Press Release

Montréal, December 29, 2009. – Minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks Line Beauchamp today announced that the Regulation in respect of motor vehicle greenhouse gas emissions, whose standards are equivalent to those in force in California, comes into effect in mid-January. Québec thus becomes the first Canadian province to apply North America’s strictest standards.

This Government of Québec measure is part of a North American movement that has seen some fifteen American states, including a majority of Québec’s northeast neighbours, follow California’s lead. The U.S. federal government has also announced its intention to adopt California-equivalent standards in 2012.

When it first published its draft regulation, the Government of Québec stressed the importance of implementing standards in line with those of these leading edge states. “We were committed to apply our regulation as soon as the United States Environmental Protection Agency authorized California to adopt and implement greenhouse gas emission standards that exceeded federal motor vehicle requirements. Now that this has happened, we will immediately move forward,” declared Minister Beauchamp.

In 2006, the transportation sector was the highest producer of Québec’s GHG emissions, accounting for a full 40% of the total. Light vehicles were responsible for nearly half of these emissions. In the view of Minister Beauchamp, achieving the objectives of the government’s plan to fight climate change inexorably includes sustained action in the road transportation sector, where emissions have constantly on the rise. The coming into effect of this regulation thus constitutes an important step towards realizing the goals of the 2006-2012 Climate Change Action Plan, and is a determinant factor in reaching Québec’s 2020 GHG emission reduction target as well.

In addition to improving automobile energy efficiency, the regulation will also foster a more rational utilisation of non-renewable petroleum resources and decrease Québec’s dependence on fossil fuels, to the benefit of consumers.

The regulation will apply to all 2010-2016 model-year cars and light trucks sold, leased or marketed in Québec. Automobile manufacturers will be required to ensure that for each of these model years, their average fleet GHG emissions do not exceed regulatory levels. “Moreover, these standards will encourage large scale use of more efficient technology in the transportation sector, such as electric or hybrid vehicles,” the Minister concluded.

The regulation is available on the website of the Ministère du Développement durable, de l'Environnement et des Parcs.

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Media Relations
Ministère du Développement durable,
de l'Environnement et des Parcs
Tel.: (418) 521-3991