Beaconsfield, QC hires consulting firms for climate change planning

The Montreal suburb of Beaconsfield has announced that it will create plans to reduce greenhouse gas emission, adapt to climate change hazards, and implement community energy planning. The i3P Project, starting in 2019, will be headed by environmental non-profit SIE, with central contributions from consulting firms Carbon Consult Group and YHC Environnement.

Beaconsfield is an affluent suburban community on the West Island part of the Greater Montreal region. The city has a population of about 19,000, and is home to a number of notable residents, including politician Thomas Mulcair, the Molson family, and NHL player Marc-Edouard Vlasic.

As part of its commitment to the Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program – which includes over 350 Canadian municipalities seeking to reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions – the City of Beaconsfield has announced the upcoming launch of the i3P Project. The project includes an inventory of GHG emissions from municipal activities and the community, an action plan for reducing GHGs, an adaptation plan for helping the community face the hazards of climate change, and the implementation of community energy planning.According to a release from the city, the i3P Project will identify innovative and model projects, accelerate the undertaking of sustainability projects, and build partnerships with local experts to fight climate change.

"Municipalities play a central role in climate protection because they have a direct or indirect impact on almost half of Canada's GHG emissions,” said Georges Bourelle, Mayor of Beaconsfield. “The City of Beaconsfield joined the collective effort to fight climate change by joining the Partners for Climate Protection program of the FCM in 2006. Thanks to the i3P Project, this unique initiative in Quebec allows us as a City and community to consolidate our efforts in this fight against climate change."

Starting in 2019, i3P will begin consultation with stakeholders and the community, including information and working sessions. Citizens and various groups within the public and private sectors will also surveyed.

Non-profit organization Société d'innovation en environnement (SIE) will act as the project manager for i3P. Meanwhile, Carbon Consult Group will be responsible for delivering the climate change adaptation plan, while YHC Environnement will be responsible for the development of the GHG reduction action plan as well as the community energy planning.

Verdun, QC-based Carbon Consult Group (CCG) provides consulting services in the areas of carbon management and valorization, verification (e.g. for Cap and Trade and Green Fund programs), climate change adaptation, and sustainable finance. The firm is led by co-founders Pascal Geneviève and Jean Paquin.

St-Lambert, QC-based YHC Environnement, meanwhile, provides consulting services in the areas of greenhouse gas emission reduction, renewable energy, and sustainable urban development. The firm has been supporting government and business clients since 1998.

"Faced with the climate emergency, reducing GHG emissions is one of the most effective measures to be put forward, along with actions aimed at preventing local consequences of climate change, such as increasing the resilience of the community in terms of energy," commented CCG’s Pascal Geneviève.