Solidarity will force the big polluters to cut their greenhouse gas emissions without making workers pay, promises Gabriel Nadeau-Dubois.
• Also read: Controversy in recent days: Nadeau-Dubois attacks “the Duhaime team”
In recent days, Québec Solidaire’s spokesman has been questioned about the fate of employees when he promises to “tighten” the screws on major greenhouse gas emitters like the McInnis cement plant, which his caravan passed through during his tour of Gaspésie.
During a “town hall” with citizens of Rimouski on Wednesday, Mr Nadeau-Dubois also confided that the industry was being asked to scale back its activities.
When questioned the next day, he insisted the oil sector expect demand to fall with Quebec’s ban on gasoline-powered cars from 2035. Workers in this industry are being urged to reskill what he calls, like others before him, the “just transition”.
“Companies in this space will have to adapt. We have no choice, it’s economically inevitable, he says. Making the right economic decision, what is that? Is it the stubbornness in sectors that economists say will decrease? Or is it about investing in the sectors of the future and then supporting workers in declining industries so they get reskilled and we don’t lose jobs in Quebec? »
train workers
The other polluting companies like the Horne foundry, the McInnis cement plant or the aluminum smelters have to “change their ways”. “That these are technological changes for the workers and that the workers are sometimes not sufficiently trained,” emphasizes the solidarity leader.
He cites aluminum smelters as an example. “There have been many advances towards green aluminum in recent years. It requires supporting workers in this sector so that they can operate the company’s new facilities with new skills that they might not have had when they entered the industry 15 or 20 years ago,” he explains.
Halve greenhouse gases
On the eve of unveiling his plan to achieve a 55% reduction in greenhouse gases by 2030 below 1990 levels, the Québec Solidaire leader has indicated he will use the carbon exchange to bring together companies that increase carbon footprints.
“We will tighten the screws on the big polluters, we will stop giving them freebies,” he said. Because it’s not true that we’re putting pressure on individuals and then families by telling them, ‘Make better choices, make better choices, make better choices’ and that in this time we will allow the big polluters to have privileges the CO2 market. It’s not fair. It’s not fair to pressure the world and let the big polluters off the hook. »