Quebec City, 01 September, 2020 - Thirty civil society, community and environmental group have launched a "We Deserve Better" campaign in advance of the Quebec's government's planned public consultations on the liquified natural gas (LNG) project proposed by company GNL Quebec. The groups' campaign draws attention to the risks posed by the project, the liquifaction plant component of which Quebec's environmental assessment body (the Bureau d'audiences publiques sur l'environnement or BAPE) has planned for consultation on for September 21st.
Given that neither Quebec City nor Ottawa have closed the door to financing this mega-project, the "We Deserve Better" campaign will give the populations of Quebec and Canada an accurate picture of the project's components and risks. The GNL/Gazoduq project aims to export liquefied gas from western Canada to world markets via Quebec. Financed by American interests, the project includes the construction of a 780-km pipeline from Abitibi to the Saguenay Fjord (called Gazoduq) and a plant (called Énergie Saguenay) where the gas would be liquefied before being exported by LNG carrying tankers through beluga whale habitat.
"With this campaign, Quebecers and Canadians will understand why we deserve more — more than a scar across the width of two provinces that will have major impacts on First Nations territories, more than a threat to the already fragile beluga whale population, more than an industry that would dump almost 50 million additional tons of GHG into the air every year. They will also understand why our local economies deserve better than to depend on an industry of the past," explains the coalition.
At the same time, the groups are reminding the public that there is no social license for fossil energy projects given that 82% of Quebecers recognize the urgency of acting to fight climate change and protect the environment, with more than 4 out of 5 Quebecers wanting a green recovery. Across Canada, six in ten (61%) Canadians think that in the economic recovery from COVID-19, it is important that government actions prioritize climate change. Moreover, over 66,500 thousand people have signed a petition against the LNG/Gazoduq project.
A very risky bet for governments
In recent weeks, bad news has been piling up for GNL Québec, which has had to lay off several employees. These difficulties are the result of the project being reconsidered by investors since the famous investment firm Berkshire-Hathaway withdrew from the project.
According to the groups of the “We Deserve Better” campaign, “the private sector is beginning to understand that there is no future for this project while there is less and less social acceptability for this type of development that ignores the climate crisis. Governments in both Quebec City and Ottawa must take note of this: not a penny of public money should be invested in the project. All levels of government should invest only in projects that will make our regions more resilient. We deserve better than another Trans Mountain."
The campaign will be rolled out in the coming weeks on the social media pages of the various participating civil society groups and environmental organizations. Activities on the ground are also planned, including a festive protest organized by the Coalition Fjord that will take place in the Saguenay region on September 12th, two days prior to the BAPE hearings.
The groups are calling on people across Canada to continue signing the GNL/GAZODUQ NON MERCI petition.
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For more information, please contact :
Adrien Guibert-Barthez, Co-Spokesperson, Coalition Fjord
(418) 376-3371
Rodrigue Turgeon, Co-Spokesperson, Gazoduq, parlons-en!
(819) 444-9226
Anthony Côté Leduc, Media Relations, Équiterre
acoteleduc@equiterre.org; 514 605-2000
To lear more about the GNL/Gazoduq project»»
The "We Deserve Better" campaign (in French, On mérite mieux) has been developed and is steered by : Coalition Fjord, Gazoduq, parlons-en!, Coalition anti-pipeline Rouyn-Noranda, Mouvement citoyen littOralement inacceptable - MCLI, Mouvement écocitoyen UNEplanète, la Coalition étudiante pour un virage environnemental et social - CEVES, le Pacte pour la transition, Eau-Secours, Équiterre, Fondation David Suzuki, Greenpeace Canada, Nature Québec, Société pour la nature et les parcs Québec - SNAP Québec, World Wild Fund (WWF-Canada).
Signatories
Coalition Fjord
Équiterre
Coalition étudiante pour un virage environnemental et social - CEVES
Mouvement citoyen littOralement inacceptable - MCLI
Mouvement d’éducation populaire et d’action communautaire du Québec - MÉPACQ
Société pour la nature et les parcs (SNAP Québec)
La Planète s’invite au Parlement
Projet de la réalité climatique Canada
Fondation David Suzuki
Mouvement écocitoyen UNEplanète
Eau Secours
Attac-Québec
Gazoduq, parlons-en
Coalition anti-pipeline de Rouyn-Noranda
Fonds mondial pour la nature (WWF-Canada)
L’Assomption en transition
Montmagny en transition
Association québécoise de lutte contre la pollution atmosphérique - AQLPA
Regroupement vigilance hydrocarbure Québec (RVHQ)
GMob (GroupMobilisation)
Greenpeace Canada
Action Climat Outaouais (ACO)
Mobilisation environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville
GRAME (Groupe de recommandations et d’actions pour un meilleur environnement)
Nature Québec
Solidarité Environnement Sutton
Mères au front
Coalition solidarité santé
Réseau québécois des groupes écologistes-RQGE
Le Pacte pour la transition
