Summary
This text is a summary of the Climate Plan adopted by the Mont-Tremblant Municipal Council, which is the only official version of the Plan.
BACKGROUND
The Climate Plan aims to address the imminent adverse effects of climate change in the Mont-Tremblant region. It is a true action plan that will help us contribute to reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and adapt to climate change. This approach ensures consistency among the actions and measures implemented. The Climate Plan will help us rethink local development while taking climate change into account, bolstering resilience by maintaining the quality of natural and built infrastructures, preserving the residents’ health and quality of life, engaging local stakeholders, and taking environmental and climate action to limit global warming to 1.5°C. With this plan, the City is looking to build its resilience to climate change by maximizing its adaptation to climate hazards and to reduce its GHG emissions in order to attain carbon neutrality by 2050.
Mont-Tremblant is addressing the issue of GHG emissions as a responsible municipality invested in emissions reduction, and with the goal of adapting to the consequences they generate. To achieve this, the Climate Plan is not only part of a local context, but also an international one of profound transition in societies and lifestyles, which is aligned with Canada’s commitments with regards to the Paris Agreement. Quebec has announced a GHG emissions reduction target of 37.5% by 2030, and in 2019, Mont-Tremblant joined over 400 other Quebec municipalities in adopting the Citizens’ Universal Declaration of Climate Emergency.
MAJOR MILESTONES
The process of developing the Climate Plan required identifying the potential impacts of climate change specific to our region, assessing climate trends in the area, analyzing vulnerabilities and prioritizing risks, evaluating potential initiatives, and then producing and sharing the Climate Plan. In that respect, the City sets out 5 areas of focus in the Plan, which are then divided into 14 objectives and 60 actions.
Being already committed to the fight against climate change through various past actions, the City had to define what it intended to do in the coming years. The GHG emissions inventory was updated in 2020. It revealed a decrease in GHG emissions related to activities across the region in general (Community component) and an increase in GHG emissions from City-specific activities (Corporate component). Therefore, new targets were set for 2025: an additional 11% reduction of GHG emissions for the Community and a 20% reduction for the Corporate component.
Climate projections predict higher summer temperatures, increased precipitation, seasonal variability and higher temperatures in general within the Mont-Tremblant region. The vulnerability diagnosis completed by the City’s Environment and Sustainable Development Service also identified some of the major risks that the municipal organization must prepare for.
Identifying risks and specific, concrete solutions to address those risks is the keystone to ensuring our community builds its climate change resilience. These targeted solutions are the main areas of focus for City's efforts over the coming years.
ACTION PLAN (SUMMARY)
Some of the actions listed in the Climate Plan are related to municipal development with climate change in mind. These actions include:
- Improve monitoring of natural areas for conservation
- Create ecological corridors between conservation areas
- Establish a parking space limit ratio for commercial and industrial projects
Other actions further bolster the City’s resilience by maintaining the quality of its natural and built infrastructures:
- Develop a stormwater management plan and an urban forestry plan
- Develop a strategy to manage invasive and harmful alien species
- Monitor trail development and maintenance practices
- Implement a cycling network master plan
- Optimize the public transit system in Mont-Tremblant
- Grow the electric vehicle charging station network
Some actions aim to safeguard the health and quality of life of all residents:
- Set up a support service for seniors during heat waves
- Provide public access points to lakes and rivers
And yet others aim to mobilize local stakeholders:
- Communicate about climate change and publicize the Climate Plan
- Encourage and promote alternatives to solo driving
- Promote and bolster existing subsidies for renovations and energy-efficient construction
Lastly, some actions benefit both the environment and the climate:
- Prioritize vegetarians meals for internal City events
- By 2025, offset GHG emissions in different City activity sectors (buildings, waste, etc.) by taking concrete action
