Valérie Plante, Mayor of Montréal, has been elected as Vice Chair of the C40 Steering Committee, the governing body providing strategic direction for the global network of 97 cities committed to addressing the climate crisis.
First elected as a city councillor in the Sainte-Marie district in 2013, members of the Projet Montréal political party chose Valérie Plante to lead the party in 2016. Her contagious passion and energy have helped her rally people around her progressive vision, which is centred on increased access to public transit, better urban planning and public services, economic development, and protecting the environment.
Before entering the political arena in 2013, Valérie Plante obtained degrees in anthropology, museology, and in multiethnic intervention. She then became actively involved with numerous community groups, including the Fondation Filles d’action, which helps to build the skills and confidence of girls, young women and gender-diverse youth across Canada. On 5 November 2017, she became the first woman to be elected mayor of Montréal. During Mayor Plante’s first term, major investments were made to increase access to green space, including creating what will be Canada’s largest urban park, the Grand parc de l’Ouest. The park will span 3,000 hectares and rehabilitate nearly 10 kilometres of river banks.
Mayor Plante said: “Since our last mandate, the actions we have taken have positioned Montréal’s environmental leadership on the international scene, notably through our Climate Plan and numerous greening and biodiversity initiatives. This is why I feel equipped – and very proud – to be a strong voice for cities, alongside such inspiring and committed mayors as those both in and outside the C40 network who have shown no hesitation in adopting strong measures to counter the climate crisis. Cities play a key role in mobilising the major partners in their territory, together with citizens, to find innovative and inclusive solutions to combat and adapt to climate change.”
C40’s member cities represent 700 million citizens and one-quarter of the world’s economy. Through collaboration and innovation, the mayors of C40 Cities are determined to deliver on the Paris Agreement’s highest ambition and keep the global temperature rise to below 1.5ºC, and to do so in an equitable way.