Quebec, November 18, 2020 – The G15+ Capitale-Nationale, a grouping of leading organizations from the economic, environmental, union and social sectors, created last July, today announces its regional proposals that are part of a solidarity-based, green and prosperous economic recovery of the region. These projects not only enjoy consensus among all signatories, but more than twenty companies and organizations in the region offer their support for their implementation. G15+ Capitale-Nationale will in the coming days begin an initiative to promote these projects to the authorities responsible for regional economic recovery at the municipal, provincial and federal levels. Its aim is to act both as an ally of the various levels of government and as an essential collaborator for private stakeholders in order to implement the measures and orientations in the region.
The fifteen concrete and structuring projects (listed in the annex) are organized around four regional priorities carrying potential for the economy of the Capitale-Nationale :
- thelocal purchasing and support for a prosperous regional economy that encourages the development of short supply chains and low-carbon value chains;
- the sustainable mobility with the aim of reducing the environmental footprint of our modes of transport and of collectivizing our infrastructure;
- theharmonious development of the territory and the support for communities in order to build healthy, resilient and safe living environments;
- support for collective and responsible entrepreneurship as well as citizen consultation through social innovation.
"Today we are proposing high value-added projects for the region that all share the goal of stimulating the economy, respecting the environment and promoting social equity, in line with the Plan for a Green Economy 2030. These projects not only have the potential to restart our economy on new foundations, but also to position the Capitale-Nationale among the leaders in sustainable and responsible economic development.", said Simon Thibault, Director, Regulation and Public Policy at Propulsion Québec.
G15+ Capitale-Nationale considers that economic recovery must be thought of differently and that we must show innovation, as emphasized by Isabelle Gilbert, Executive Director of the CDEC de Québec: "The current crisis makes us aware that the recovery of our economy must be carried out according to the principles of sustainable and equitable development. The projects selected by G15+ Capitale-Nationale all respect these principles. In this sense, we are convinced that they can contribute to the vitality of our communities, to job creation, to the reduction of social inequalities and to the fight against climate change".
Several of the proposals put forward by G15+ fit perfectly in complementarity with the orientations and measures announced notably in the Plan for a Green Economy 2030 and the recent economic and financial update from the Government of Quebec. "This is a unique time to think about local and regional projects differently. We are proposing concrete projects that conform to the principles of sustainable development. These have consensus within G15+ Capitale-Nationale and we hope that stakeholders, elected officials and other groups involved in the recovery will commit to working on their implementation", says Pauline Robert, Deputy Executive Director of the Regional Council for the Environment of the Capitale-Nationale.
About G15+ Capitale-Nationale region
Inspired by the G15+ initiative at the national level, the G15+ of the Capitale-Nationale region wishes to promote the importance of integrating environmental and social equity principles into the efforts to recover and rebuild the region's economy. It also seeks to encourage consultation among the various actors from the community, social, environmental, economic and private sectors of the region and to propose projects that have the full potential to propel and stimulate an economic recovery that integrates concerns for social equity and respect for the environment that are widely agreed upon in Quebec.
G15+ Capitale-Nationale is a joint initiative of: Accès transports viables, Agiro, Association forestière des deux rives, Caisse d’économie solidaire Desjardins, CDEC de Québec, Chaire sur l’engagement social à la Faculté des sciences de l’administration de l’Université Laval, Chambre de commerce et d’industrie de Québec, Conseil de la culture des régions de Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches, Conseil régional de l’environnement de la Capitale-Nationale, Coop Carbone, Fédération des travailleurs du Québec (FTQ) Québec et Chaudière-Appalaches, Méduse, Pôle des entreprises d’économie sociale de la région de la Capitale-Nationale, Propulsion Québec, SADC de Charlevoix/Côte-de-Beaupré/Île d’Orléans, SDC Montcalm – Quartier des arts, and Vivre en Ville.
G15+ Capitale-Nationale also counts on the support of important organizations and companies that have offered their backing for the implementation of the proposed projects: AddÉnergie, Bombardier Transport, Chez Alfred-Pellan, Courant.Plus, Coopérative de développement régional du Québec, Corporation du bassin de la Jacques-Cartier, Domaine du Bocage, Équiterre, Espaces d’initiatives, Filaction, Fondation Monique Fitz-Back, Fonds d’emprunt Québec, Lion Électrique, La Baratte, MobiliT, Monquartier.quebec, Monquartier en boîte, Organisme des bassins versants de la Capitale, Monnaie locale complémentaire Québec, Production 4 Éléments, SDC Saint-Sauveur, SDC faubourg Saint-Jean, SADC Portneuf, UgoWork and Université Laval.
Spokespeople / Source :
Pauline Robert
Deputy Executive Director, Regional Council for the Environment of the Capitale-Nationale
418-571-6449
pauline.robert@cre-capitale.org
Simon Thibault
Director - Regulation and Public Policy, Propulsion Québec
Isabelle Gilbert
Executive Director, CDEC de Québec
Recovery projects proposed by G15+ Capitale-Nationale
Projects related to local purchasing and support for an economy favoring the development of short supply chains and low-carbon value chains
- Creation of a Circular Economy Centre
Unique in Quebec, this Circular Economy Centre, where various reuse, recycling and valorization organizations for different materials will be gathered, will provide human resources, storage and transport to the circular economy projects that are emerging in the Capitale-Nationale region. In addition to creating sustainable jobs in an innovative field, this project will divert material from disposal by reinjecting it into the economy. - Deployment of an ecological local delivery network
This economical, ecological and rapid delivery network aims to support businesses on the commercial arteries of the Capitale-Nationale by better optimizing and consolidating their operations. This network will notably reduce citizens’ travel while making it easier for them to access local products. - Implementation of a local food commercial network and short supply chains
Facilitated through a complementary local currency, this short-circuit network, mapping and networking the local food businesses of the Québec urban area, will help develop and secure employment in the sector, reduce greenhouse gas emissions and generate socio-economic benefits for the local community. - Electrification and pooling of distribution for goods purchased online
Pooling/centralization of handling and delivery of goods in strategically located logistics hubs, combined with full electrification of distribution, will increase operational efficiency and performance, encourage local purchasing and reduce both costs and the environmental footprint of regional companies and wholesalers across the Capitale-Nationale.
Projects related to sustainable mobility with the aim of reducing the environmental footprint of our modes of transport and collectivizing our infrastructure
- Electrification of municipal vehicle fleets
By enhancing incentives for the electric transition of private fleets, adopting a municipal 'zero-emission' strategy and massively converting their fleets to electric, the cities and municipalities of the Capitale-Nationale will be able to demonstrate their social responsibility while stimulating Quebec's electric vehicle manufacturing industry. - Installation of urban charging infrastructure
Ensuring coordinated development of the urban fabric by promoting citizen consultation and testing various types of charging stations and business models will determine the best solutions adapted to the realities and needs of citizens who own electric vehicles in dense residential, commercial and mixed zones. This project will thus enable the electrification of Quebec's vehicle stock thanks to adequate charging infrastructure across the territory. - Deployment of the Capitale-Nationale's structuring transport network
This project aims to develop a public transit network to offer more mobility choices, improve traffic flow and sharing of the road, create jobs and ultimately transform the city. - Implementation of an open mobility data system
In a collaborative innovation logic, this project will allow economic actors in the region to have a shared tool for collecting real-time open data and thus give them a better understanding of citizens' new travel habits.
Projects supporting collective and responsible entrepreneurship as well as citizen consultation through social innovation
- Creation of a social and collective entrepreneurship incubator
The creation of an incubator-accelerator dedicated to the start-up and growth of collective, socially oriented enterprises in the Capitale-Nationale territory will improve the accessibility and coherence of the support ecosystem for solidarity-based entrepreneurial projects that are sustainable and have strong economic, social and environmental impacts. - Creation of a collective takeover acquisition fund
The fund will address the issue of business succession by acquiring companies to convert them into collective enterprises or resell them to an existing social economy enterprise. This project will not only develop the social economy in the Capitale-Nationale by preserving local ownership of businesses and related jobs, but also foster collective management and social and environmental responsibility in companies. - Development of Social Innovation Laboratories
At the heart of the Saint-Charles Church in Limoilou, developing a social innovation space dedicated to the community of change actors in the Capitale-Nationale could bring them together, accelerate and promote the reach of their projects and enterprises with strong social and environmental impact. The revalorization of this exceptional heritage will be exemplary in terms of sustainable development, from its eco-design to its participatory activities. - Implementation of a LabUrbain
Creation of a collaborative interface to promote the development of structuring projects that integrate a nuanced understanding of social and environmental issues in the territory. The LabUrbain aims to value the diversity of knowledge, both scientific and citizen-based, in order to support the development of local projects and enterprises in implementing coordinated solutions that respond to the crisis's challenges and are decisive for a sustainable, solidarity-based and prosperous recovery. - Creation of a Quebec Climate Fund
Through self-financing of its activities, the Quebec Climate Fund will be able to accelerate the deployment of initiatives that reduce urban greenhouse gas emissions (analysis of GHG sources, investments in local companies and projects that reduce GHG emissions, grants to NPOs, research and knowledge transfer) on the territory of the Quebec Metropolitan Community.
Projects aimed at the harmonious development of the territory and support for communities in order to build healthy, resilient and safe living environments
- Management and ecotourism development of natural areas
The consolidation of protected areas through the development of private natural sites located in the watershed of the City of Quebec's drinking water intake will preserve the ecological services provided by these areas and avoid the costs related to their loss. The harmonious development of healthy, resilient and accessible living environments will meet the regional population's enthusiasm for outdoor activities and ecotourism and thus generate sustainable economic and social fallouts. - Implementation of green infrastructure in urban environments
To promote the resilience of urban areas to the impacts of flooding and heat islands, this project aims to maximize the presence of green infrastructure in all mineralized areas of the region. The project includes a citizen and private mobilization component to participatively transform living environments into green spaces - Enhancement of the social heritage of the Petites franciscaines de Marie
The Living Laboratory project aspires to highlight the social heritage of the Petites Franciscaines de Marie within the Baie-Saint-Paul and Charlevoix community. In a community and collective context of intergenerational transmission of knowledge, the project will develop nourishing urban agriculture to contribute to healthy, sustainable and equitable food self-sufficiency - Development of the Pointe-aux-Alouettes site
Opening the site to the public by offering interpretation of the existing buildings, their history as well as an interpretation of the Great Alliance that took place on this nationally important historical site will contribute to the region's dynamism, in addition to ensuring education, awareness and the valorization of its rich cultural heritage.
