In the last few weeks, the reports have followed each other… and become the same! At the end of February, the IPCC published the last part of its 6. Assessment Report justified Impact, Adaptation and Vulnerability. He argues that global warming above 1.5°C will lead to serious, even irreversible, consequences and that only rapid and sustained reductions in CO2 emissions can keep the temperature rise below 2°C.
Your opinion
interests us.
Do you have an opinion to share? A text between 300 and 600 words that you would like to send us?
Last week, the United Nations’ World Meteorological Organization (WMO) told us that this feared rise in temperature could temporarily occur within the next five years. Given these alarming results, accelerating Quebec’s energy transition has become a priority in terms of combating climate change. But what is holding back this transformation and how can these obstacles be overcome?
At the Center for Interdisciplinary Research in the Operationalization of Sustainable Development (CIRODD), we believe the answer to these questions is clear: the lack of a systemic vision. Indeed, we need to consider what is the best approach to accelerate the energy transition and stop dividing the fight against climate change into niches of expertise where everyone works in isolation on their side.
We must pool our efforts, but above all our knowledge, be it scientific, academic, technical or practical. We need to approach the problems from the standpoint of both the basic and applied sciences, as well as the humanities and social sciences, in order to find concrete and socially acceptable solutions that reflect all dimensions of a reality.
Finally, we need to rethink the structures and systems of our society in order to develop a concerted strategy that leaves room for sustainable innovation.
hurry up
Quebec is recognized worldwide as a leader in research and development. Just think of what is being done here in terms of artificial intelligence or the electrification of transport. However, due to a rigid bureaucratic apparatus, outdated processes and regulatory constraints that do not address the current and future needs of our society, these innovations are struggling to be deployed on a larger scale. Without all these obstacles, we could already greatly improve our energy balance.
This sad observation that we have come to is shared by several renowned experts as we look back at the discussions that took place within the panel A systemic vision of the future of energy in Quebec: possible solutions for a fair and equity energy transition, organised, led by the CIRODD, on April 28th.
Circular economy, energy efficiency, electrification of industries, use of bioenergy and hydrogen, consolidation of education, radical transformation of regulations, behaviors and markets: all possible solutions mentioned by the panellists to promote the energy transition in Quebec seem to confirm this new systemic approach.
Hurry up. We can no longer wait for a “magic solution” from science or from a higher authority. We must dare together and take responsibility to do things differently, starting now. Innovation inevitably comes with its share of risks. If these unknowns can be scary, they are less than what awaits us if we do nothing.
More than ever we need a game plan, a systemic and concerted vision in which everyone knows what he and she must do to achieve a common goal: a fair and just energy transition in Quebec!
mohammad cheriet, Director General of CIRODD, Professor at the École de technologie supérieure (ÉTS)