As a member of its Board of Directors, I have been an active participant in the collective mission of Équiterre for the past seven years. During this time, I have witnessed first-hand the remarkable growth of this organization on the Quebec scene. Thanks to Équiterre’s hard work and fruitful efforts over the past years, the participation of citizens and organizations in Équiterre’s projects reached unprecedented levels in 2009.
This involvement is reflected in different forms of commitment, all of which attest to the realization by citizens and organizations alike of the need to take concrete action. As the recession raged, the number of Équiterre’s members increased by 20% over the past 12 months, and the number of subscribers to our e-newsletters surpassed the 40,000 mark. The organization’s burgeoning reputation was also clearly evidenced by the success of our annual benefit cocktail, which attracted over 400 guests from the community, labour, agricultural, political and financial milieus, confirming the importance of solidarity between urban and rural citizens.
Promoting a greater integration of citizens living outside urban centres is one of Équiterre’s strategic goals. I am particularly pleased with the creation in 2009 of a third Volunteer Action Group in the Outaouais region, joining the Mauricie and Quebec City Action Groups. The members and supporters of these groups have done a remarkable job of promoting public awareness of the issues at the centre of Équiterre’s actions, including the development of local agricultural production and distribution, as well as the importance of achieving a fair and ambitious agreement during the Copenhagen Summit on climate change.
Over the past year, Équiterre stepped up its activities with businesses. Among other projects, our Consulting Services team continued to carry out its mandates with the Ville-Marie borough and the Yellow Pages Group, aimed at implementing ecological and sustainable practices within these organizations. At the same time, the Community-Supported Agriculture network established new workplace drop-off points. Équiterre’s impact on the business community is reflected in several other ways as well. For example, in 2009, the second edition of the Défi Climat awareness campaign succeeded in mobilizing an even greater number of businesses, employees and citizens, offering an inspiring example of actors from different areas of society coming together to take concrete action against climate change. On another level, Équiterre was invited by several businesses to present some 100 conferences aimed at promoting awareness and providing information and means of action to their employees and management.
In the coming years, our societies will be called upon to demonstrate our capacity to not only live together and collaborate among ourselves, but also to adapt to the physical limits of the planet we inhabit. As you read this annual report, I invite you to take note of the unmistakable and growing participation of both individuals and organizations throughout these societies. For me, this represents a perfect soil mixture in which to plant the seeds of change, one step at a time.
For Équiterre, 2009 marked the culmination of several long-term initiatives that are central to its mission. As little as five years ago, apart from a very small number of specialists scattered across the globe, the debate on climate change was not on the radar of most people outside the scientific community. However, despite the fact that the political outcome of the Copenhagen Summit (COP 15) fell short of scientists’ recommendations, the presence of 110 heads of state and the mobilization of tens of millions of citizens and thousands of businesses spanning 181 countries set a number of precedents that offer grounds for hope. We know now that there is no turning back. Negotiations on climate change have become one of the most important issues of world geopolitics.
Équiterre has been a leading player in the campaign against climate change for several years. Steven Guilbeault, who has attended nearly every UN conference on climate change, was one of the only representatives of Canadian NGOs authorized to attend plenary sessions during the final days of the Copenhagen negotiations. Thanks to his efforts and those of his colleagues both in Copenhagen and Montreal, Équiterre was able to provide the media and citizens with first-hand information and analyses of developments during these complex talks. In fact, in 2009, media coverage of Équiterre’s work on climate change as well as its general activities was 50% higher than in 2008. This fact attests to the relevance of the organization’s initiatives and the high level of public interest in the issues we promote and the vision we propose.
Équiterre has clearly attained a new level of maturity. Without neglecting its local actions, the organization has succeeded like never before in bringing visibility to its goals on the national and international stage. We can be particularly proud of the greenhouse gas reduction targets – the most ambitious on the continent – adopted by Quebec and of the role played by Équiterre and other environmental NGOs. I also take great pride in the planet-wide success of the TCK TCK TCK campaign, an initiative launched by Équiterre. TCK TCK TCK actions included coordinating the initiatives of environmental partner organizations around the world as well as presenting a petition signed by 15 million individuals to the Executive Secretary of the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change at the opening of the Copenhagen Summit.
Équiterre and its 4,500 members are at the origin of this movement, proving that the world is indeed changing, one step at a time, and providing precious support for the task that lies ahead as we prepare for the next major gathering on climate change, to be held in Mexico at the end of 2010.
The year 2009 also marked the culmination of our dream to establish the Centre for Sustainable Development. All of the Centre’s spaces were attributed to the nine members or leased to other tenants. The financing and design stages of the project were completed, clearing the way for the launch of the call for tenders. We are now ready to begin construction on this building, where citizens will be able to find information on sustainable development, a gathering place and plenty of inspiration.