• Climate Change

Relying on solid scientific knowledge to take into account the future climate

• Context

GDP (US$): 365,400 M$

POPULATION: 8 570 000

• Initiative

The Government of Quebec has reiterated its commitment to the Paris Agreement with the adoption of its 2030 Plan for a Green Economy, which involves an investment of more than US$ 400 million for climate change adaptation. Quebec is pursuing a structured adaptation approach, focusing on prevention and future climate activities, and by targeting major risks, particularly those related to flooding, coastal erosion and submersion, extreme heat, and melting permafrost.

Scientific knowledge is a key pillar of the action on adaptation. Quebec has created, since 2001, through the consortium Ouranos’ projects, a research consortium on regional climatology and adaptation to climate change. Ouranos is a network of 450 researchers, experts, practitioners, and decision-makers, and it has carried out more than 300 research projects in the fields of climate science, vulnerabilities, and impacts of climate change.

Since 2013, the revenues generated under the Quebec carbon market, which have been more than USD 3.9 billion, have been used to finance measures for supporting businesses, municipalities, and citizens to mitigate emissions and adapt to the impacts of climate change. These revenues have also been used to implement a range of climate cooperation initiatives aimed at building the capacity of the most vulnerable French-speaking countries, including the creation of the International Climate Cooperation Programme. This programme was the winner of the 2019 United Nations (UN) Global Climate Action Awards.

In order to realize an effective adaptation process, it is essential to rely on solid scientific knowledge which makes it possible to target the main risks and to act in a preventive manner, taking into account the future climate.

• Key Factor
  • Multi-level Governance for adaptation
  • Adaptation Finance
  • Implementation, Monitoring and Reporting

Reference

2030 PLAN FOR A GREEN ECONOMY
CONSORTIUM ON REGIONAL CLIMATOLOGY AND ADAPTATION TO CLIMATE CHANGE, OURANOS