As part of the Great Expectations campaign led by the Montreal Climate Partnership, every organization in the Greater Montreal area is invited to commit to some actions to support the ecological transition, the fight against climate change and the development of the region’s environmental resilience. Below are the actions the Foundation of Greater Montréal committed itself to in 2022.

FGM has also adopted a Responsible Investment Strategy, whose goal is to reduce its asset portfolio’s GHG emissions by 45% in time for 2030 and to reach carbon neutrality before 2050. This Strategy therefore brings FGM in line with the Paris Agreement on climate, but also with the United Nations Global Compact on Human Rights, as well as the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples.

Lastly, the Foundation has committed itself to buying carbon credits in order to compensate for its own greenhouse gas emissions as an organization, as well as those of its employees when they act as part of their professional duties. In 2024, FGM has bought Gold Standard certified credits from the Planetair Sahel portfolio, in order to compensate emissions estimated at about 27 tons of  CO2 equivalent in 2023. Click here to view the certificate from Planetair.

Mobility

  1. Location (Mobility): Relocate or set up all of our premises on land already urbanized and located less than 400 metres from high user frequency public transportation.
  2. Air travel: Reduce business air travel to only essential travel – and then favour economy class flights and double-offset our emissions using the highest international compensation standards, such as The Gold Standard.

Building

  1. Location (Building): Relocate or set up all of our premises on land already urbanized and located less than 400 metres from high user frequency public transportation.
  2. Fossil fuel reduction: When renewing the lease of our premises, if they are still heated with fossil fuels and the owner has not made a commitment to replace its heating equipment, move to a building using only renewable energy.

Resilience of the Montréal community

  1. Greening projects: Fund or help carry out greening and ground demineralization projects through Montréal’s Alliance Forêt urbaine.

Leadership and governance

  1. Senior management: Train 100% of senior management and directors in climate issues and solutions related to our business context.
  2. Employees: Provide our employees with the necessary conditions for them to act for the climate themselves, by implementing measures such as:
    ○ Train all employees on ways to reduce their individual carbon footprint.
  3. Encourage citizen initiatives that work to fight and adapt to climate change, by offering financial support to local community groups, to the tune of more than $1 million over 5 years.

Periodically, FGM will provide an account of its progression in these matters.

To join the movement as well, visit the Montreal Climate Partnership’s Engagement Platform.

You can also check out Actes du Sommet Climat Montréal (overview of the Montreal Climate Summit; document available in French only) that took place in the spring of 2022.