The Quebec International Climate Cooperation Programme (CICP) is one of fifteen projects out of 670 applications announced as winners of the UN Climate Action Awards as part of the UNFCCC Momentum for Change initiative. The CICP was selected among the most practical solutions to combat climate change in the focus area of Financing for Climate Friendly Investment, which recognises successful financial innovations for adaptation and climate mitigation.

Launched in 2016, the CICP was created as part of Quebec’s international solidarity measures to contribute to efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and to adapt Francophone countries that are particularly vulnerable to the impacts of climate change. As one of the first subnational climate financing schemes, it enables companies, international cooperation organisations and research institutes in Quebec to establish innovative partnerships with local stakeholders and to carry out technological transfer and capacity-building projects in these countries.

To date, the programme, which is exclusively funded by Quebec’s own carbon market, has delivered 22 projects in 11 African and Caribbean countries, such as Burkina Faso, Senegal, Ivory Coast, Morocco, and Benin, among others. These projects not only support these countries’ efforts to address climate change, but they also help advance many of the other sustainable development goals, such as innovation, gender equality and economic progress.

The Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change of Quebec, Mr Benoit Charette, recently announced that due to the convincing results of the two calls of projects that have been already carried out, his government has earmarked $ 9.2 million of its 2019-2020 budget for the launch of a third call for projects. In addition, the government is investigating the expansion of the programme to non-francophone countries, as well as considering expanding the list of eligible organisations.

The CICP, just like all other project winners of the Climate Action Awards, will be showcased at a series of special events during the second week of the UN Climate Change Conference (COP 25) in Santiago, Chile.