On November 16 Premier François Legault and Benoit Charrette, the Minister for the Environment and to Redress Climate Change, unveiled the government’s Plan for a Green Economy 2030.
The government has thus established a roadmap for the next ten years, which should lead to the achievement of its reduction target for greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions: a 37.5% reduction by 2030 compared to 1990 levels. It also announced another major objective, namely a carbon-neutral Quebec by 2050. Carbon neutrality is defined in the Plan as ensuring that our actions and behaviours do not contribute to global warming.
In support of those objectives, the Plan focuses mainly on four main actions:
- Electrification: making electrification a priority so as to reduce greenhouse gas emissions
- Innovation: building the economy of tomorrow
- Transformation: adapting and strengthening resilience; prevention rather than resignation
- Collaboration: working together to achieve a successful climate transition.
While the main thrust of the Plan is to electrify the Quebec economy (transportation, buildings, businesses), other measures aim for sustainable mobility, energy conversion and efficiency, land use planning, development of clean technologies and bio-energy, waste management, biodiversity and protection of natural environments, agriculture and infrastructure adaptation.
Two objectives in particular affect building managers. The first objective is, over the next ten years, to reduce by 50% GHGs associated with heating buildings. The government plans on reaching that objective by optimizing the use of electricity and natural gas, increasing the use of renewable natural gas and other renewable energies, and eliminating fuel oil in favour of electricity. Reaching that objective will be supported by funding from the EcoPerformance Bâtiments program, which as a budget of $100 M at its disposal over the next five years.
The second objective affecting building managers concerns the use and recovery of halocarbons. Starting in 2021, halocarbon regulations will aim for the gradual phase-out of hydro-fluorocarbons with high global warming potential in new refrigeration equipment (industrial, commercial and institutional), in sectors where other options already exist and where they can be quickly implemented. The government also aims to recover 100% of refrigerant gases from air conditioners and refrigerators by 2030. The ÉcoPerformance – Halocarbures program will provide financial support of some $38 M over the next five years.
For more information: Le plan pour une économie verte | MELCC (gouv.qc.ca)
