse-Vaudreuil train station.

I leave you with an image and a question: if the town of Pincourt imposes a $2000 fine for littering in the Rousseau Forest, what value should it place on that forest’s destruction?

Sincerely,
Matthew Chapman
President – Coalition Climat Montréal

On that occasion, we showcased the work being done by local activists and entrepreneurs in transportation, circular economics, eco-neighbourhoods, urban agriculture, responsible consumption, and climate finance.

Among the speakers were Mrs Maja Vodanovic, Lachine’s mayor, and Marianne Giguère, municipal councillor of Plateau Mont-Royal,  M. Alexandre Boulerice, federal deputy of Rosemont – La Petite Patrie,  Nicolas Montpellier, general director of Regroupement des Écoquartiers, Richard Janda, McGill University environmental law’s professor, Jean Vachon, of Taxelco, and researchers from HEC Montréal, ÉTS, UQAM, Sherbrooke and Concordia Universities.

« For the first time in a generation, we have a municipal administration that is -on paper and in some of its initial decisions- willing to deliver on ambitious climate action. Let’s make our voices heard and turn that intention into action. », said Matthew Chapman, Coalition’s president.

Campaign promises like the pink line, new buses, and the Réseau Express Vélo, in addition to the recent announcement that our emissions reduction target has been changed from 30% to 35% below 1990 levels by 2020, are promising. They demonstrate this administration’s willingness to tackle our biggest and ever-growing source of emissions seriously by providing viable solutions to congested roads and transit lines.

Good intentions are only the first step towards making progress. Support from a diversity of organizations and communities is essential for plans to be implemented. The Montreal Climate Coalition’s mission remains to rally those diverse voices in support of the transition towards carbon neutrality (zero net emissions) in 2042. « What a wonderful gift for Montreal’s 400th anniversary » concluded Alexandre Boulerice.

Photo credit: Alex Ringer/Freeimages.com

Achieving an Ecological and Unified Transition

Synthesis of recommendations

The Montreal Climate Coalition asks the city of Montreal and all the candidates who hope to represent the city, to adopt the recommendations developed at the public consultation on “The reduction of dependence of Montreal on fossil fuels” organized by the Public Consultation Office of Montreal, published May 30, 2016.  These recommendations align perfectly with the inevitable changes that will ultimately be necessary to shift to an ecological and equitable carbon neutral city.

The adoption of a coherent and ambitious action plan, with many measures to be implemented throughout the city of Montreal is essential.  As has been the case so far, boroughs (or other cities) can provide leadership on several issues. Some legislative and financial support from higher levels of government will also be required.  Here are some of the elements of the action plan.

Four strategic focus points for carbon neutrality are needed, followed by several recommendations:

1. Ensure public participation in the planning and implementation of an ecological and community-based transition, and in the allocation of the financial resources required (from consultation to partnership), and allow the evaluation of the results by an independent organization.
2. Adopt a rigorous, ambitious and systematic carbon budget, based on science and aimed at rapidly decarbonizing the economy.
3. Optimize the open collection of data to make an annual inventory of GHG emissions to be able to measure progress towards reaching our target (Carbocount City.)
4. Apply a “climate test” to any major project proposed in Montréal, including those off island, starting with REM, to evaluate the GHG emissions for the entire life of the project, while comparing it with alternative projects (Legislative Reform – CQDE).

Environment-friendly buildings : « GESTE »

Montreal must follow the recommendations of its own Commission sur l’eau, l’environnement, le développement durable et les grands parcs regarding the construction or renovation of buildings with sustainability in mind.  Likewise, it should follow the recommendations of the EcoQuartiers program for new developments, and adopt appropriate policies for renovation of existing buildings.

“GESTE” is a strategy incorporating geothermal heating, energy efficiency, solar power, eco-friendly roofs (green or reflective), water conservation measures and efficient use of space.  Every new building should meet or exceed Quebec’s Novoclimat standard; an incentive program could reward the creation of zero energy or energy-generating buildings.  A certain standard of energy efficiency should also be required for every commercial building being sold or undergoing major renovations.

An EcoQuartiers program for new developments

Montreal should instigate a program in which promoters who respect the three pillars of sustainability (environmental protection, economic development, social equity) are rewarded with an EcoQuartiers (Quartier durable) designation.  This program could be modeled on Vivre en ville’s Charte des écoquartiers , France’s ÉcoQuartiers program, the American Ecodistrict program, and the LEED-ND standard for neighbourhood planning.

The aim is to create sustainable neighbourhoods which make a significant contribution to carbon neutrality.

Creating such programs may take time: in the interim these measures should be adopted as soon as possible:

• A minimum biotope coefficient of 0,30 should be required for all new developments. While allowing promoters flexibility, this measure is an incentive to preserve green space
• All developments should include 25 – 40 per cent of social and affordable housing
• All new developments should rely on multi-unit geothermal heating
• Rain water should be managed in an environmentally friendly fashion on site
• New residential developments should be built near existing transit hubs (TOD) to counter urban sprawl and car dependency
• New residential developments must be created with the participation and for the benefit of nearby inhabitants to be seamlessly integrated into the urban fabric

Municipality transitions movement

Working in solidarity with its boroughs and associated municipalities, Montreal must support the ecological transition and in particular:

• Greening initiatives and water conservation
• Urban agriculture and permaculture
• Traffic calming in residential neighbourhoods
• Propose a Climate Pact with businesses operating within the City, as Stockholm has done, to stimulate commitment and collaboration against climate change
• Promote barter and support local producers of goods and services
• Create a local currency for Montreal and its boroughs
• Impose a tax on parking lots, especially those with more than ten spaces
• Adopt other measures to internalise the social costs of automobile use such as a toll at the city limits
• Reduce the fiscal burden for local businesses, especially PME’s
• Ensure that the technological innovations meant to create the digital city movement are coherent with Montreal’s climate neutrality goals

In addition, the following three steps will ensure a framework for the future :

• Energy producing city and adoption of community geothermal heating
• Sustainable planning and transportation
• Conservation of natural spaces

Energy producing city and adoption of community geothermal heating & cooling

Climate objectives cannot be met without finding a way to reap the exceptional opportunities represented by the earth’s  heating and cooling potential.

Municipalities could supply their own energy requirements by using community geothermal heating & cooling systems in all new developments.  All public and private buildings heated by forced air should be converted, starting with those using fossil fuels such as heating oil or natural gas.

At the level of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM), this would reduce GHG emissions by almost one million tonnes yearly from 2030 on, or 20 million tonnes by 2042.  Member municipalities as well as the Quebec government, according to estimates, would gain 150 million yearly ad vitam aeternam after the amortization period of ten years or so.[1]

No other measure slashes energy consumption by half, replaces fossil fuels, and prioritizes high performance buildings at the same time as sharing the burden of energy refitting with the purchasers of buildings.  The result is a socially equitable transition towards highly energy efficient “eco-neighbourhoods” with affordable homes for all.

Sustainable planning and transportation

Montreal must henceforth allocate the lion’s share of infrastructure budgets to structuring public transportation and active transportation networks.

Transportation technology appropriate to each situation must be chosen (metro line extensions, light rail, tram train) and priority given to densely populated sectors where buses are overcrowded, such as the east end of Montreal and the southwest.

We recommend, therefore:

• Prioritize city plans incorporating train or subway stations a walkable distance from residential neighbourhoods while offering a wide range of destinations to provide a real alternative to car dependency. The potential for reducing GHG’s is at least 1.3 M tonnes of CO2 in the initial phase.
• Double the bicycle path network over the next seven years (adding 100 km per year), especially dedicated lanes rather than those shared with motorized vehicles.
• All boroughs which have not already produced their local mobility plan (plan local de déplacement) must do so within four years – a commitment from Montreal’s 2008 transport plan.
• In line with their respective mandates all public bodies and their decision makers must collaborate with the new metropolitan transport agency (Agence régionale de transport métropolitain – ARTM) to evaluate which options are optimal for citizens’ transportation requirements. On this basis only, calls for tenders from private companies wishing to provide services could eventually be made.
• The Skytrain or REM proposed by the Caisse de dépôt et placement du Québec (CDPQ-Infra) is directly counter to the aforementioned principles: a quasi-private company has selected the technology and the routes without consultation, and the profitability is heavily dependent on public subsidies which will be diverted from other transit needs. We demand that the REM project be submitted to a real climate test which considers all emissions generated during the construction phase, the subsequent urban sprawl, and the cancellation of other transit services such as the Vaudreuil-Hudson train line.  The project must be re-evaluated based on where transit improvements are most needed.
• The Mount Royal Tunnel must remain publicly owned and its accessibility for different train types maintained, notably to favour the possibility of a rapid link between Montreal and Quebec.
• Anyone and any organisation dedicated to climate action must clearly state their opposition to the construction of new autoroutes or the widening of existing ones including routes A19 and A30. These are outdated transportation solutions from another era and counter to modern climate objectives.  The REM promoted by CDPQ-Infra is now being used as a pretext for the widening of A30, further proof that the project will aggravate urban sprawl.
• All transit providers must include an economy fare for low-revenue users in their fare schedules and avoid passing on fare hikes likely to result from cost overruns from the REM project.

One Hundred Per Cent Renewable for our 400th

Following the example of Vancouver, Montreal must adopt a 100 % Renewable Energy strategy by 2042[2].

Natural gas cannot be promoted as a “transition fuel”[3]:

“To attain the goal set for 2030 Quebec’s new energy policy proposes the replacement of petroleum with natural gas (…) which will require considerable investment in technology and infrastructure which in turn will have to be replaced to satisfy the objectives for 2050.  This approach is both expensive and confusing:  the choices of only a few years earlier will be rejected.”

This reinforces the pertinence of adopting geothermal heating for our energy needs.

Preservation of Natural Spaces

“Montreal set itself a very concrete goal in its last urban plan :  preserve ten percent of its territory as natural space.  One percent of the island is equivalent to 500 hectares, two and a half times Mount Royal Park.

Currently less than six per cent of the agglomeration territory is protected.  To reach the 10 per cent, more than two thousand hectares would need to be protected on Montreal Island.  Considering the urban sprawl which has gobbled up so much of our natural spaces, it is urgent to preserve what is left[4].”

The only way to achieve Montreal’s preservation goals is to protect every single remaining space with ecological value including Anse-à-l’Orme in Pierrefonds west, Île Bizard, the northern sector of Sainte Anne de Bellevue, and several other sites threatened in the short or medium term by urban sprawl.

Democracy and transparency

Montreal must encourage citizen participation and respect our consultation tools, the Bureau d’audiences publiques sur l’environnement (BAPE) and the Office de consultation publique de Montréal(OCPM).[5]

Read a .pdf version of this text

Notes

[1]  Lefebvre, J.-F. et D. Dumoulin (2016), Bâtiments durables pour une ville carboneutre, Mémoire déposé à la Commission sur l’eau, l’environnement, le développement durable et les grands parcs de la Ville de Montréal, par Imagine Lachine-Est et la Coalition climat Montréal, le 9 novembre 2016, 8 p. (+ ppt de présentation).

[2] City of Vancouver (2015) Renewable City Strategy, 63 p.

[3] Mousseau, Normand (2007) Gagner la guerre du climat, 12 mythes à déboulonner, éditions Boréal, 255 pages.

[4] Sue Stacho et Sylvia Oljemark – respectivement porte-parole de Sauvons l’Anse-à-l’Orme et porte-parole de la Coalition verte, Il est temps d’agir: nos espaces naturels disparaissent, lettre publiée dans le Devoir le 9 août 2017.

[5] Réalisé par la Coalition climat Montréal avec le support de Jean-François Lefebvre, Mohamad Ali Samadian, Aro Ratoejanahary et France Levert, avec la collaboration d’Imagine Lachine-Est, octobre 2017.

The discussions’ conclusions were summarized in the Montreal Declaration, where the signatories pointed out, amongst other things:

“(we) reaffirm our role and determination in ensuring an effective implementation of the Paris Climate Agreement and the Local Representatives Summit’s Declaration for climate regardless of the international political context as well as our determination to gather a large coalition with members of various backgrounds in order to ensure the success of this historical Agreement, essential to the future of humanity and our planet.”

We can only celebrate seeing the leaders of important cities reiterate their engagement in the fight against climate change. Fight that must be lead nationally and locally, and in which city administrations have henceforth a primordial role to play.

We now have to hope that this engagement will translate into concrete actions with a significant impact on our GHG emissions. Not enough people realize the amount of effort needed to limit global warming to a level that doesn’t endanger our own survival. The energetic transition we need to carry out is an enormous challenge that requires ambitious actions like a drastic reduction of automobile use and a brake to urban sprawl.

Beyond eloquence and optimism, our leaders must show courage today and initiate necessary actions to win climate’s battle.

The assembly was part of a larger event that took place throughout the whole day. The inspiring film Demain was presented during the forenoon and the Raging Grannies performed a few songs both catchy and engaged, proving that age is just a number when it comes to the fight for a better environment. Lunch took the form of a potluck that all participants could enjoy. The afternoon was dedicated to the general assembly where the administrative council was elected, among other things. Finally, the day ended on a brief presentation of a few projects led by our members or supporters:

• local currency for Montreal
• warm air solar heating
• conservation of Anse à l’Orme
• soil for climate
• Sierra Club
• CO2 emission measuring – carbon budget
• mobilization for the oncoming élections
• REM issue
• Climate reality’s summer webinar

We would like to thank everyone who participated in this event. As a follow-up, we invite you to:

• become a member of Montreal Climate Coalition, if it’s not already the case
• sign our declaration for a carbon-neutral city, if you haven’t already
• like our Facebook page
• keep up with our website, including the calendar section where upcoming events are presented
• contact us if you are interested in volunteering
• support any action for the REM case, share the video and participate in the fundraiser if you believe in a better project than the current one.

The interventions will be judged and documented, then studied by a forum composed by more than five hundreds experts and contributors. Following the consultation, a report will combine the proposed suggestions in order to define Canada’s future energy strategy.

For more information or to participate in the debate, visit Generation energy.

At the May 16, 2016 Montreal City Council meeting, the Green Charter was presented and copies were distributed to the mayor and city councilors.

Why a Green Charter and why now?

At the beginning of 2015, the Montreal Agglomeration, under the Coderre administration, promised to protect 10% of Montreal Island as natural space. Since then, the City has allocated no budget, set no timetable and provided no specifics about the location of that 10%. The truth is that only 5.34% of the island is protected, and only 2.21% of this small amount was added over the last 24 years!

At the same time, major development projects threaten to destroy some of the few remaining unprotected green spaces including the L’Anse-à-L’Orme Corridor in western Pierrefonds and Ste-Anne-de-Bellevue, Golf Anjou, Technoparc and Dorval municipal golf course.

Montreal must formulate a coherent policy and act quickly to meet its goal of protecting 10% of the Island. Otherwise, these green spaces will be lost.

Responding to the need for immediate action, city planners, biologists, sociologists, economists, and public health and social housing experts took it upon themselves to tackle this important issue at the Forum. The Green Charter, an urgent call to action, emerged from this historic first in Montreal. 

For more details :  Montreal Green Charter

This article was copied from Les amis du parc Meadowbrook web site

Alain Dubuc’s piece in Wednesday’s La Presse entitled “REM : au pays des chialeux” provides a surprisingly thin environmental and social analysis, especially considering his candid coverage of the contentious federal carbon tax announcement a few days prior. Nonetheless, the Montréal Climate Coalition accepts with gratitude his distinction of Bronze medalist in the push for a rational, calm, and transparent conversation about this important societal choice.

It’s no wonder Dubuc and others are enamored by the proposal. CDPQ Infra’s PR machine has done brilliant work selling this project’s environmental credentials to the public (Electric? What more could you ask for!), but the fact remains that they refuse outright to analyze GHG emissions stemming from the project’s full life cycle. In a context of supposed carbon austerity, such a position is morally and environmentally untenable.

Three years ago, the MTQ faced a similar decision with the Turcot interchange. In hailing it as a ‘carbon neutral’ project, they conveniently omitted the two most significant impacts on GHG emissions: the production of millions of cubic meters of cement and other materials, and the solo-driving suburban sprawl that it would continue to facilitate.

Despite the lack of a comprehensive evaluation of GHG emissions, environmental groups have struggled to publicly oppose the project after having applauded so enthusiastically upon its announcement. Unfortunately, the difference between appearance (CDPQ Infra’s polished images and videos) and reality (massive parking lots and a slew of 60s-style concrete viaducs snaking through the city) is not insignificant.

It’s hardly surprising for CDPQ Infra to gloss over emissions accounting, since from their perspective, only one criteria is of ultimate concern: the bottom dollar. This project was conceived with ROI in mind, while concerns regarding integration with existing networks, service to dense communities and low-income neighbourhoods, and attention to environmental consequences were clearly subordinate. Examine the density and affluence (see map below) of the neighbourhoods surrounding the proposed 12 new stations and draw your own conclusions.

As one of the project’s most outspoken proponents, Mayor Coderre presumably finds the refusal to conduct a comprehensive GHG assessment inconsequential. That’s not surprising either, given that Montréal’s current administration refuses to measure the city’s collective emissions on a regular basis. The last city-wide GHG inventory was conducted in 2009 and exposed a cavernous gap between performance and objectives. The meagre funds necessary to conduct another inventory have yet to be mustered.

The clock is ticking. The last 16 months have set successive records for global average temperatures. By conservative estimates, we will reach the 1.5°C threshold of warming in roughly 15 years.

We stand at the eleventh hour, with record global temperatures being set for the past 16 straight months, a mere 15 years away from surpassing the 1.5°C temperature threshold, and many climate scientists are at a loss as to how they can better convey the gravity of the data they are observing. It is projects like the Réseau Électrique Métropolitain that have them in disbelief. In an era where greenhouse gas reductions should be a primary decision criteria in every major investment – especially those involving public funds – such an analysis is effectively non-existent.

The Coalition Climat Montréal, comprised of 36 segments of the population who have rallied behind a vision of a carbon neutral Montréal by our 400th anniversary, opposes CDPQ Infra’s Réseau Électrique Métropolitain as it does any project that fails to comprehensively assess climate impacts of its full life cycle. Ignorance is no longer an excuse, but a pretext for wilful blindness and calous disrespect when faced with the evidence that has taken thousands of researchers decades to mount.