Climate change goal not living up to billing says recent report

Despite a 1.5 billion dollar plan, and a positive review by Jean Charest last month, a new government report shows that Québec has barely put a dent in its climate change goal. 

According to the Gazette, back in 2006, the province projected it would eliminate 14.5 megatonnes of green-house gas emissions by the end of 2012. By March, it has cut less than two megatonnes. 

Quebec said it would have programs related to energy efficiency, public transit, methane capture from landfills, speed-limiting devices for trucks and municipal evaluations for emissions.

Parts of the plan related to transportation of merchandise only reached 8 per cent of its projected cut.

Another program to reduce emissions from municipalities, agriculture and forestry did even worse, reaching less than one per cent.

Other programs only began in 2009, and their results have yet to be seen.

However, according to the Association Quebecoise de Lutte contre la Pollution Atmospherique, the results so far will make it difficult for the province to reach its 2020 emission targets.

Yet the Parti Quebecois government has promised to raise the reduction target to 25 per cent below 1990 emissions by 2020.

AQLPA president, Andre Belisle says the government will have to work twice as hard to achieve such a goal.

Flickr Photo by: Spacemanbobby

STORY WRITTEN BY: CATLIN SPENCER