MONTREAL, March 28, 2023 - There are several caveats to the federal government's new budget, according to Équiterre. Though it presents interesting measures towards a greener economy and the energy transition, it relies heavily on technologies, some of which are false solutions to the climate crisis.
"This budget is aligned with the government's environmental vision, which relies heavily on some clean - and some not-so-clean - technologies to achieve its environmental objectives. Some of the measures announced, such as decarbonizing the electricity grid, are promising, but others, such as the significant funding for carbon capture and storage, are perplexing."
-Marc-André Viau, Équiterre’s Director of Government Relations
The good:
Équiterre is pleased to see the decarbonization of the country's power grids and supports the federal assistance. We are also open to a compensation mechanism for Quebec's electricity system. Tax credits were a key demand made by the Green Budget Coalition, of which Équiterre is a member.
The government is working to establish a right to repair and plans to put in place a framework for appliances and electronics in 2024. This is great news and Équiterre will follow the dossier closely.
We are pleased to see that the government is funding its goal to reduce GHGs from nitrogen fertilizers.
The not so good:
Once again, carbon capture and storage (CCUS), an unproven technology that is heavily promoted by the fossil fuel industry in order to maintain production, has been given a disproportionate place in this budget.
The government is providing significant funding for hydrogen, including hydrogen produced from fossil fuels. Public support for this form of energy, with its limited and niche potential, risks opening the door to greenwashing.
We are deeply concerned about planned investments in future Arctic offshore oil and gas development.
We deplore the lack of new measures to develop public transit and active mobility.
A grocery store rebate will help families make ends meet in the short term but will not help deploy more long-term solutions to feed people in a healthy and sustainable way, as would a universal school food program
Équiterre's offices are located on Indigenous lands that have not been ceded by treaty, which we now call Montreal and Quebec City. We recognize that Indigenous peoples have protected their territories since immemorial times and have used their traditional knowledge to guard the lands and waters. We are grateful to live on these lands and are committed to continuing our efforts to protect them. Read more »
