Québec solidaire misses the target by raising its greenhouse gas reduction objectives in a context where it will even be demanding to reach the current thresholds, affirms the Minister of the Environment, Benoit Charette.
The second opposition party voted this weekend in Congress to raise its green targets. Québec solidaire (QS) is now committed to reducing emissions by at least 55% in 2030 compared to 1990 levels. The solidaire plan initially spoke of a target of 45%.
Over the weekend, several high-ranking officials of François Legault’s government mocked the new commitment adopted by QS activists. On Wednesday, Minister Charette added a layer. “Technically, financially, economically speaking, it is not realistic,” he ruled in a press scrum at the end of a meeting of the Council of Ministers.
“That would mean, essentially, taking the equivalent of all cars off our roads. That would mean reducing emissions from the industrial sector by two thirds, ”he told a handful of journalists.
For the moment, the Quebec government promises that by 2030, it will have reduced greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5% compared to 1990. Already, the “target is extremely ambitious”, underlined Mr. Charette. , specifying that an increase in this threshold was not right now.
In 2018, Quebec had reduced its total emissions by 6% since 1990. As the 2019 report approaches – expected in the coming weeks – Benoit Charette calls on the oppositions to be pragmatic.
“Our 2019 report should confirm that the march is excessively high,” said the minister. We keep our target, but it will already be a colossal challenge to achieve. “