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Will Quebec toss out environmental progress over tariffs?

Quebec's environment minister Benoît Charette said last week the province might ease environmental rules if Trump follows through with his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products. Photo by COP28/Christopher Pike

Quebec must stay the course on its climate efforts and not be deterred by threats of  U.S. tariffs, says a council of environmental, health and advocacy groups.

The council issued this response after Quebec’s environment minister said the province might ease environmental rules if U.S. President Donald Trump follows through with his threat to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canadian products.

Speaking at a ruling Coalition Avenir Québec (CAQ) party gathering last week, Environment Minister Benoît Charette said in French that if the tariffs are implemented, Quebec won't "add a layer [of costs] with additional environmental restrictions." 

Charette's statement prompted Quebec's Advisory Committee on Climate Change, an independent advisory council to the minister, to issue its statement. The eight-person committee encouraged the province to maintain its climate efforts, regardless of American threats or tariffs. 

The committee's statement emphasized the province's climate efforts are not only ecologically vital, but also are an "investment" in the province's future given the high cost of inaction. The Canadian Climate Institute estimates that if nothing is done to curb climate emissions, by 2050 the climate crisis will cost Canada up  to $103 billion and low-income Canadian households could see their incomes fall by over a fifth. 

"The climate crisis doesn't pause for a geopolitical crisis," said Leïla Cantave, Quebec representative for the Climate Action Network’s Canadian branch. "We need responses that are bold and ensure a resilient future." 

As Ottawa's key climate initiatives — notably the carbon tax — waffle under sustained political attacks, and federal officials rush to stave off tariffs, the council of advocacy groups is urging Quebec and other provinces to help pick up the slack. This dynamic is already at play in the U.S., with several states restating their commitment to climate action despite opposition from the Trump administration. 

In Canada, Quebec is at the forefront of climate action and leads the charge on provincial climate initiatives. It is the first province to ban fossil fuel exploration and exploitation and is ranked as a top climate performer for its EV supports, heat pumps and battery development. The province was also an early adopter of carbon pricing, first implementing its own system in 2007. 

Climate action is politically popular in the province, which has little in the way of a fossil fuel industry and a strong hydropower system. According to a December poll commissioned by Quebec environmental group Équiterre, 83 per cent of Quebecers support stronger climate initiatives. 

Quebec must stay the course on its climate efforts and not be deterred by threats of  U.S. tariffs, says a council of environmental, health and advocacy groups.

That combination — a track record of relatively strong climate measures and widespread public support  —means the province shouldn't back down, said Patricia Clermont, the Quebec manager for the Canadian Association of Physicians for the Environment. 

"Quebec can't backtrack, like other governments are doing, into an old-fashioned climate-versus-economy narrative," she said. "Instead, it needs to join forces with other federated governments to take on more bold climate ambition." 

Canada's National Observer reached out to the office of the environment minister for comment, but did not receive a response by deadline. 

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Editor's note: This story was updated on January 31, 2025 to correct Patricia Clermont's title. 

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