On Sept. 27, thousands of students and other concerned citizens will participate in the Fridays for Future climate protests in Montreal and beyond, marking the sixth year of this global movement.
Started by Swedish environmental activist Greta Thunberg, the initiative sparked a worldwide conversation on climate change and galvanized political action. Yet, as we prepare to march once again, one thing has become clear: Quebec, once a leader in the fight against climate change, is falling behind.
Back in 2018, when Thunberg first made headlines with her sit-ins outside Sweden’s parliament that sparked the Fridays for Future movement, Quebec’s system of capping emissions and pricing pollution was seen as a model for others. Our province was ahead of the curve, showing that climate action could be effective and economically viable.
Fast forward to today, and the rest of Canada has not only caught up — they’ve surpassed us.
Today, Canada is on track to reduce emissions by 34 to 36 per cent by the end of this decade. Meanwhile, our calculations show Quebec is on track to reduce emissions by 26 per cent by the end of the decade.
Our cap-and-trade system, once a point of pride, now gives polluters a discount, pricing carbon at just $36 per tonne, while the federal rate is $65 per tonne.
Worse still, research from HEC Montréal reveals a massive oversupply of carbon allowances, rendering the “cap” in our system effectively useless. This glut allows polluters to buy their way out of meaningful emissions reductions at a discount.
The government of Quebec has been holding consultations on reforms to the cap-and-trade system, and is expected to introduce reforms this fall. A group I volunteer with, Citizens Climate Lobby, submitted recommendations urging more stringency, but sadly most of the submissions came from lobby groups representing large polluters.
The students who started Fridays for Future demonstrated that when ordinary people speak out, change happens. Their activism helped build the political momentum for Canada’s federal climate policies, and these policies are making real progress.
Quebec needs to catch up, and fast. If the youth movement can teach us anything, it’s that demanding action works.
Quebecers must demand that our government address the surplus of pollution allowances that is hobbling our carbon market. It’s time to restore our province’s reputation as a climate leader.
The climate crisis cannot wait, and neither should we.
The Fridays for Future protest in Montreal takes place Sept. 27 starting at 6 p.m. at the George-Étienne Cartier monument in Mount Royal Park.
James Murphy leads the Montreal chapter of Citizens Climate Lobby, an international grassroots environmental group.