This is an ambitious project, some would even say unattainable as the province has fallen behind on the goals it had set for 2020. In addition, it only found half of the recommended measures to reduce its greenhouse gases (GHG). -Emissions by 37.5% compared to 1990 by 2030.
I won’t hide it from you, we have a big challenge. We have quite a steep hill to climb, admitted Environment, Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks Minister Benoit Charette in an interview with Behind the Scenes of Power.
Greenhouse gas emissions in Quebec have been increasing for several years. They amounted to 84.3 megatons last year. With the 2020 data to be released in a few days, Benoit Charette will have a more accurate picture to announce new measures in the spring.
“When we launched the green economy plan just over two years ago, we had identified 42% of the work to be done. […] So the goal is to increase and add percentages each year to reach 100%. »
— A quote from Benoit Charette, Minister of Environment, Combating Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks in Quebec
The Minister for the Environment recognizes that changes in behavior will be required from citizens and businesses, but he was careful not to mention any constraints during the interview.
The Legault government makes no secret of the fact that it is committed to the electrification of business and transport. He also wants to strengthen the standard for zero-emission vehicles.
This would result in obligations for manufacturers in particular to make more electric vehicles available within a reasonable period of time, explained Minister Charette.
For the time being, he rejects resorting to the levying of a tax on the purchase of an energy-guzzling car, as advocated by his opponents from Quebec solidaire in the election campaign. Officials at the former Department of Energy and Natural Resources are considering that option, as well as imposing a kilometer tax that would replace the gasoline tax used in part to cover infrastructure costs.
Benoit Charette believes such restrictions would have a deterrent effect on the population. If we demobilize them with ruler blows, I won’t be able to mobilize the entire society so that we can face in the same direction, he says.
MP training
In early 2023, members of the National Assembly are eligible for training on climate change offered by Quebec’s chief scientist Rémi Quirion and the organization Ouranos. The Environment Minister’s motion presented on Friday was unanimously approved.
Issues related to climate change and environmental protection are becoming increasingly important and elected officials need to have a minimum of information on the issue to be able to make informed decisions, stressed Mr. Charette.
COP15 on Biodiversity
Montreal will host the UN Conference on Biodiversity starting Wednesday. Thousands of representatives from countries around the world will try to put together a ten-year plan to, among other things, protect 30% of the world’s land and sea areas and restore at least 20% of degraded ecosystems.
Quebec has not updated its endangered species list since 2009. And the committee responsible for making recommendations has not been consulted by the government for five years.
Minister Charette admits this but replies that he will use the international event to make announcements on the subject. In an interview with the program Feu vert, he specified that 11 other plant species would be protected and around twenty animal species.
In his eyes, the protection of biodiversity is an important facet of protecting the planet.
“It’s a lot of things that we will also be able to do through nature, whether it’s about carbon capture or elements that effectively fight climate change. »
— A quote from Benoit Charette, Minister of Environment, Combating Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks in Quebec