Climate Change and Climate Plan
Climate Change and Climate Plan
Climate change refers to long-term variations in global temperature and weather patterns. Although some climate variations are of natural origin, human activities have become the main cause and catalyst, particularly since the 19th century. The burning of fossil fuels, such as coal, oil and gas, releases large quantities of greenhouse gases, contributing to rising global temperatures.
Unsustainable exploitation and development practices disrupt natural ecosystems, reducing their capacity to regulate the climate. Deforestation, soil degradation and biodiversity loss undermine the ecological functions of ecosystems, weakening their role as carbon sinks and amplifying the effects of climate change. Sustainable development is essential to preserve the resilience of ecosystems while supporting responsible, environmentally friendly economic growth. For more information, please visit the United Nations website.
Climate Plan
Prompted by the Conférence des préfets de l’Outaouais, the MRCs of Pontiac, Collines-de-l’Outaouais and Papineau have formed a collaborative working group to develop their respective climate plans. The aim of this collaboration is to create a common basis for action on climate change issues.
In the interests of coherence and inclusiveness, the climate plans will be aligned with the initiatives of other climate action leaders in the Outaouais region and will be the result of a concerted effort by all stakeholders in the community.
The development of the climate plans is fully supported by the Fonds région et ruralité of the Ministère des Affaires municipales et de l’Habitation (MAMH), as well as the financial assistance program “Accelerating Local Climate Transition” (ATCL), launched last March by the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte aux changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs (MELCCFP).
Stay tuned! Regular project updates will be shared on our various communication platforms. Consultation and consensus-building activities are planned for the coming weeks.
- Prelimanary Draft – Plan Climat (French Only)
- Bilingual Public Consultation – May 2026
- Risk and Vulnerability Analysis (French Only)
- Report – Recommendations for GHG Mitigation Measures (French only)
- 2022 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report (French only)
- Climate Plan Development Process (French Only)
Watch the Climate Plan webinar to learn more about the project and meet the partners involved in the process of developing the MRC Pontiac’s climate plan. You will also learn about the preliminary greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions study and the risks and vulnerabilities of our territory to climate hazards.
Click here to access the webinar (in French only); Access code : pPc@3TZy
Adapting to Climate Change
Climate change is leading to an intensification of extreme weather events, such as heat waves, cold snaps, heavy precipitation, high winds and storms. These events increase the frequency of floods, droughts and forest fires, putting ecosystems, economies and communities at risk.
To mitigate these impacts and adapt to a changing climate, it is essential to put in place green infrastructure such as sound forest management, which reduces the risk of fire and encourages natural soil regeneration. The establishment of riparian buffers also plays a crucial role in protecting the banks of watercourses from erosion and reducing the risk of flooding. In addition, conserving natural habitats such as wetlands and forests helps to regulate the climate and preserve biodiversity by providing essential ecological services such as carbon absorption and water retention and filtration.
Adopting these practices not only reduces the negative effects of climate change, it also preserves biodiversity, improves the quality of life of communities and promotes sustainable economic development.
Inventory of Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Resources
Accountability of the Transitional Regime
The Regulation respecting the provisional implementation of the amendments made by Chapter 7 of the Statutes of 2021 with respect to flood risk management (Transitional regime) came into effect on March 1, 2022. Municipalities and MRCs have reporting obligations with respect to the application of the Municipal Authorization Regime for activities carried out in water environments, as provided for in the transitional regime.
Municipalities must keep a register of authorizations issued under the transitional regime and transmit information on these authorizations to the MRC. Based on the information received from the local municipalities, the MRC Pontiac is responsible for publishing an annual report of authorizations issued by March 31 of each year.
The publication of this report must be present for a minimum of 5 years.
For more information on the transitional regime, we invite you to visit the Government of Quebec’s website on this subject.
