The most recent Quebec data on greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions are worrying. Quebec shows a decrease in its emissions of 2.7% compared to 1990. While the COP26 has just been held and the deadline for reaching our targets in 2030 is dangerously approaching, we must do better . Because beyond the targets and ambitions, actions count and facts are stubborn: the fight against climate change calls for greater mobilization of the transport sector in order to turn the tide and obtain the necessary reductions.
With more than 36,518 tonnes of GHGs, the transport sector alone is responsible for 43.3% of GHG emissions. While passenger transport accounts for a large share, especially personal vehicles, freight transport has the lion’s share, and we need to act faster.
Maritime transport only represents 1.3% of Quebec emissions. It is clearly the most efficient mode. One liter of fuel can travel 358 kilometers per ship, compared to 41 for road transport.
PHOTO ALAIN ROBERGE, PRESS ARCHIVES
Martin Imblreau, President and CEO of the Montreal Port Authority
It’s really good for the industry that I represent, but maritime transport does not act alone. Our logistics chains are made up of several links, and we will have to work on several fronts to improve our collective record. Whether it is financial incentives to electrify vehicle fleets, the use of new low-carbon fuels produced locally, or infrastructure adapted to the reality of heavy transport, including trucking and rail, these projects are all needed.
The concept of the “transport cocktail” was essential to design more sustainable mobility. As a result, public transit and active means of transportation are making progress. It is high time to consider a “transport cocktail” for our goods. Freight transport is often overlooked or does not always have good press.
The point is, it is necessary and essential for modern life. Goods from all regions of Quebec, from Abitibi to Estrie, pass through the port of Montreal. Whether in our homes or factories, the goods we find there come from all over the planet or are transported there. International trade is so important that one in six jobs in Canada depends on it. The pandemic has demonstrated the importance of local purchases, but also of resilient supply chains. International and interprovincial freight transportation is therefore here to stay. We must focus on the concrete development of solutions.
The global maritime industry is stepping up its decarbonization initiatives. We are more than 200 large organizations, including the Port of Montreal, to have ratified a call to action to achieve our decarbonization targets more quickly. And Quebec is not left out. With the Port of Antwerp, the second European port, we have started to develop a first green maritime corridor between Europe and America.
Dozens of Montreal organizations are active in the Montreal Climate Partnership, and that’s not counting the electrification technologies that are already used on our docks. And for modes that cannot use a wire or a battery to electrify their uses, the use of green energy liquids is necessary. As the new year begins, reducing our GHGs must be part of our resolutions! Together, let’s have the same level of passion for greening heavy transport as we do for the adoption of electric vehicles.