Montréal Climate Summit: Biodiversity and adaptation, levers that are still under-exploited
Earlier this month, the 4th edition of the Montreal Climate Summit was held. The event, which has become an important crossroads for players committed to the climate transition, confirmed that the conversation around climate change is evolving, but that the concrete implementation of solutions remains uneven across sectors.
The findings of data shared by the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), the Fonds de solidarité FTQ and the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal (CCMM), among others, demonstrate that municipalities, which are exposed to the effects of climate change on the front line, are the most advanced in integrating adaptation measures. As far as companies are concerned, they still need to demonstrate that they can take action at zero cost, in order to convince investors, customers and teams. Once this has been established, companies gain in confidence and the next environmental initiatives begin more naturally.
One of the main gaps in current climate strategies remains the integration of biodiversity. Despite supporting more than half of global GDP, it remains largely absent from action plans. Yet nature-based solutions can not only strengthen the resilience of development projects, but also generate tangible benefits in terms of environmental performance.
It was against this backdrop that Jérôme Dupras, CEO ofHabitat, took part in the panel entitled Petites entreprises, grands impacts : Comment intégrer la durabilité. Alongside representatives of the Fonds FTQ, CCMM and Construction Longer, he discussed concrete ways in which SMEs can integrate sustainability into their activities, beyond regulatory measures or offset approaches.
A presentation by Pierre-Luc Auclair, CEO of Construction Longer, illustrated this transition at work. According to him, integrating biodiversity into an ecological transition project does not entail any additional work, since it is complementary to the efforts already devoted to the various stages of design and construction. A perspective that echoesHabitat's approach, focused on the compatibility of environmental performance and operational efficiency.
In partnership with the Fonds FTQ, Habitat helped Construction Longer evaluate a real estate project in Sherbrooke, by equipping them with the key biodiversity concepts applicable to their sector, identifying the main impact factors, and proposing avenues for improvement adapted to their reality.
This collaboration is a good illustration of the type of servicesHabitat provides to companies in the real estate and construction sectors, as well as to financial institutions and the forestry and mining industries. Whether it's impact assessments, the design of nature-based solutions,climate adaptation strategies or targeted training, Habitat offers science-based support aligned with industry standards and tailored to the requirements of the private sector.
