Press release
The Quebec Action Plan on Climate Change 2006-2012:
Both a duty and an opportunity for sustainable development
Montreal, June 15, 2006 The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal applauds the Quebec government's new Action Plan on Climate Change presented today by Premier Jean Charest and Claude Béchard, minister of Sustainable Development, Environment and Parks. The Board of Trade is pleased to see the government's resolution in dealing with the challenges of reducing greenhouse gas emissions, both in Quebec and the Greater Montreal region.
We feel that the decision to make it a priority to fight climate change, particularly with respect to transportation, makes sense, given that greenhouse gas emissions in this sector account for 40% of all of the emissions in Quebec, stated Isabelle Hudon, president and CEO of the Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal. This initiative will have an even greater impact on the environment, air quality, and quality of life of Montrealers, because no other area of Quebec has such a high concentration of vehicles.
The Board of Trade believes that the government's commitment, particularly to improving public transit services, is the right approach to reducing the impact that transporting people and merchandise has on the urban environment, as ultimately the public transit utilization rate will increase and the use of private vehicles decrease. To truly achieve this goal, emphasis must be placed on passenger comfort, service frequency and speed, network reliability, and the rapid upgrading of facilities, particularly metro infrastructures, which will soon become obsolete and inefficient.
Focusing on the transport sector to reduce air pollution emissions is a promising way to improve the quality of our environment, continued Ms. Hudon. The Board of Trade also feels that the implementation of specific energy conservation measures for industries, institutions and businesses constitutes an initiative that not only promotes the advancement of sustainable buildings, but also provides a unique opportunity to showcase the energy efficiency know-how and expertise that exists in companies throughout the Greater Montreal region and the province in general.
We feel that it is the duty of Quebec, and in particular Metropolitan Montreal, to lead by example in the fight against climate change, concluded Ms. Hudon. After all, it was here in 1987 that the Montreal Protocol was signed, which dealt with substances that deplete the ozone layer. Moreover, Quebec is already recognized across the country for the progress it has made in reducing greenhouse gas emissions.
The Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal has some 7,000 members. Its mission is to represent the interests of the business community of Greater Montreal and to provide individuals, merchants and businesses of all sizes with a variety of specialized services to help them achieve their full potential in terms of innovation, productivity and competitiveness. The Board of Trade is the largest private organization in Quebec dedicated to economic development.
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For information:
Sylvie Paquette
Coordinator, Media Relations
Board of Trade of Metropolitan Montreal
Tel.: (514) 871-4000, ext. 4015
sylvie.paquette@ccmm.qc.ca