Fighting climate change
New Haven, April 18, 2008 – Quebec Premier Jean Charest today announced that his province has formally become a member of the Western Climate Initiative (WCI). Speaking at Yale University, which invited the Premier and several American state governors to describe their climate change initiatives, Mr. Charest emphasized the importance of joining this group of federated states working together for a North American carbon market.
“Quebec is very involved in this area,” said Premier Charest. “We were the first government in North America to implement a pollution charge on hydrocarbons. Our formal participation in the Western Climate Initiative confirms our leadership and our often-expressed desire to see the firm establishment of a carbon market in Montreal. Quebec is demonstrating that the provinces and states can take concrete action to address climate change.”
Previously an observer in the Western Climate Initiative, Quebec can now play an active part in the decisions as guidelines for a future system of trading greenhouse gas emission rights are developed. In this new context, the Montreal Climate Exchange, announced in July 2006 by the Montreal Exchange, may benefit from this new market, with access to a larger pool of transactions than the Canadian market alone.
“Quebec has often demonstrated leadership in addressing climate change,” reiterated Premier Charest. “To meet our goal of a 6% reduction in the 1990 level of greenhouse gas emissions by 2012, we adopted a climate change plan considered one of the best in North America. We are the first Canadian province to work on adopting regulations that match the California standards for greenhouse gas emissions from automobiles. Quebec is also a member of the Climate Registry, working with other provinces and states that share our resolve to immediately begin reducing greenhouse gas emissions and create a greener economy.”– 30 –
