The environment is our legacy to future generations and we have an obligation to leave them a sustainable future. The Green Party of Quebec aims to protect the environment and reduce the consequences of climate change. We seek to reduce greenhouse gas emissions drastically, to achieve this we propose a range of solutions, financial levers to change the lifestyle of Quebec, while investing in the energy transition.
Transportation
The Green Party of Quebec proposes to make public transportation faster, more comfortable, efficient and affordable than private cars. To achieve this, we propose a massive expansion of the network combined with free fares. Free public transit will be an important financial lever to increase ridership. This increase in ridership will allow transit agencies to increase the frequency of service, thereby improving the speed and efficiency of service. This shift to public transit will benefit all Quebecers, who will be able to breathe clean air, waste less time in traffic jams, save on expenses related to the purchase and maintenance of a vehicle, while doing their part in the fight against climate change. This shift in society will be financed primarily by a carbon tax on gasoline and measures to discourage the purchase of gas-guzzling vehicles.
The Green Party of Quebec also proposes to abolish subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles and to invest this money in the expansion of urban, inter-city and rural public transportation and the construction of charging infrastructure, which is already lagging far behind. A Green government would require automakers to sell new electric vehicles by 2030.
Forests
The Green Party of Quebec supports the sustainable exploitation of our forests by well-paid workers with adequate working conditions. We support the nationalization of the forest industry, including the harvesting, transportation and local processing of this resource, which would be managed by a new government corporation: Forêts Québec. Nationalization combined with a decrease in this industry will allow Quebec to better manage its public forests, guarantee quality jobs for fewer workers and process more wood locally.
The Green Party of Quebec has by far the most ambitious plan for CO2 reduction and overall GHGs. This plan aims for net-zero emissions by 2035. This means a major reduction in all sectors combined with concrete measures to capture CO2 including reforestation, methane emissions capture and banning the burial of organic waste.
GHG Emissions Assessment Program
Every industrial project comes with GHG emissions. Currently, the government does not track emissions associated with major projects in Quebec. The information associated with these emissions is critical to any decision on the merits of a project. A Green Party government will institute a climate test for all new major government projects in Quebec.
Recycling
The Green Party of Quebec will nationalize the Quebec recycling industry and implement an eco-tax on certain industrial materials. In addition, a deposit system will be implemented to encourage the population to reduce the amount of waste while financing the recycling industry. A new and more complex sorting system will be created to separate the different recyclable materials and to avoid soiling that makes some materials non-recyclable or more difficult to recycle. We will invest in the recycling industry in both northern and southern Quebec, while improving our capacity to recycle textile waste, which is currently sent to landfill or abroad.
The Green Party of Quebec is proposing the creation of a new police unit dedicated to environmental investigations. This police unit will have environmental experts, specialized detectives and conventional police officers working together on investigations. This new police force will be framed by a new Environmental Police Act that will provide them with the legal leverage to obtain the tools, funding and powers necessary for their work.
Renewable energy and energy transition
A Green Party government in Quebec is committed to spending a minimum of $500 billion in its first term to kick-start a rapid, efficient and equitable energy transition.
Quebec is a major producer of hydroelectricity and currently has a huge capacity to generate electricity. The Green Party of Quebec proposes to drastically increase the energy efficiency of new and existing buildings with targeted programs. These programs, combined with an expansion of wind, geothermal and solar energy, will increase our surplus electricity, which can then be sold to Ontario or the United States. The funds generated will be injected into energy efficiency programs.
Through Resources Quebec, the Quebec government has transferred billions of dollars to non-renewable resource extraction and exploration projects. The Green Party of Quebec believes that these subsidies are not necessary for mining development and are nothing more than generous gifts to private industry with taxpayers’ money. The Green Party of Quebec is committed to abolishing the Ressource Québec fund and transferring these investments to renewable resource industries.
Natural infrastructure is essential to meet the needs of the species inhabiting our Quebec ecosystem. They include primarily wetland and forest networks, providing our biodiversity with the ability to thrive in a healthy environment. The Green Party of Quebec commits a minimum of 1% of Quebec’s infrastructure budgets to natural infrastructure such as woodland protection, wetlands, urban greening measures and natural wildlife bridges. The construction of bridges with greenery or underpasses will prevent the fragmentation of natural habitats.
The Green Party of Quebec supports subsidy and interest-free loan programs to massively expand solar, geothermal and wind energy technologies in the home to reduce our ecological footprint and promote sustainable development.
Protecting endangered species
A green government would lobby the federal government to protect marine species at risk of extinction due to human activity in areas that are supposed to be protected. Furthermore, we join Greenpeace’s initiative to place a moratorium on industrial development projects on the shores of the Saguenay River in an attempt to halt the demographic decline of belugas and reverse the deadly trend. The Green Party of Quebec is committed to protecting all species in the province.