MTL#400 DECLARATION

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The declaration launched in 2015 and signed by 1,794 people has borne fruit. Following the submission of the Montreal Climate Coalition (MCC) Declaration to the City of Montreal, its various representations, and the conclusions of the public consultation initiated by the MCC, Green Montreal: Reducing the Montreal community’s dependence on fossil fuels, the City of Montreal incorporated several of the MCC’s proposals into its 2020-2030 Climate Plan, including:

  • The annual greenhouse gas (GHG) inventory;
  • Climate budgeting;
  • The climate test for city projects.

Despite some progress, Montreal is not meeting its GHG reduction targets. According to the 2022 Inventory, Greenhouse Gas Emissions of the Montreal Community published by the City of Montreal, GHG emissions from the Montreal community have decreased by 26% compared to 1990, and a 55% reduction must be achieved by 2030. Compared to 2022, this represents 4,387 kt CO₂ eq., which requires a tenfold increase in efforts in several sectors. It should also be noted that Montreal is aiming for carbon neutrality by 2050.

We are currently experiencing a triple crisis: climate, social, and environmental (multiple forms of pollution and major loss of biodiversity). We believe that bolder action is needed and that it is urgent to accelerate the socio-ecological transition in Montreal and the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM).

In this context of climate emergency, we call on the elected officials and administration of the City of Montreal to:

  • Intensify efforts and investments to bring about a socio-ecological transition and decarbonize Montreal;
  • Continue efforts to develop climate literacy among businesses, institutions, retailers, and citizens;
  • Use the carbon budget in a more restrictive manner, specifying targets and concrete measures for GHG reduction in each of the sectors that emit them;
  • Systematically use the climate test to guide decisions on whether or not to move forward with any new project led or approved by the City;
  • Directly involve Montreal citizens in the transition through renewed participatory democracy mechanisms, including in the implementation and monitoring of the 2020-2030 Climate Plan and the Urban Planning and Mobility Plan.
  • Annually evaluate the progress of the 2020-2030 Climate Plan and report on it to the Montreal population;
  • Demonstrate strong leadership in order to influence the municipalities of the Montreal Metropolitan Community (CMM) to ensure the consistency and impact of climate action at the metropolitan level.

The Montreal Climate Coalition is committed to:

  • Collaborating with citizen groups and various partners who are advocating for socio-ecological transition;
  • Contributing to the development of citizen climate literacy and equipping citizens to mobilize for this necessary transition, in particular by engaging with their municipal elected officials;
  • Bringing the four pillars* of the Montreal Climate Coalition to the CMM as a tool for climate governance;
  • Supporting, in a “critical friend” role, the various initiatives of the City of Montreal and other actors that accelerate Montreal’s socio-ecological transition and its decarbonization by 2042.

*For more details, you can consult our explanatory sheets.

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