Quebec compares favorably to 11 other states in the world, according to several of the 55 well-being indicators compiled by the G15+ collective.
With a proportion of 87% of its population aged 25 to 54 working, Quebec is at the top of the ranking of the 12 states analyzed with regard to the employment rate.
The province also performs well, second behind Finland, for the employment rate of women.
Quebec also stands out with its fourth position in the PISA (Program for International Student Assessment) test.
The low proportion of young people who are neither in education, employment, nor training gives the province second place out of 12 at this level.
According to the Gini coefficient, a complex formula that measures differences in income relative to a perfectly equal distribution of wealth, Quebec ranks third.
Can we conclude that Quebec is doing well?
“It’s positive in some ways,” replied Colleen Thorpe, executive director of Équiterre, which is part of the G15+.
The main message coming out of this study is that to determine the health of a country, we must go beyond gross domestic product. GDP is one indicator among many others, and then it is the other indicators which will give us a much more complete picture.
Colleen Thorpe, Executive Director of Équiterre
In the study published Thursday, Quebec is compared to G7 countries and member countries of the international WeGo alliance, such as New Zealand, Iceland and Finland. WeGo refers to “Wellbeing Economy Governments”, a group of governments, whose members are committed to prioritizing well-being rather than just economic growth.
Less good results
Labor productivity data indicates that Quebec ranks 11e out of 12 and gross income (including social transfers) per capita places the province last in the ranking.
The G15+ collective emphasizes that “the growing household debt, the deterioration of mental health and the constant increase in the number of vehicles on the road are worrying and darken the picture of well-being in Quebec.”
Carbon footprint and energy inefficiency
The G15+ underlines that “few indicators have seen notable improvements in the environment, leaving a significant way to go to achieve climate targets”.
In order to respect the Paris Agreement, the carbon footprint of each Earthling should be limited to two tonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2) per year by 2050. Quebecers emitted on average 8.89 tonnes of CO equivalent2 in 2020, a little less than Ontarians (10.14), according to data compiled by the G15+.
“GHG emissions per capita are far below Quebec’s climate commitments,” we can read in the summary of the data published by the collective.
Despite its difficulties in reducing greenhouse gases, the collective emphasizes that in environmental matters, “Quebec performs relatively well compared to the jurisdictions under study”, in particular thanks to its significant proportion of energy coming from renewable sources.
This energy could, however, be used much better, as members of the G15+ have pointed out.
“Our energy productivity is lagging far behind, particularly with European countries. This misuse of energy prevents us from accelerating a socially just and economically beneficial transition to achieve the targets of the Paris Agreement,” wrote Natalie Pouliot, executive director of the Coalition of Community Organizations for Workforce Development. work, Karl Blackburn, president and CEO of the Conseil du patronat du Québec, and Denis Bolduc, secretary general of the Quebec Federation of Workers.
“Orphan” indicators
Quebec is absent from 16 of the 55 well-being indicators, “lack of robust data”, according to the collective.
Most “orphan indicators” are social and environmental in nature.
“The study shows that other jurisdictions such as France and Germany regularly publish statistics on natural disasters and emergencies, the endangered species index and even environmental health. As the impacts of climate change accelerate and intensify, it is crucial to have an accurate picture of the situation so that we can effectively help people cope with crises,” wrote Sabaa Khan, executive director of the David Suzuki Foundation, and Béatrice Alain, general director of the Social Economy Project.
The G15+ is made up of a vast coalition of organizations, which do not always have the same priorities, such as the Conseil du patronat du Québec, the Ordre des urbanistes du Québec or the Coalition of community organizations for the development of the workforce.
Note to readers: In a previous version, La Presse Canadienne wrote in the last paragraph that the Federation of Quebec Chambers of Commerce was a member of the G15+. In fact, she is no longer a member.