A look back at the 10th Ouranos Symposium: Real support for climate adaptation in Quebec
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The Ouranos Symposium, a flagship event in climatology and climate adaptation in Quebec, was held for the tenth time on January 28 and 29, 2025, in Montréal.

The symposium brought together nearly 550 participants from the scientific community and decision-making circles to share the most recent scientific advances in climatology and adaptation and to showcase practical resources for taking action.

Beyond its high-level scientific programming, the Ouranos Symposium offers a setting that’s conducive to conversation and networking. The issues addressed and the solutions explored during these two days stimulated discussions between many people working in the field of adaptation. This encouraged the emergence of promising collaborations and contributed to the development of viable solutions to growing challenges.

“We live in a time of great upheaval, but it’s important to look at the good news. In particular: the science is developing, and it is increasingly being taken into account in decision-making in order to reduce the impacts of climate change,” notes Alain Bourque, Executive Director of Ouranos. 

Record participation 

In the context of the burgeoning recognition of climate issues, the Ouranos Symposium generated unprecedented enthusiasm. In addition to the 550 participants who attended, there were 200 people on the waiting list. While this interest raises logistical considerations for future symposia, most of all it demonstrates the growing attention being devoted to climate change adaptation in an uncertain world.

Beyond the number, this record participation also reflected a wide range of expertise in an impressive variety of sectors and fields of knowledge (health, economy, tourism, research, infrastructure, water, etc.)  

Une programmation riche et multidisciplinaire 

Over the course of two days, the symposium offered exceptional opportunities for dialogue, with 20 sessions, nearly 100 presentations, 6 panels and 3 collaborative workshops, as well as a space where nearly 40 scientific posters were displayed. 

Its nine themes covered a broad spectrum of climate issues, including biodiversity, adaptation in cities, regional issues (northern, coastal, forestry), water, economy, energy, and even the application of artificial intelligence in adaptation. The programming was the result of hard work by the Symposium Committee, made up of a multidisciplinary team.

See the full program.

(The presentations will be posted online in the coming days). 

Les temps forts de l’événement

Some of the key moments of the Ouranos Symposium involved the presence of high-profile dignitaries who underscored the importance of scientific knowledge to guide adaptation to climate change.

Montréal Mayor Valérie Plante opened the event by emphasizing the need for reliable scientific data in implementing effective adaptation measures. She pointed out how innovative solutions have made Montréal a model city in terms of adaptation, both in Canada and internationally.

Steven Guilbeault, the federal Minister of Environment and Climate Change, announced a joint investment of $64 million over three years by the governments of Quebec and Canada. This funding is going to the equipment fund of the Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate program, in the aim of strengthening fire management capacities in a changing climate.  

Each morning, an opening plenary session launched the discussions, inviting participants to keep thinking throughout the day (replay soon to be available on the Ouranos YouTube channel

The first, presented by Dr. Nathan Gillett, focused on the theme of reducing uncertainty in climate projections through the use of observations. It was an exploration of scientific methods of refining climate predictions and improving decision-making.

The Wednesday panel consisted of Valériane Champagne St-Arnaud, Alain Webster and Alain Bourque, mediated by Alexandra Gellé. They talked about mobilizing science for informed climate governance in Quebec, and discussed ways of integrating more scientific knowledge into Quebec’s strategic policies and decisions.

A distinctive element that was added this year was an artistic activity coordinated by the Éclore collective and artist Johanna Griffith, inviting participants to contribute to a participatory mural throughout the two days. This dialogue between art and science helped broaden perspectives and brought a visual and collective dimension to the reflections taking place at the symposium.

Result of the participative fresco created by Johanna Griffith, in collaboration with Éclore. © Photo: Jordan Jacquier

Key takeaways 

“One thing I won’t forget from the symposium was the presentation on the wide variety of existing tools to help us to implement adaptation, as well as people’s genuine determination and enthusiasm about participating in it collectively,” says Alain Bourque.

Each of the panels, workshops and sessions offered participants many useful resources. Here is a non-exhaustive list. (Don’t forget that the presentations will be put online shortly.) 

Strategic documents for the future of adaptation

Resources for the general public

Guides

Educational activities

Platforms

Ouranos resources

Conclusion

The 10th Ouranos Symposium was held as part of Ouranos’ mission to support decision-making and the implementation of informed adaptation actions. It illustrates the importance of these gatherings in mobilizing stakeholders and accelerating climate change action.

Its success was based on solid partnerships, in particular with the Ministère de l’Environnement, de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques, de la Faune et des Parcs through its Plan for a Green Economy. With ten organizations supporting the event, Ouranos is grateful for the wonderful funders and sponsors who help expand its impact.  

“We extend our sincere thanks to the speakers, participants and partners who helped make this year’s symposium a success. We will soon be sharing the dates of the next Ouranos Symposium, which will mark the 25th anniversary of the consortium,” says Alain Bourque. 
 

Organizing team for the 10th edition of the Ouranos Symposium. © Photo: Jordan Jacquier

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To see photos of the event:

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