Liberty 22 - Environment

SUMMARY

The CPQ recognizes the effects of human activity on the global climate, but proposes to set targets for the reduction of greenhouse gases that are realistic and thus achievable. We would introduce realistic GHG reduction targets to inspire real action.

The recent upheavals in international fossil fuel markets provide an additional opportunity to increase Quebec's prosperity, while at the same time helping Europe to diversify its energy supply.

It is perfectly possible to continue growing our economy while maintaining respect for the environment. particularly through innovation, sustainable development. and the protection of natural habitats. Economic growth should not be seen to be in opposition with protection of the environment. Such a dogma is neither realistic, nor logical.

Anyone who undertakes to develop resources in Quebec must be able to do so within a stable and predictable legislative framework.

To facilitate the acceptance of natural resource development in a given locality, region or territory of Quebec, we believe that a portion of the royalties should be allocated to the communities within it.

DID YOU KNOW?

  • The vast majority of scientists acknowledge the effects of human activity on the global climate.
  • Quebec continually misses its targets for reducing greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by setting unreasonable goals in the absence of any concrete actions with the potential to achieve.
  • Many experts, including environmentalists, are beginning to point out the unrealistic nature of these targets which undermine their own credibility, as well as public support for the measures, by calling for overly drastic reductions in GHGs.
  • These same experts recommend a more realistic, rational, and innovation­ based approach.
  • People are projected to continue consuming oil and gas for decades to come and the war in Ukraine has highlighted the importance of energy autonomy for individual nations.
  • The war in Ukraine has also underscored the critical importance of supporting European countries in the diversification of their energy
  • Norway has proven that it is possible to develop fossil fuel resources at the same time as investing in GHG reduction through, for example, the electrification of transportation and increasing energy
  • Enormous gas resources are accessible in the St. Lawrence Lowlands, representing one of the only major discoveries on the planet left
  • The environmental impact of mining in Quebec has improved significantly over the past century and we now have some of the world's most stringent environmental regulations.

CONSERVATIVE VALUES

  • All Quebecers must be able to live in a healthy This includes air, water, and soil.
  • The preservation of our homes, our local roots, our common heritage, the land, the landscapes, and the beauty of the world for future generations must be the among the inspirations for a green conservatism.
  • Human beings remain at the centre of our concerns. People do not just consume resources, but also create them through work, invention, and production. This is what gives us confidence in the future. Human ingenuity places us in a unique position in nature. Our capacity for innovation, together with the values of responsibility, have helped us build societies in which we are living better and better.
  • Some of the most important contributions to the planet in recent history have come from the knowledge and institutions that our Western societies have developed in order to solve the numerous problems they have
  • It is perfectly possible to continue growing our economy while maintaining respect for the environment. particularly through innovation, sustainable development. and the protection of natural habitats. Economic growth should not be seen to be in opposition to protection of the environment. Such a dogma is neither realistic, nor logical.
  • The most important legacy of a society is not its reserve of non-renewable resources; our natural wealth will be worthless if it simply remains in the ground. These resources, which we can continue to use for generations to come, can indeed be used responsibly by, for example, reinvesting them in GHG reduction and the electrification of transportation.
  • From the CPQ's perspective on the environmental health of the planet. our society now has more researchers and innovators-and better networked with each other-than ever before in The exciting pace of scientific discovery is accelerating and will generate further advancements and practical opportunities through the rest of the century. These will vastly increase our ability to respond to the environmental challenges we face. Adaptation to changes will always be possible, and even more so tomorrow than today. We are therefore focusing on realistic, logical, and gradual measures for reduction and adaptation as changes in our environment are actually observed, and this includes any beneficial changes.
  • All people of good will can also have a real impact by practising local grassroots environmentalism. Individual responsibility can be exercised by reducing waste, travelling outside peak hours, recycling and reusing, and whenever possible walking or cycling instead of driving to help reduce micro­ particle emissions, smog and waste that directly affect our surroundings. These are all concrete gestures that canadd up to a real contribution.
  • All Quebecers stand to benefit from a realistic approach to today's environmental challenges. Fear of an uncertain cataclysm cannot justify calling into question our entire way of life and civilization itself. It makes more sense to grow our economy as much as possible now so that we may better cope with the consequences of any climate changes, rather than damaging our economy and compromising our ability to adapt in the future.
  • Anyone who undertakes to develop resources in Quebec must be able to do so within a stable and predictable legislative framework.
  • To facilitate the acceptance of natural resource development in any part of Quebec, it is appropriate that a portion of the royalties should be allocated to the communities affected by development projects.

MAKING THE MOST OF OUR NATURAL RESOURCES

  • The extraction and processing of natural resources have contributed significantly to the wealth of every region of Quebec. Strengthening Quebec's energy autonomy, particularly in the context of the war in Ukraine, will enable it to procure fossil fuels that are less polluting and more affordable than those produced in other less environmentally responsible parts of the world.
  • There are clear economic and social costs to delaying material progress and development of our natural resources. Many of the countries that are prospering the most are investing in the protection of their environment. most notably Norway.
  • A CPQ government will reverse the misguided and counterproductive decisions of the current government which has reneged on its promises to harness our natural resources.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO: 

  • Promoting diligent environmental assessments based on existing best practices in Quebec and
  • Fostering a balanced approach to weighing the potential risks and benefits of a given action.
  • Encouraging the exploration and development of natural resources, such as natural gas in the Utica Shale, provided that the following three principles are respected:
  • Agreement among local communities, including indigenous
  • Minimization of air and water pollution, both on the surface and underground.
  • Planning for site restoration.

RELAUNCHING THE QUEBEC LNG PROJECT

  • Opponents of the LNG-Quebec project chose to limit their analysis of its ecological impacts only to the impacts at the local level. By failing to consider the large, offsetting positive impacts on the reduction of GHGs at the global level. their tunnel vision enabled a decision highly detrimental to Quebec's economic development. The war in Ukraine has reminded us of the importance of supporting European countries looking to reduce their dependence on coal. In addition, the LNG project is essential to diversifying the Saguenay economy and would create thousands of jobs.
  • The CPQ believes that the benefits are clear, not only for the local communities, but also for Quebec, Canada, and Europe, which would all benefit from a new source of fuel that burns cleaner and emits less GHG than the energy sources currently used by these countries. Furthermore, by initiating natural gas production in Quebec, the venture would benefit from a reliable and nearby source for their natural gas liquefaction project.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

Supporting the re-launch of the Quebec LNG project in collaboration with all stakeholders and with a guarantee that the environmental protections already established in the original project are maintained.

ENCOURAGING ENVIRONMENTAL ENTREPRENEURSHIP

The best technologies for preserving the environment will arise from research and innovation in a competitive market.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO: 

  • Encouraging environmental
  • Facilitating, guiding, and encouraging private companies in the responsible development of natural resources and of innovative projects in environmental technologies and GHG reduction.
  • Investing in developmental infrastructure for the implementation of major mining or energy projects.
  • Making the environment one of the driving forces, among others, of our economic development. with better control of industrial and agricultural wastes and with carbon capture, a promising technology that allows for environmentally friendly exploitation of resources.
  • Gradually phasing out subsidies for electric vehicles, for which commercial viability is now
  • Gradually phasing out subsidies for biofuels, an energy source that has not demonstrated environmental benefits.
  • Desisting from the promotion of inefficient. and even harmful. public investment policies, one example of which was the subsidy to Mcinnis Cement through which the Quebec government contributed to the creation of the province's largest GHG emitter.

SETTING REALISTIC REDUCTION TARGETS

In view of the unrealistic GHG reduction targets that have been continually missed historically, it is important that we develop a new, more grounded and logical approach consisting of concrete, constructive and innovative measures.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO: 

  • Re-evaluating the government's approach to GHG reduction
  • Putting in place a concrete, innovative and constructive action plan based on a realistic approach.

DEMANDING THE ABOLITION OF THE FEDERAL CARBON TAX 

  • The federal and provincial governments have been implementing carbon exchanges in Quebec, and setting the price of carbon by fiat. since 2013. Unfortunately, the carbon tax revenues that have been generated have too often been used to fund unnecessary projects and to solve problems with insufficient evidence for their dynamics. Quebec must govern its own Carbon Exchange and have priority over the federal price for carbon.
  • When the amount of greenhouse gas (GHG) emitted by Quebec is seen from a global perspective, it is clear that meeting the province's targets would have practically no effect at all on the climate. Canadian GHG emissions represented 1.6% of global emissions in 2013 (the most recent year for which data is available).
  • Since Quebec emits only about 11% of Canada's GHGs, it can be estimated that the province is responsible for about 0.18% (18 hundredths of 1%) of total global emissions. This tiny proportion is probably overestimated, since Canada's share of the world total has been declining in recent years, as has Quebec's share of Canada's emissions.
  • Between 2005 and 2013 alone, China's emissions increased by 559 million tonnes of CO2 equivalent each year. In comparison, Quebec's total reduction target for the period from 1990 to 2020 is just 17.3. In other words, China cancels out Quebec's entire 30-year reduction target in just 11.5 days!
  • Within Canada, Quebec is a model province. It boasts the lowest per capita emissions in the country; on average each Quebecer produces half as much GHG as the average Canadian. Quebec also came second among all the provinces for achieving the largest reductions in its per capita emissions between 1990 and 2016. 

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

  • Demanding the abolition of the federal carbon tax while establishing a Carbon Exchange in Quebec.
  • Putting the proceeds of the current taxes into a Generations Fund. If rising temperatures justify climate mitigation measures, these funds will be available for future generations.
  • Thoroughly review the mIssIon of the Green Fund and require transparent accounting to eliminate ineffective projects.

ESTABLISHING FAIRER MINING ROYALTIES

Every mining operation has direct impacts on the community in which its production takes place. Royalties can be a good source of income and serve as a reserve for the post-mining period.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO: 

  • Revising the royalty system to allow the communities concerned to receive their share of these revenues and to develop the local economy.
  • Paying a portion of mining royalties to the Generations Fund or to structural and environmental projects, notably the electrification of transport.

REINFORCING HYDRO-QUEBEC'S MISSION

  • Hydro-Quebec is a source of pride for Quebecers and produces some of the cleanest energy available. However, Hydro-Quebec could improve its productivity and bring it up to the level of other similar companies in North America in order to maximize its benefits to all Quebecers. The electricity markets of the United States and Ontario present significant opportunities to sell our surplus energy.
  • Hydro-Quebec subsidizes wind turbines to the tune of $1 billion a year for intermittent. inefficient energy produced by equipment that is highly polluting to manufacture and recycle.

THE CPQ IS COMMITTED TO:

  • Encouraging an upgrade of Hydro-Quebec's productivity based on international standards.
  • Stopping the use of this state-owned company for the distribution of subsidies.
  • Phasing out the subsidy of preferential rates for wind-generated
  • Providing targeted incentives to save energy and reward responsible consumers.