On March 19 and 20, HOP! the Retail Trade Summit, organized by the CQCD at the Palais des Congrès de Montréal, was held. Expected to be the event of the year for the sector, the Summit kept its promises: 1400 retailers and 70 speakers gathered to share their knowledge on topics such as climate emergency, customer acquisition and employee retention.

We had the opportunity to attend it and that is why today we decide to share with you the knowledge that was transmitted to us during these two days. We advise you to stay tuned for future articles, other topics covered at this event will be discussed.

THE CLIMATE EMERGENCY, A FRIGHTENING REALITY.

9:45, Wednesday, March 20. And we realize.

We realize, like all those present, thanks to Jean Lemire, the seriousness of the situation. We realize - finally!- because yes, we hear about global warming every day, but sometimes we need one more speech.

We realize the emergency of the climate and the need to act - and to act quickly.

Global warming is becoming increasingly important: the ice is melting, the Sun is no longer reflecting enough and things are accelerating. Temperatures are rising and becoming alarming: +3/4 degrees for Canada, this means +7/8 degrees in the Arctic. In addition, there are the unimaginable quantities of plastic found in the oceans and natural ecosystems. The ratio of plastic tons per ton of fish will soon be reversed (expected in 2050).

The current economic system is therefore not the right system and must be changed. It is time to complete this energy transition. This is called "Fair Transition" to ensure that no one is left out. We are all actors, at our level. And it starts with small things: you reduce your packaging, reuse your containers and recycle. And most importantly, we're trying to change our business model: think about the materials you use, try to reduce your use of plastic, don't pack what doesn't need to be packed, make your travel more profitable and think more eco-responsibly.

At Halte 24-7, we do our part of small actions. We recycle as much as possible, we offer you glass decanters instead of plastic water bottles, we advise you not to print your bill if you have it online and we brew our coffee with pasta.

It's not much, but it's the kind of little things that can change everything.

ABOUT JEAN LEMIRE

Jean Lemire was appointed emissary for climate

change, northern and Arctic issues by the Government of Quebec in September 2017, becoming the first emissary in the history of Quebec diplomacy. A biologist by training and a renowned science communicator, he has carried out work on climate change and biodiversity that has led to major scientific missions. In 2001, he transformed a large oceanographic sailboat into a scientific research platform and production studio and set out to criss-cross the oceans to raise public awareness of major environmental issues. After various missions, he and his team embarked on the 1000 Days for the Planet series, a three-year round-the-world tour to discuss the state of global biodiversity, in collaboration with the Secretariat of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity.

Written by Maé SABY