Many regional county municipalities in Quebec now have a climate plan setting out their greenhouse gas emission reduction and climate change adaptation objectives. The next challenge is to ensure that these priorities genuinely influence the projects, investments, and decisions made across all municipal departments.
A climate plan identifies the destination. The Climate Test helps teams stay on course when designing projects and making trade-offs.
A Decision-Support Tool, Not an Approval Mechanism
The Climate Test is a tool used to assess whether a project, policy, or decision is consistent with a municipality’s climate objectives.
It may take the form of a questionnaire completed by project leads to examine two complementary dimensions: the project’s contribution to reducing GHG emissions and its ability to strengthen the territory’s resilience to climate hazards such as heat waves, heavy rainfall, flooding, and ice storms.
The objective is not to replace professional judgment or automatically determine whether a project should be approved or rejected. Instead, the Climate Test helps structure the analysis, identify risks and opportunities for improvement, and mobilize internal expertise while there is still time to influence the project.
This approach allows municipalities to move from considering climate issues on an occasional basis to integrating them more systematically into municipal practices. As explained in an article published by Métropolitiques, Climate Tests can serve different purposes, ranging from the initial assessment of a project to supporting its design and facilitating accountability. Their format and criteria remain flexible and depend on the objectives pursued by each organization.
Experience Developed with the City of Québec
From October 2022 to April 2023, CCG supported the City of Québec in designing and implementing its Climate Test.
Designed as an operational tool, it was developed to fit within existing municipal processes and to be used at different stages of the project life cycle. The answers provided by project leads make it possible to obtain an overall assessment of a project’s climate footprint and level of resilience.
The Climate Test focuses on analyzing tangible impacts on the territory and its population. Depending on the nature of the project, it may, for example, lead teams to examine a building’s energy efficiency, stormwater management, protection from extreme heat, sustainable mobility, soil sealing, or vegetation conservation.
One of the main benefits of this approach is that it enables climate considerations to be addressed early enough in the process. When climate issues are raised only once plans are nearly complete, opportunities for adjustment are often limited or costly. When integrated from the design stage, however, they can guide technical, financial, and functional decisions.
This mandate illustrates CCG’s ability to translate broad climate objectives into practical tools adapted to the organizational realities of public administrations.
From a Questionnaire to Change Management
The City of Québec’s experience also shows that a Climate Test cannot rely solely on a questionnaire. To create lasting changes in practices, it must be supported by a process that helps teams understand and adopt the approach.
Under the leadership of Hubert Pelletier Picard, Project Manager at the City, the Climate Test evolved from an assessment tool into a genuine change management initiative. This includes training modules designed to develop a climate-oriented mindset, opportunities for discussion between professionals and experts, and support to facilitate informed decision-making.
The City also moved away from an approach primarily based on scoring. A score may create an impression of precision, but it can reduce a complex decision to an overly simplified result. A more qualitative approach instead makes it possible to understand a project’s strengths and limitations, document trade-offs, and identify possible adjustments.
The Climate Test therefore becomes a tool for discussion and project improvement rather than an additional administrative formality.
A Flexible Tool Adapted to Municipal Needs
There is no single model for a Climate Test. Its scope must be adapted to the context, objectives, and organizational capacity of each municipality.
The tool may be adjusted according to:
- the types of projects covered;
- their financial or strategic importance;
- the stage at which the assessment should take place;
- the priorities of the climate plan;
- the expertise available internally;
- the desired level of detail;
- existing decision-making and budgeting processes.
A small municipality could begin with a simple assessment grid applied to a few priority project categories. A larger organization could develop different pathways depending on the nature of the initiative, incorporate training modules, and link the results to its investment prioritization processes.
The Climate Test can also be integrated with a climate budget. The two approaches are complementary: the Climate Test helps improve project design and alignment, while the climate budget connects climate objectives with financial resources, responsibilities, and implementation monitoring.
The value of the tool therefore lies not in its complexity, but in its ability to fit within the organization’s actual practices.
A Recognized Initiative
In 2025, the City of Québec’s Climate Test received the Public Administration Award of Excellence in the Climate Change Action category, presented by the Institut d’administration publique du Québec.
The City describes the project as an innovative application that integrates climate considerations into municipal project planning. This recognition confirms the initiative’s structuring role and its potential for other public administrations. (City of Québec)
CCG is proud to have contributed to this project alongside the City of Québec teams and Mathieu Dumas.
A Project That May Be Supported Through the ATCL Program
The development of a Climate Test may fall under Component 2 of the Accélérer la transition climatique locale program, which aims to support the planning and implementation of projects arising from climate plans approved by the Government of Quebec.
Subject to the eligibility criteria and program terms in effect at the time of application, this funding may allow a municipality to design the tool, test it on real projects, train its teams, and establish the conditions required for its implementation.
CCG can support municipalities in analyzing their processes, defining criteria, designing the questionnaire, carrying out pilot projects, training users, and continuously improving the tool.
A climate plan establishes collective ambitions. The Climate Test makes it possible to bring them to life through the organization’s day-to-day decisions.
Do your municipality’s climate objectives already influence its decisions, or do they still remain separate from its usual processes?
References
- Métropolitiques, “L’expérience du ‘test climat’ dans les métropoles québécoises,” May 26, 2025. (Métropolitiques)
- City of Québec, “La Ville remporte le Prix d’excellence de l’administration publique pour son Test climat.” (City of Québec)
- Government of Quebec, Accélérer la transition climatique locale program. (Government of Quebec)