Benoit Charette “has given up” by saying that it is impossible to raise Quebec’s climate target and must therefore resign from his post as Minister of the Environment, believes Quebec solidaire.
Posted at 5:21 p.m.
“He should go. This man, Benoît Charette, is the one who has both hands on the wheel to ensure that Quebec does not miss its climate objectives, and he is telling us that it is impossible to Do more. He is giving up, he has given up the fight, as he is giving up his post as minister, ”said Émilise Lessard-Therrien, the left-wing party’s environmental spokesperson, in an interview.
The minister said on Sunday at The Press that his government has no intention of raising Quebec’s climate targets despite the warnings of the IPCC, since he considers that the green promises of the opposition parties would be “impossible” to keep.
“Reduce by 60% [les émissions de gaz à effet de serre] by 2030, it’s simply impossible, 50% is no more possible, and 45% when we know that we will have a hard time reaching [notre cible de 37,5 %]I can’t wait to see the demonstration that they will be able to do,” he said.
This declaration – made a day before the release of a new IPCC report which emphasizes that humanity must halve current emissions by 2030 to meet the goal of the Paris Climate Agreement – has sown consternation among opposition parties
“He can’t stand up in front of a government that is pro auto, pro sprawl, pro third link, pro parking, pro freeway, it just doesn’t make sense, he can’t stand up to say that it will cause us to miss our targets. He resigned, let him resign,” said the MP for Rouyn-Noranda–Témiscamingue.
Liberal Isabelle Melançon describes Mr. Charette as a politician “who is not capable of rising” and who practices “petty politics”. “When I read his statement on Sunday, I was left speechless. It’s irresponsible. It leaves no hope for future generations, it’s embarrassing, ”she said. “But I’m more or less surprised, it’s the same guy who tells us that a tunnel will slow down urban sprawl and that it’s ecological, who tells us that we have to increase the rate of nickel in the air or that we have to put mine tailings in lakes,” she adds.
Parti Québécois Sylvain Gaudreault stresses that “the solutions presented by the IPCC are within reach and realistic” “I’m not saying it’s simple, but the big message of that is that it takes willpower Politics. We know that the situation is serious, we know that it has major impacts. […] When I hear the minister say: we can’t do more, it’s as if he was giving up. What we need is mobilization, will and hope,” he laments.
The Legault government, for its part, does not change its mind: there is no question of changing Quebec’s target, which is to reduce GHG emissions by -37.5% by 2030 compared to 1990. The CAQ challenges the other parties [QS : -55 % ; PLQ : -45 % ; PQ : -50 %] to explain how they intend to achieve their targets.
They have not yet unveiled their entire plan and will wait until the general elections approach, but are launching some possible solutions. The PQ wants Quebec to give up the third link, increase its targets and constraints to electrify transport, and launch a vast energy renovation project for buildings. Québec solidaire wants to ban advertising for SUVs and create a public transport offer in the regions and the Liberal Party is putting forward its ECHO project focused on green hydrogen.
But the hardest part will be changing habits. “For people to feel concerned, we have to feel that the state is committed. For the COVID-19 the Prime Minister was giving conferences every day, and we felt that the whole state was engaged. There, we do not feel it, ”says Mr. Gaudreault.
“These habit changes happen slowly. It is not up to the government to say how many times we can eat meat per week. But giving impetus to this kind of behavior, supporting restaurants in their food offer, it is done, ”adds the liberal Isabelle Melançon.
For her part, Émilise Lessard-Therrien points out that the state, by cutting local services in the regions, is forcing citizens to pollute. “In my area, our people are now forced to drive 50 or even 100 kilometers for a blood test or a change of dressings. That’s what happens when you cut local services,” she said.