News release
For immediate release
International Efficient Cities Forum (IECF)
Municipal and energy leaders to meet in Montreal to step up energy transition
Montreal, February 7, 2017- The honorary chair of the International Efficient Cities Forum, Montreal mayor Denis Coderre, who is also President of Metropolis and head of the Communauté métropolitaine de Montréal (CMM), will be on hand to greet almost 400 municipal leaders and key energy players who will meet in Montreal this March to move the energy transition forward. Representatives from major global municipal networks such as Future Earth, ICLEI – Local Governments for Sustainability, Metropolis, UN Habitat and 100 Resilient Cities will be invited to join the discussion. The themes of the Forum are resiliency in cities, the ascendancy of the new green economy and new financial models that municipalities can use in their role as leaders within their respective territories. The Forum, organized by the Association québécoise de la maitrise de l’énergie (AQME), will be held on March 21 and 22, at the Palais des congrès in Montreal, in conjunction with AMERICANA, the Environmental forum and International trade show for environmental technologies.
“Our cities’ resiliency in the face of the climate change-related impacts and energy transition are key issues that we need to address without delay. And Montreal is already quite active in this regard, especially in the areas of transportation electrification and sustainable mobility. Our resiliency bureau is now one year old. And the major shift to a smart city that we have embarked on will help step up this essential sharing of information to spur the implementation of innovative solutions that are adapted to our actual experience. We need to continue – and intensify – our efforts and draw inspiration from what is being done elsewhere in the world to advance further. This is why we proudly welcome municipal and energy leaders to this major international forum,” explained Denis Coderre, honorary chair of the International Efficient Cities Forum, mayor of Montreal and head of the CMM.
From Rotterdam to Berkeley, by way of Varennes, Saint-Hyacinthe and Mont-Carmel
This international gathering will highlight cutting-edge practices adopted by cities in other countries – such as Rotterdam and Berkeley – as well as here in Quebec. “We see that the movement has arrived in Quebec, seeking to couple energy management, which is essential, with smart cities. We offer a number of inspiring initiatives throughout Quebec – for example, in Verchères, Varennes and Plessisville, which have adopted the FIME (innovative financing for energy efficiency measures) program for their residents; Saint-Félicien, where industrial process heat is being recovered for use in agricultural greenhouses; Saint-Hyacinthe, where recovered biogas from a landfill is made into fuel; or Mont-Carmel, which uses forest biomass to eliminate the use of fuel oil within its jurisdictino,” said Jean Lacroix, President and CEO of the AQME.
Close to 15 speakers working to equip resilient cities of the future
The program will include speaker sessions and interactive workshops intended to expand knowledge of energy-related issues and share best practices, especially in terms of urban and land use planning, transportation, renewable energy generation, infrastructure or the optimization of energy consumption. The 15 invited speakers and experts include Pierre Arcand, Quebec Minister of Energy and Natural Resources; Dany Michaud, President and Chief Executive Officer, RECYC-QUÉBEC; Serge Guérin, Director of economic development, City of Montreal; Jackie Aignel, mayor of Le Mené; Jacques Bucki, municipal councillor – Lambesc, France; and Hans Beekman, general manager of the City of Rotterdam and project manager for the Roadmap Next Economy of Rotterdam.
The preliminary program can be viewed on the AQME site: http://www.aqme.org/evenement-et-activites/93-7e-rencontre-internationale-des-municipalites-efficaces.html?c=5
The International Efficient Cities Forum was made possible through a number of valued partners, of which the main contributors are: City of Montreal, Fondaction CSN, Future Earth, Réseau environnement, Dunsky Energy Consulting and Institut EDDEC [Institute for the environment, sustainable development and the circular economy].
To view the AMERICANA news release: http://www.reseau-environnement.com/services/publications/communiques/
About the Association québécoise pour la maîtrise de l’énergie
Since 1985, the AQME has focused its efforts on energy efficiency-related issues, and is now a leading authority on energy efficiency from a sustainable development standpoint. The membership of this neutral, independent, private non-profit organization is now almost 800-strong, and includes people from all walks of life. The AQME, a forum for stakeholders who pool their experiences and knowledge, is actively working to promote energy efficiency by disseminating best practices and innovations in this field, while helping energy consumers undertake projects.
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Source:
Association québécoise de la maitrise de l’énergie (AQME)
Information:
Émilie Novales
COPTICOM
enovales@copticom.ca
514-577-5838
