Greenhouse gas emissions: Quebec still believes to achieve its target in 2020

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QMI agency

Friday, 23 march, 2018 16:59

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Friday, 23 march, 2018 16:59

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QUEBEC – The government Couillard has “good hope” to achieve its target of reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2020, set at 20% compared to the 1990 level.

Taking into account the inventory in quebec in 2015, Quebec is said to have already declined 9 percent of the global emissions in greenhouse gases, which means that it is “almost halfway” to its goal.

The quebec minister of the Environment, Isabelle Melançon, said in press release that priority will be given to the transport sector, responsible for about 42 % of the GHG emissions.

Quebec also invest more than two-thirds of the revenues of the carbon market, to put forward its strategy for electric transport and proceed with the launch of its new sustainable mobility policy.

“This mid-life confirms the relevance of our actions, but also the need to intensify our efforts so that our achievements are not only the height of the challenges posed by climate change, but at the height of our capabilities and our ambitions,” said the minister Melançon.

A balance sheet as “disastrous”, says the opposition

The Parti québécois (PQ) has termed “disastrous” the mid-term review of the government Couillard, in particular because “the billions invested have had an overall impact not significant on the reduction of GHG emissions”.

“It’s like the REM [Network express métropolitain]: billions of dollars, but little impact on the decongestion and reduction of GHG emissions”, explained the spokesperson in the environment to the PQ Sylvain Gaudreault.

It asks the minister Melançon to launch a second phase of the action plan on climate change, without which he fears that the goals may not be achieved.