Quebec Has Announced Huge Plans To Combat Climate Change

On Monday, the government made several ambitious commitments to combat climate change in Quebec and transform some sectors.

With $6.7-billion invested over the next five years, the plan lays out the groundwork to develop a "green economy" in the next decade.

Here's what the Quebec government is planning to accomplish its goal to reduce "greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 37.5% by 2030 compared to their level in 1990."

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What is the government investing in?

A majority of this investment — $3.6 billion over five years to be exact — will go towards a "major" electrification project of the transportation sector, homes and buildings. 

Quebec plans to gradually electrify all "light trains, city and school buses, taxis, cars and trucks" with a goal to have 1.5 million electric vehicles on Quebec's roads by 2030 and to ban the sale of new gasoline cars by 2035. 

Significant investments will also go into developing the province's renewable energy sector "including bioenergy, green hydrogen and renewable natural gas."

"Hydroelectricity, combined with wind power and other forms of clean energy, will allow us to significantly reduce our greenhouse gas emissions while creating more wealth," said Premier François Legault.

What are the government's goals?

The government has laid out a concrete set of numerical targets for this plan, including: 

• "Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050." 

• "55% of city buses and 65% of school buses electrified by 2030."

• "100% of governmental cars, SUVs, vans and minivans and 25% of pickup trucks electrified in 2030."

• "15% ethanol in gasoline by 2025 and 10% in biodiesel by 2030."

• "50% reduction of emissions related to heating for buildings by 2030."

• "60% reduction in emissions from government buildings by 2030."

• "50% increase in bioenergy production by 2030."

Will the plan change?

The plan can be adjusted and aims to be flexible to meet its goals. 

In a press release, the Ministry of the Environment said that "the government will take achieved results, changes in climate, scientific knowledge, the economic context, the level of public buy-in and technological innovations into account in each of its updates."

It will also enable the government to respond as needed to the consequences of climate change.

"By stressing prevention and taking future climate into account in all of its decisions," the ministry said, "the government is acting responsibly to minimize costs associated with the impacts of climate change and will dedicate more than 389 million dollars to adaptation to the impacts of climate change over the next five years."

By committing itself to this expansive and ambitious policy plan, the province aims to position itself as a global leader in green energy. 

"Together, we will build a greener, more resilient and more prosperous Quebec," said Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change.