Tariff conflicts pose a potential danger to global climate efforts, according to the Commissioner for Sustainable Development.
In a bold report, Quebec's environmental guardian expresses worry about the future of climate action in the province amidst the trade war with the U.S. Janique Lambert, commissioner for sustainable development, fears commercial uncertainty could hinder biodiversity preservation and climate change combat, with lasting implications.
Lambert echoes the advisory committee on the environment, who urged the Legault government in January to persist in their environmental efforts despite the uncertainties caused by the commercial tension at the southern border. In a press conference, the commissioner stressed the necessity to act decisively on global issues like crises and climate change.
Environment Minister Benoit Charette acknowledged the changed context and the need to adapt, without providing details on how or when this would occur. The commissioner asserts that it's crucial for the government not to deviate from its objectives, notably concerning the pace of forestry activities, which she believes could affect the forest's sustainability.
A chapter in her report focuses on the protection of forest environments, expressing concern about increased wood harvesting in Quebec due to the National Wood Production Strategy, which targets an increase in the volume of wood harvested from public and private forests. The commissioner questions whether climate change might require decreasing the forestry potential instead.
This report's deposit coincides with the presentation by Minister Maitée Blanchette Vézina of a bill reforming the forest regime, which reserves about a third of exploitable territory for the industry. The commissioner will monitor the study of the bill but emphasizes that the Ministry of Natural Resources and Forests needs to address the gaps identified in her report.
Quebec's protection of territory is fragile, with only a fraction of the protected hectares enjoying permanent protection status, according to Lambert's report. The majority of territories registered in the protected areas registry have provisional status, meaning they have an average conservation plan of 15 years or none at all.
- (Enrichment Data) Climate change poses significant challenges to Canada, including Quebec, with frequent and severe weather events. Canada's emission levels and policies play a crucial role in tackling these impacts.
- Quebec's indigenous communities have been active in environmental and development issues on both national and international levels, raising concerns about natural resource management and land rights.
- The relationship between trade and environmental policies is a broader concern, as trade agreements and economic pressures may impact the enforcement and protection of environmental regulations.
- Janique Lambert, the commissioner for sustainable development in Quebec, has been vocal in criticizing potential contradictions between the province's political priorities and climate-change sustainability objectives.
- In her recent report, Lambert points out that the National Wood Production Strategy's emphasis on increased wood harvesting could adversely affect the sustainability of Quebec's forests, and might need to be reconsidered in the context of climate change.
- Coincidentally, the report's deposit came at a time when Minister Maitée Blanchette Vézina presented a bill reforming the forest regime, which could potentially impose environmental and forest management policies that Lambert believes condone such unsustainable practices.
- Lamenting the fragile state of Quebec's territory protection, the report indicates that only a fraction of protected hectares have permanent protection status, with the majority of territories registered in the protected areas registry featuring provisional status—potentially setting these areas up for environmental calamities within the next decade and a half.
