On November 16, the government of Quebec released its 2030 Plan for a Green Economy (in French), with an official English-language Summary. The plan is costed at $6.7 billion over the next five years, with targets to reduce GHG emissions by 37.5% below 1990 levels by 2030, and to achieve carbon neutrality by 2050. The bulk of funding and attention focuses on electrification of transportation. Already a leader in electric vehicle incentives, Quebec will have the most ambitious goal for electric vehicles in Canada – by 2030, 1.5 million electric vehicles on the road, along with 55% of city buses and 65% of school buses, 100% of governmental cars, SUVs, vans and minivans, and 25% of pickup trucks. Sales of new gasoline-powered vehicles will not be permitted as of 2035.
Although emissions from transportation account for 40% of the province’s total emissions, two articles posted by CBC note that the measures announced will be insufficient to meet the GHG emissions reduction targets: “Quebec’s push to go electric won’t get province to emission reduction targets, experts say”, and “How Quebec’s climate change plan protects suburbanites from tough choices” .
The new 2030 Plan for a Green Economy is part of a suite of complementary policy statements, including Joining Forces for a Sustainable Energy Future: 2018 – 2023 energy transition, innovation and efficiency master plan ; Strategy for developing the Battery Sector (French only); and Development of critical and strategic minerals in Quebec. The complete 2030 Plan for a Green Economy is available in French only .