Climate change is intensifying, and its effects are more and more interconnected on a global scale. From disrupted supply chains to infrastructure damage to increased health risks, these impacts are being felt in many parts of the world, regardless of borders. In this context, international collaboration can serve as a strategic tool for identifying effective solutions to strengthen our climate resilience—solutions which can sometimes be coordinated.

The C40 Cities Climate Leadership Group (C40), which brings together nearly 100 cities that are engaged in climate action, demonstrates the value of international collaboration. By facilitating the sharing of effective climate policies and the development of joint initiatives, C40’s work has helped shape Montréal’s Climate Plan, including its carbon budget, which is based on an approach developed within the network.

Beyond this example, networking among organizations promotes knowledge sharing, encourages the harmonization of best practices, and facilitates —or even accelerates— the replication of innovations, in terms of both specific actions and organizational processes and mechanisms. In a changing climate, collaboration with international partners can help strengthen our collective ability to adapt.

Common challenges in the emergence of a collaborative network

In 2023, Montréal hosted Adaptation Futures (AF2023), the world’s largest conference on climate change adaptation. Organized by Ouranos in partnership with the Government of Canada and the United Nations World Adaptation Science Program (WASP), the event drew over 2,400 participants from around the world. Beyond its scientific significance, AF2023 brought together “boundary organizations” such as Ouranos to discuss the challenges of supporting decision-making with sound scientific evidence.

These discussions revealed several shared observations:

• There is a recognition, supported by the literature, that boundary organizations provide a model for collaboration that helps coordinate different parties and supports the implementation of long-term adaptation projects, and that these organizations would benefit from being more interconnected and sharing their knowledge and practices.

• To date, interactions among boundary organizations have remained limited, largely because their activities are primarily local or regional in scope, they are less visible in international forums, and they are not necessarily documented in the academic literature.

• Adaptation remains underrepresented in global efforts and financing mechanisms.

With this in mind, the International Networ of Boundary Organizations on Adaptation (INBOA) was established, with the support of Ouranos and the Government of Québec. The network promotes the sharing of experiences, capacity building, and the recognition of the strategic role that boundary organizations play in helping to accelerate international action on adaptation.

Drawing inspiration from best practices 

One of the main advantages of an international collaboration network is the opportunity to draw inspiration from and learn from experiences in other places, whether they involve the conditions for success, obstacles, or pitfalls. Sharing information in this way helps prevent the repetition of the same mistakes and, above all, accelerates advances in practices.

Some INBOA members:

• The International Centre for Climate Change and Development (ICCCAD), based in Bangladesh, demonstrates the wealth of lessons learned from a wide variety of contexts. ICCCAD has developed recognized expertise in “locally-led adaptation,” rooted in the knowledge and capabilities of local communities. Among its initiatives, one project brought together young people from the Yukon and the Bay of Bengal to discuss their shared experiences with climate change. These conversations helped strengthen young people’s leadership and their ability to lead collective action in response to climate change.

• The Stockholm Environment Institute (SEI),  based in Sweden, conducts research on cross-border climate risks and their integration into decision-making processes. Their expertise offers insights into how to understand these issues (which have yet to be fully explored in Quebec and Canada), how to anticipate them, and how to incorporate them more systematically into the development of adaptation policies and actions.

Active participation in an international network such as INBOA promotes knowledge sharing and the identification of practices that can be applied in Quebec.

International collaborations for greater climate resilience in Quebec  

Given the complex and interconnected nature of climate challenges, solutions cannot be developed in isolation. The INBOA network facilitates more structured and in-depth collaboration on common and high-priority issues in Quebec and elsewhere. Over the coming year, the network will organize webinars on financing adaptation and on measuring progress in adaptation.

This also gives Quebec an opportunity to showcase its expertise and strengthen its leadership role in climate adaptation. By consolidating these international partnerships, Quebec is expanding its capacity for action while actively contributing to global climate change adaptation efforts.