Press release

Minister Benoit Charette announces an unprecedented process to develop the forthcoming Electrification and Climate Change Plan

Québec, June 18, 2019. – The Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change, Benoit Charette, has responded to last month’s call for action by the Premier of Québec, François Legault, by announcing the creation of five task forces consisting of experts, young people, and civil society representatives. This unique process, culminating in a public consultation and an extensive regional tour, will inform the development of the Electrification and Climate Change Plan (ECCP) slated to be unveiled in early 2020. The plan is in consonance with the Premier’s clearly expressed desire to maintain Québec’s climate leadership role in North America and meet Québec’s international commitment to reduce its GHG emissions by 37.5% below 1990 levels by 2030. The government intends to achieve this primarily by stimulating the electrification of the economy, energy efficiency, and entrepreneurship, as well as by rolling out strong measures for sustainable mobility, land use planning, and adaptation to climate change.

A broad and unprecedented development process

The task forces will be made up of over 60 experts and civil society representatives, with whom government representatives will collaborate. The groups will have until November to release their recommendations and identify what they consider high priority actions for achieving the goals set by the Premier. They will also be asked to comment on the various measures proposed by the government and assess their applicability.

The Minister has established the following task forces:

Task Force on Electrification, coordinated by Philippe Dunsky, President, Dunsky Energy Consulting;
Task Force on Land Use Planning and Adaptation to Climate Change, coordinated by Jeanne Robin, Senior Director, Vivre en ville, and Alain Bourque, Executive Director, Ouranos;
Task Force on Bioenergy, coordinated by the co-chairs of SWITCH, the Alliance for a Green Economy in Québec: Karel Mayrand, Director General for Québec at the David Suzuki Foundation, and Catherine Bérubé, Vice President, Sustainability, Investor Relations and Public Affairs at Cycle Capital Management;
Task Force on Financing, coordinated by Claude Dorion, Executive Director, MCE Conseils;
Youth Task Force, coordinated by Catherine Gauthier, Executive Director, ENvironnement JEUnesse.

Leïla Copti, President, COPTICOM, will oversee coordination among the groups.

A prominent role for young people

The government is also demonstrating innovation by creating a task force composed entirely of young Quebecers from all walks of life. The group’s mandate will be to identify practices, technologies, models, and new or emerging focus areas to implement under the ECCP.

A process culminating in a public consultation and regional tour

The plan’s development process will conclude in late August with a public consultation via the submission of briefs providing everyone the opportunity to share their vision and comments on the ECCP’s drafting. The Minister also announced that an extensive regional tour will take place in early fall to identify electrification champions and priority GHG emission reduction projects in each region. Details regarding the public consultation and regional tour will be announced at a later date.

Quotes:

“We are a pragmatic and effective government. With the help of the public, scientific experts, and representatives from the business, labour, and community sectors, in addition to a large contingent of Québec’s young people, we’re going to develop a plan that will create wealth while reducing our greenhouse gas emissions. The enthusiasm of the people we’ve brought together for the task forces is simply extraordinary! They are all anxious to participate and get down to work. We will be aided as never before in achieving our climate and economic objectives so that we can continue to be a leader in the fight against climate change in North America. We’ll ultimately have a strong, credible plan that has the support of the population and civil society.”

Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment and the Fight against Climate Change

“Now more than ever, young people the world over, and particularly in Québec, are rallying around the issue of climate change. Giving them the role they deserve in developing measures that will influence the environment in which they’ll be living is a way to recognize that.”

Samuel Poulin, Parliamentary Assistant to the Premier (youth) and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Tourism

Quick facts:

Key phases of the process:

May 2019 – Speech by the Premier on the government’s vision for the electrification of the Québec economy
June 2019 – Launch of the process for developing the Electrification and Climate Change Plan (ECCP) with the establishment of five task forces composed of scientific experts and civil society representatives
Late August – Public consultation
Early Fall 2019 – Launch of the regional tour
Late Fall 2019 – End of work by task forces
Early 2020 – Unveiling of the ECCP

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SOURCE :

Louis-Julien Dufresne
Office of the Minister
of the Environment and the Fight
against Climate Change
Tel.: 418 521-3911

INFORMATION :

Media Relations
Ministère de l’Environnement
et de la Lutte contre les changements climatiques
Tel.: 418 521-3991