COP 30: Quebec universities more united than ever for the climate

Main navigation

News

COP 30: Quebec universities more united than ever for the climate

Published: 18 November 2025

As the 30th United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30) is currently being held in Bel茅m, Brazil, eighteen Quebec universities are reaffirming the climate emergency and the need to combine their efforts and expertise to meet this global challenge. This mobilization is part of a movement of enhanced cooperation, where higher education institutions play a central role in the transition to a resilient, equitable and low-carbon society.

As early as 2019, at COP25, the majority of Quebec universities had signed the Global Declaration of Higher Education Institutions for the Climate, recognizing the urgency of profound societal change. This declaration was accompanied by three structural commitments:

Achieve net-zero emissions by 2030, or no later than 2050;
Strengthen research focused on climate solutions and skills development;
Increase access to environmental education and sustainable development, both in curricula and in community initiatives.

Since then, Quebec universities have intensified their actions with concrete and measurable initiatives, affirming their role as leaders and role models within their communities.

Inspiring initiatives for society

Notable achievements include:

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions have been significantly reduced through the implementation of energy efficiency, sustainable mobility, responsible resource management and eco-friendly building design strategies;
Several universities have achieved net-zero emissions for Scope 1 and 2 emissions;
Innovative training on climate change response and adaptation has been integrated into various university curricula;
A highlighted the popularization of Quebec expertise in climate change and illustrated the need to collaborate on climate action;
Climate analyses and adaptation plans have been completed or are underway, supported by a common guide for assessing campus vulnerability;
Responsible procurement clauses have been developed in a concerted manner in group purchasing, which has increased the transparency of the suppliers with which universities do business, particularly with regard to Scope 3 GHG emissions and the fight against forced labour;
Responsible investment strategies have been adopted by institutions;
A repository of good practices in digital sobriety is being developed, in order to guide actions towards a more sustainable digital technology in universities;
The performance of Quebec universities in sustainable development has increased significantly as part of the AASHE (Association for the Advancement of Sustainability in Higher Education) international STARS certification.

Collective progress on Scope 3 greenhouse gas emissions

The universities that make up the Quebec University Network for Sustainable Development (RUQDD) are currently working on a methodological guide for the quantification of indirect greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, which are the most complex to measure. This guide, which will be published in the coming weeks, will be a major step forward in better accounting for indirect emissions that are linked to university activities but beyond their direct control.

Partnership-based university research at the heart of the transition

In Quebec, universities play a leading role in generating knowledge and concrete solutions to better measure and reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt to the climate crisis. Through multidisciplinary research teams, they explore innovative avenues in renewable energy, ecosystem adaptation, infrastructure resilience, climate justice and environmental governance. By fostering partnerships with communities, governments and businesses, university research actively contributes to Quebec's socio-ecological transition and to the achievement of national and international climate targets.