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Quebec Premier Jean Charest
unveiled an ambitious plan to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 20 per
cent from 1990 levels by 2020, setting a target similar to what the
European Union has adopted.
The stringent new goal would place Quebec among North American
leaders with the lowest level of emissions per habitant on the
continent.
Because of the province's reliance on hydro-electricity, Quebec
already has the lowest greenhouse gas emissions in the country at 11
tons per habitant, about half the Canadian average. Charest made
the announcement before the Montreal Council on Foreign relations as he
prepares to attend next month's United Nations conference on climate
change in Copenhagen, Denmark.
Quebec plans to reach its objective by investing in public
transportation while adopting tougher regulations to reduce automobile
emissions, similar to the strict standards set in California. The
province is also relying on the rapid evolution of new technologies in
electric cars. Charest explained that the new target was defined in
co-operation with other members of the Western Climate Initiative. The
plan would require Quebec to significantly reduce its dependency on
fossil fuels.
Environmental groups applauded the initiative and said they would
fully co-operate with the government in helping to achieve the goal,
insisting that Quebec could go even further.
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