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After a year 2023 considered to be the hottest in human history, and as a year begins in which the next world conference on biodiversity will take place, Le Devoir presents five issues to watch in the environment In the coming months.
Capping greenhouse gas emissions from the fossil fuel industry
The Trudeau government unveiled in December the details of the national cap-and-trade system for greenhouse gas emissions rights which should, according to Ottawa, make it possible to reduce emissions from the fossil fuel sector, which are still in decline. rise. The final draft regulations on this cap are expected to be published sometime in 2024. Once the regulations are made public, they are expected to be adopted in 2025, but the emissions cap will not be in effect until 2030. The The Liberals’ project, however, faces strong opposition from Alberta and the Conservative Party of Canada. The latter opposed it, saying that the cap constitutes an “attack” on Canadian workers and the most polluting industry in the country.
A forest caribou protection strategy in 2024
After another postponement, the Legault government must present this year its “strategy” for protecting the woodland caribou, a species whose survival is in danger and whose habitat is more than ever threatened by the forestry industry. Moreover, according to an international scientific study published recently, 11 of the 13 caribou populations in the province are on the path to decline due to the destruction of old boreal forests that still exist in Quebec. Scientists also emphasize that the preservation of forest areas promotes the survival of several other wildlife species, in addition to constituting important carbon sinks for the fight against the climate crisis. The Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette, promised to present a document which will be submitted for consultations at the start of the year.
Reform of the Quebec Mining Act
More than ever, Quebec is faced with rapid growth in the number of mining exploration permits. At the end of last year, there were no fewer than 347,955 mining exploration permits. This is 83,382 more permits than on January 1, 2023. The area of Quebec territory covered by mining claims now exceeds 176,000 km2, or more than 10% of Quebec, or even 400 times the area of the island. from Montreal. And all regions of the province are targeted. This situation worries citizen groups and municipalities, who say they are powerless in the face of the rights granted to industry, which can notably block land protection projects. This issue should also be at the heart of the debate on the reform of the Mining Law promised for this year by the Minister of Natural Resources and Forests, Maïté Blanchette Vézina. She assures that this reform will allow “a more harmonious development of mining activity in Quebec”.
Completion of the Trans Mountain Pipeline
Construction of the controversial Trans Mountain pipeline is expected to be completed this year, in a context where the bill has exploded over the years. While the cost of the new pipeline was estimated at $7.4 billion in 2017, the most recent assessment shows a project valued at more than $30 billion. This new tar sands oil export infrastructure, financed by Canadian taxpayers, is however facing delays due to a debate over the route of a portion of the pipeline. In December, the Crown corporation said that if it cannot obtain the necessary authorizations to modify this portion, it would result in “catastrophic” delays in project timelines and billions of dollars in losses. Oil moving from Alberta to the West Coast will boost shipping of crude oil into the habitat of endangered species.
Another climate conference in an oil state
After COP28 held in Dubai, the next United Nations climate conference, COP29, will also be held in a country very dependent on fossil fuels: Azerbaijan. The conference president, appointed last week, himself comes from the oil and gas sector. This is the Minister of Ecology and Natural Resources, Mukhtar Babayev. The latter worked from 1994 to 2003 in the external economic relations department of SOCAR (State Oil Company of Azerbaijan Republic), before moving to the marketing and economic operations department, and becoming vice-president in charge of ecology. (2007-2010). Monday, the British daily The Guardian also revealed that the COP29 host country plans to increase its gas production in the coming years.