Baie-Comeau Sustainable Development Policy

Baie-Comeau will formulate a sustainable development policy that will improve its environmental performance and its residents’ quality of life. Located in the Manicouagan-Uapishka World Biosphere Reserve, the city will ask regional experts involved with the reserve to support its efforts. This process will be overseen by a Sustainable Development Committee (SDC) consisting of department heads, elected officials and staff, as well as local interest groups that will be trained in sustainable community development. The policy will affect many municipal services and obligations, including the management of water, energy, greenhouse gases, transportation and waste, as well as green landscaping. The city will define its approach and its key strategic guidelines through a “World Café” style consultation workshop, as well as through meetings between interest groups and SDC representatives. Extensive research on best practices in this field throughout the world and in Québec will underlie the issues, goals, indicators and targets to be prioritized. The public will learn about them and have the opportunity to validate them on an interactive Web site. The SDC will roll out and monitor the policy, particularly through an action plan and sustainable development decision-making tool. The central cities of 14 other Canadian world biosphere reserves will be able to apply the initiatives and successes resulting from this effort directly.

(Project description from original funding application)