Instead of improving, the greenhouse gas emissions record increased significantly in Quebec in 2019, which upsets and complicates the reduction plan.
of the government.
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- Listen to the interview with Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change on QUB radio:
Quebec is still moving away from its goal of reducing GHG emissions by 2030.
With more than 84 megatonnes of emissions in 2019, this is even a significant increase of 1.5% from the previous year.
Shows similar to those of 1994, 2001 and 2011.
“This is not good news,” said Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Benoit Charette. “It makes us go backwards. This is where it hurts. “
Remember that the CAQ government wants to achieve a 37.5% reduction in its GHG emissions by 2030 compared to those of 1990.
Objective difficult to achieve
The minister admits that the goal will be difficult to achieve, but intends to stay the course.
“We must take into account that we are currently at 2.7% reduction,” said the minister, at the same time ridiculing the more ambitious reduction targets, from 45 to 55%, of the opposition parties.
The latter will rely on new transportation measures to be announced next year and on the government’s Plan for a Green Economy.
“It is a colossal step to be taken by 2030. I cannot tell you
is no hiding places, ”he mentioned. “We start from very, very, very far. So there it becomes an exercise in credibility. ”
Before a significant drop appears on the balance sheet, it will be necessary to wait after 2026‐2027, even indicated the minister.
There will undoubtedly be a sharp drop in emissions for the year 2020, but it will be artificial due to the pandemic, he believes.
McInnis Cement
Archive photo
McInnis Cement, which we see here at the Port-Daniel – Gascons plant, in the Gaspé, has been the biggest polluter in Quebec since last year and its emissions should continue to increase.
In order to explain the increase, the minister points to the bad decisions of previous governments, mainly the financing of the Parti Québécois (PQ) of the Port-Daniel – Gascons cement plant in 2014.
Ciment McInnis became Quebec’s biggest polluter in 2020, after several broken promises.
The problem is that the cement plant will continue to emit “ever more” emissions in the coming years.
“We are going to hope that the new measures that will apply can encourage them to review some of their processes”, hopes the minister.
According to Benoit Charette, the construction of a third link in Quebec City will not adversely affect the emissions record “before 2030.”
“This is an infrastructure that will not be in place, at best, for a decade or so,” he said. There are projects that will contribute to an increase in GHG emissions. But the important thing is to have the right measures to offset these increases. “
PQ deputy Sylvain Gaudreault pleads for the government to give up the third link “instead of blaming others on the backs”.
– With the collaboration of Annabelle Blais, Bureau of investigation
Increase shows
84 megatonnes of GHG emissions in 2019 +1.5% compared to 2018
Current situation : -2.7% GHG emissions compared to those of 1990
Government target: -37.5% GHG emissions by 2030 compared to 1990
- Growing sectors:
• Transportation
• Industrial
• Residential
Source: Ministry of the Environment