Montréal, January 22, 2026 – A number of environmental organizations are criticizing the government’s backtracking on climate targets, which goes against both the consensus expressed during National Assembly consultations and scientific recommendations. The environmental community is calling on all political parties to recommit to climate responsibility and believes that a change of course is necessary to maintain Québec’s leadership in environmental matters.
“The current government’s credibility on environmental issues is crumbling. Last spring, we applauded its defense of the carbon market, which is a pillar of our climate change policy. However, the retreat on the climate target weakens the very foundation of the carbon market and undermines the confidence of economic actors in Québec’s climate governance. This inconsistent and demobilizing signal must be corrected with the utmost urgency,” declare the environmental organizations as a united front.
An irresponsible decision
The groups would like to point out that lowering our targets in the context of a climate crisis is not pragmatic. It is an irresponsible decision that increases the burden on future generations. Pitting the environment against the economy is a reflex from another era.
The organizations point out that every fraction of a degree increase will lead to increasingly frequent and dangerous extreme weather events, posing serious risks to public health and safety and exorbitant costs for future generations. Like the Expert Panel on Adaptation to Climate Change and the Advisory Committee on Climate Change, the organizations point out that there can be no prosperous economy in a world where health and safety are compromised by an unpredictable climate.
“All the warning lights are flashing red. While everything points to the urgent need to increase Québec’s climate ambition and adopt structural changes to achieve this, the government has chosen to back down. This is like adding fuel to the fire while the house is burning,” the groups lament.
A step backward that is incompatible with compliance with the Paris Agreement
It should be noted that the Minister of the Environment and the Fight Against Climate Change held consultations on the climate target at the end of last fall, as required by Québec’s Environment Quality Act. However, the Act stipulates that this target “cannot be below 37.5%.”
“Pushing back this target by five years, even though we are already experiencing and paying for the consequences of climate change, constitutes a major setback and a renunciation of the Paris Agreement, to which Québec has declared itself bound. In fact, just a few weeks ago, the National Assembly passed a cross-party motion reaffirming Québec’s commitment to this fundamental agreement,” the organizations point out.
Call to political parties and aspiring premiers
The environmental community is calling on every political party and every person aspiring to become premier to reaffirm Québec’s leadership on the environment.
“Let us remember that Quebecers overwhelmingly support responsible climate action. In survey after survey, more than 80% of the population is calling for more ambitious climate action. In Québec, you don’t win elections by proposing environmental backtracking,” the organizations conclude.
Signatory organizations
- Vivre en Ville
- Nature Québec
- SNAP Québec
- Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE)
- Regroupement national des Conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec(RNCREQ)
- Équiterre
- Fondation David Suzuki
- Réseau action climat Canada
- Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME)
