Montreal commits to carbon neutrality by 2035

The Port of Montreal has made a series of commitments towards carbon neutrality, territorial protection and improvements to the city-port interface at its Grand Quay.

The announcement was made at the second annual Montreal Climate Summit during a speech by Martin Imbleau, President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montreal Port Authority.

A few weeks after the launch of its Strategic Plan 2023-2027, the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) provided an update on its key objectives for decarbonisation, climate change adaptation, and land protection.

MPA said that Scopes 1, 2 and 3 absolute greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions, for which the MPA is fully responsible will be reduced by 55 per cent by 2030, leading to carbon neutrality by 2035. These cover rail operations on its intermodal network, management of its buildings, and vehicle fleet as well as its infrastructure works.

Scope 3 absolute GHG emissions, for which the MPA is not fully responsible, covering those generated by logistics companies located on port territory, will be reduced by 40 per cent by 2040, leading to carbon neutrality by 2050.

To achieve these objectives, the MPA aims to adopt new energy practices, including shore power and the use of sustainable fuels, along with the reduction of emissions from trucks and port trains in collaboration with the MPA’s partner companies.

Additionally, in pursuit of greater protection of biodiversity, 30 per cent of the territories under the management of the MPA will be protected as a national wildlife area. 

To further improve the integration of port activities into the urban fabric, CAD10 million ($7.4 million) will be invested over the next five years in city-port interface projects.

Greening projects will also be rolled out, such as a commitment to plant 3,000 trees over five years as part of the Port of Montreal’s renewed participation in the Montreal Urban Forest Leaders Committee.

“The Port of Montreal is at the forefront of decarbonisation,” said Martin Imbleau.

“Ramping up the fight against climate change and accelerating decarbonisation are not only moral obligations, but also opportunities to innovate, invent new solutions, and stand out.”

This announcement comes a year after the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) joined the United Nations Global Compact for the implementation and promotion of sustainable business development.

More recently, maritime intelligence company, Global Spatial Technology Solutions (GSTS), announced that it will collaborate with the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) in providing a green shipping corridor capability using the firm’s OCIANA platform.