Climate Leaders Summit

Québec and Manitoba, in collaboration with The Climate Group, co-hosted the Climate Leaders Summit in Montréal on December 5 and 6, 2005. The Summit brought together the heads of government of federated states and regions and representatives of major corporations from around the world to present their best greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction initiatives and demonstrate the economic and social benefits associated with these innovative practices.

This first Climate Leaders Summit was held simultaneously with the 11th Conference of the Parties (CoP11) to the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, which took place in Montréal from November 28 to December 9, 2005. It was the first Summit following the entry into force of the Kyoto Protocol. At the close of the Summit, 38 federated and regional governments in Canada, the United States, Europe, Africa, Australia and South America adopted a common declaration on climate change, thereby confirming their commitment to tackling this serious problem and working together to build the future green economy.

Three other Leaders Summits have been held since then, each alongside the Conference of the Parties: in Poznan, Poland (2008), Copenhagen, Denmark (2009) and Cancun, Mexico (2010). Québec also co-chaired the last two meetings. In Cancun, participants signed a Declaration on Low Carbon and Climate Resilient Development. Their commitments included establishing policies and financial mechanisms to reduce GHGs, stimulating green job growth and promoting energy security.