Valérie Plante Says Montreal Will 'Lead The Green Transition' In Response To A Dire Report
"This is a crucial moment. We cannot fail."
Mayor Valerie Plante stands outside in Montreal's parc du Boisé-Jean-Milot.
Climate change. It's real, and it's happening. The International Panel for Climate Change (IPCC) released their sixth assessment report this week, and their findings are troubling yet unsurprising. Montreal Mayor Valérie Plante took to Twitter to express her support of the report's message: that we need to take climate change seriously, starting right now.
"[The International Panel on Climate Change's] last reports are a wake-up call," Mayor Plante tweeted on February 28. "The message is loud and clear: we must do more. The time has come for profound transformative action. More than ever, Montreal is determined to lead the green transition."
Mayor Plante elaborated in a further tweet, saying, "Montreal has set an ambitious target to reduce its greenhouse gases by 55% by 2030 and to invest 10-15% of its infrastructure budget in climate change adaptation."
#IPPC's last reports are a wake-up call. The message is loud and clear: we must do more. The time has come for profound transformative action. More than ever, Montreal is determined to lead the green transition. #polmtl— Val\u00e9rie Plante (@Val\u00e9rie Plante) 1646082206
The IPCC's report, released on February 28, points out that climate change needs to be tackled in cities. More than half of the world's population live in cities, so they're where the effects of climate change are mainly being felt by humans.
"People's health, lives and livelihoods, as well as property and critical infrastructure, including energy and transportation systems, are being increasingly adversely affected by hazards from heatwaves, storms, drought and flooding as well as slow-onset changes, including sea level rise," the IPCC said in their press release.
"But cities also provide opportunities for climate action — green buildings, reliable supplies of clean water and renewable energy, and sustainable transport systems that connect urban and rural areas can all lead to a more inclusive, fairer society," said IPCC Working Group II Co-Chair Debra Roberts.
The IPCC report calls on decision-makers to collaborate with Indigenous and local peoples to find actionable steps to reduce regions' carbon footprints.
