We learned this week that the CAQ claims to want to tighten the screws on cement plants for their very high GHG emissions by asking them to self-assess the GHG reduction measures to be implemented in their factories. The government would base itself on this self-assessment to then determine the reduction objectives to be implemented. gradually.
It’s really pathetic. We can say that this is downright willful blindness on the part of the CAQ Minister of the Environment. It’s like asking the owner of the house you want to buy to do the inspection report and identify any deficiencies so you can negotiate the price. This is obviously absurd.
With only four factories, cement plants are the largest GHG emitting sector in Quebec, representing 15% of our total emissions. Leading the way, McInnis Cement alone emits 1.4 Mt of GHGs per year. It is imperative that this sector drastically reduces its carbon footprint.
Lack of will
It is up to the government to identify the reduction potential and identify the objectives. This is what we did at Hydro-Québec when I was in charge of energy efficiency programs for large industries. We took the lead, assessed the potential, and set consistent goals.
They want us to believe that there will be severe financial penalties for non-compliance with reduction targets. Really?
- Listen to Martine Ouellet’s interview with Benoit Dutrizac via QUB :
Yet Cement McInnis, which was the subject of 80 pollution reports, 40 violations of the law, 11 complaints, only received two fines of $2,500 each, totaling $5,000. It’s ridiculous. Another striking example is that of the Horne foundry, threatened with closure by Prime Minister François Legault himself for its arsenic exceedances, it was authorized to exceed the standards for arsenic five times, revealing a disturbing dichotomy between words and actions.
These two examples demonstrate the CAQ’s lack of desire to translate its threats into concrete actions. The CAQ barks to impress the gallery, but when it comes to biting, it seems strangely reluctant, especially towards its industrial allies.
Alternative materials
It is well known that concrete is extremely polluting and the government should first see how to replace it with other less polluting materials. For example, as a minister, I witnessed the ecological benefits of engineered wood when an innovative sawmill presented me with the possibility of building modular, prefabricated wooden viaducts. You have to dare.
Then, we should ask ourselves what is the interest for Quebec in hosting such a polluting factory whose production is intended for export like Ciment Mc Innis. This relatively recent factory also benefited from a free pass from the Minister of the Environment at the time, Yves-François Blanchet, who exempted it from BAPE under false pretexts. I was, unfortunately, the only member of the Council of Ministers to oppose it. No surprise that today it is the factory that emits the most GHGs.
The question of its continued activity legitimately arises. Should we sacrifice our environment for the profit of a Brazilian company? After nearly $875 million in losses for taxpayers (CDPQ and IQ), wouldn’t it be time to stop the gangrene and relocate McInnis Cement employees to sectors with a future?
To successfully stem the climate crisis, we will have to radically revise our vision of economic development and subordinate it to nature’s capacity for resilience.
Martine Ouellet, Quebec Climate Leader, Former Minister of Natural Resources