Noting that climate change “is already a reality” that could raise average temperatures in northern Quebec by up to 5ºC by 2050, Quebec Premier Philippe Couillard said it is “imperative” that countries agree to an international project to control climate change during the UN summit in Paris later this year.
With the planet on the verge of a tipping point, urgent measures are needed, Couillard told the third annual Arctic Circle conference in Iceland Friday, in a speech that was seen as a preview of his remarks in Paris.
The premier added that Quebec would invest $3 million in the Nordic Institute, a sustainability research initiative for the northern part of the province, as part of the much larger Plan Nord resource development initiative. “As the Plan Nord is one of our top priorities, its scientific and academic component should be supported and we will continue to support it,” he told a media briefing. “We need science to guide our decisions.”
