Press Release

IMPLEMENTATION OF KYOTO PROTOCOL: QUÉBEC SEEKS BILATERAL AGREEMENT WITH FEDERAL GOVERNMENT

Montréal, October 18, 2002 –  In Montréal today, accompanied by citizens and representatives of business, industry, environmental groups and unions, the Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Greater Montréal, the Environment and Water, André Boisclair, called for a bilateral agreement with the federal government regarding implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in Canada and funding of certain greenhouse gas emission reduction measures.

A coalition of partners--industrial, environmental, municipal and union interests and private citizens--also endorsed the Declaration from Québec respecting the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in Canada.

The Declaration’s signatories indicated that they intend to do their fair share in contributing to a strategy for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. They also pointed out that the implementation of such a strategy must respect the areas of constitutional jurisdiction and responsibilities specific to Québec.

They further deem the development and implementation of a domestic emissions permit trading system to be a key element in the Canadian greenhouse gas reduction strategy. Such a system should target the most cost-effective greenhouse gas reductions possible.

Based on their analysis of the intentions expressed by the federal government, the Québec government and its partners refuse to support the current emissions permit allocation proposal. Unfair, it ignores Québec’s past reduction efforts and unduly favours those segments of the Canadian energy sector that are most responsible for GHG emissions to the detriment of the manufacturing sector.

With regard to this same emissions permit trading system, Minister Boisclair stated: "The emissions permit allocation formula for the energy sector should focus on energy sources with the lowest carbon emission levels and seek to decarbonize the economy."

The partners are also asking that the allocation formula take reductions made since 1990 and those scheduled for 2008 into account, and that the manufacturing sector be treated fairly and separately from the energy sector in emissions permit allocation in order to balance out the efforts required of all major sectors of economic activity.

"Québec is fully prepared to do its share, its fair share, to help achieve Canada’s reduction objectives. We are therefore asking the federal government to conclude a bilateral agreement with Québec that respects our specificity and interests", concluded Minister Boisclair.

The Declaration from Québec respecting the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol in Canada and the list of signatories can be consulted on the Internet.

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