WOMEN4CLIMATE : FOR INCLUSIVE CLIMATE ACTION
How women’s leadership and expertise can shape sustainable and inclusive cities and make female agents of change visible.
Origin
Under the leadership of Anne Hidalgo, mayor of Paris and president of the C40 (global grouping of 91 metropolises) from 2016 to 2019, the Women4Climate initiative saw the light of day in 2017.
– Objectives –
1.
Empower and inspire the next generation of women climate action leaders by developing a global mentorship program in participating cities.
2.
Raise awareness on the disproportionate impacts of climate change-induced disasters on women, and their key role in the effectiveness of climate policies and the resilience of urban communities.
3.
Encourage political action through research and concrete solutions in urban policy in order to include a gender approach in city climate plans.
«Women face different barriers around the world and cities are places where we want them to feel safe and able to thrive. It is high time we consider approaches, measures and climate policies that integrate a gender approach because one thing is clear: we will not achieve climate justice without developing actions that include, at all levels, half of the world population.»
– Anne Hidalgo, Maire of Paris
Female Mentoring
In order to meet its objectives, the Women4Climate initiative focuses on mentoring women at the local level, in order to strengthen female leadership in climate action. The member cities of the program have therefore committed to investing in mentoring programs to strengthen the participation and leadership of women.
Relationship with the Montreal Sustainability Journey («Parcours»)
In 2017, seeing synergies between the Montreal Sustainability «Parcours» and Women4Climate, the city of Montreal decided, in partnership with the C40 and L’Oréal Canada, to launch the female mentoring program within the Montreal Sustainability «Parcours» itself. Every year since the creation of the «Parcours», 10 women representatives of SMEs have been selected to benefit from the W4C mentoring program through the team of mentors responsible for supporting them in their entrepreneurial adventure.
– Mentors –
Sandrine Milante
President and CEO, Ecolopharm
Madeleine Féquière
Head of Corporate Credit, Domtar
Stéphanie Trudeau
Senior Vice President, Customers and Operations, Energir
Véronique Doucet
Director, Economic Development Department, City of Montreal
Natalie Voland
President, Gestion Immobilière Quo Vadis
Nadia Petrolito
Vice-President, Legal Affairs, CCO, Ethics Correspondent, L’Oréal
Caren Carrasco
Senior Associate, Benjamin David Group
Natacha Beauchesne
Economic Development Commissioner, City of Montreal
Lucie-Claude Lalonde
Vice-President Legal Affairs, Cascades
Julie-Anne Chayer
Vice-President, Services – Corporate Responsibility, Groupe AGÉCO
Genevieve Turbide-Potvin
Vice-President, Transactional Solutions & Financing, Banque Nationale
Christine Babkine
Director – Corporate Social Responsibility, Ivanhoé Cambridge
Annie Gauvin
Executive Director, Berthiaume-Du Tremblay Foundation
«As the first female mayor of Montreal, I made a commitment to make our metropolis a sustainable city, whether in terms of mobility, the economy or the fight against climate change. And I want to make sure that women have a say in these matters. Together, we are pursuing an ambitious plan that will lead us to a safer, healthier and greener city. This is why I am proud that Montreal is launching its Women 4 Climate mentoring program, to support and encourage young women who are committed to playing an active role in their communities.»
– Valérie Plante, Mayoress of Montreal
