Quebec City, February 19, 2025 – Fossil fuel transportation projects including pipelines are not the way forward, according to 100 civil society organizations and stakeholders. Many people have been proposing new projects in light of the trade and economic conflict with the United States. The civil society groups emphasize that a socio-ecological transition is needed to ensure Quebec’s economic prosperity and combat climate change.
At a news conference, they described as “mirages” and a “political and media bubble” recent discussion proposing to relaunch fossil fuel transportation projects on Quebec territory.
“These types of projects, whether GNL Québec or Énergie Est, were already outdated when they were rejected in 2015 and 2021. Imagine now! Demand for fossil gas in Europe is falling, and investors are not there. Even if these projects were to get off the ground in several years, the energy transition would have continued and we would end up with superfluous and costly infrastructure,” the signatories said.
“Quebec does not have to compromise the integrity of its territory or the health of its environment and its inhabitants to allow the oil and gas industry to sell its hydrocarbons in an attempt to respond to a temporary economic issue. Here in Quebec, we have proudly embraced the ecological transition, clean energy production and the economy of tomorrow. We will not go back,” they added.
No social acceptability
In terms of social acceptability, the groups also recalled the long history of victories of the Quebec population against the fossil fuel industry over the past 15 years, battles that resulted in adoption of a law against the exploitation and exploration of these resources in 2022.
In the wake of these citizen victories, the argument surrounding Quebec’s energy security has always been used to try to sell unacceptable projects to the population.
“People are scared about energy security, but the reality is that most of the oil that Quebec consumes comes from Western Canada and the demand for natural gas is declining in Europe, particularly in Germany. Not only do these fossil infrastructure projects not correspond to our environmental objectives, but potential customers are not and will not be there,” the signatory organizations and experts said.
Crises don’t take a break
Finally, the groups would like to emphasize that the current crisis with the United States is major and that it rightly causes anxiety and fear among Quebec families. It must be addressed. However, this crisis must not make us forget the even more fundamental ones that are already affecting us in terms of society, climate and biodiversity.
The risks associated with the projects potentially making a comeback are the same as when they were rejected: dangers of accidents and spills, threats to beluga whale populations, risks to the fauna and flora of the St. Lawrence River and serious issues related to human health.
“Environmental crises will not take a break because U.S. President Donald Trump has mood swings. We cannot face one crisis by ignoring another. The best way to face them all is to embrace the ecological and social transition,” the signatories concluded.
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List of signatory organizations:
- Centre québécois du droit de l’environnement (CQDE)
- Équiterre
- David Suzuki Foundation
- Nature Québec
- Eau Secours
- Les AmiEs de la Terre de Québec
- Coule pas chez nous
- Action climat Outaouais (ACO)
- Front étudiant d’action climatique – FÉDAC
- Solidarité Environnement Sutton
- Regroupement vigilance énergie Québec (RVÉQ)
- Association québécoise des médecins pour l’environnement (AQME)
- Pour Nos Enfants/For Our Kids – Montréal
- Front commun pour la transition énergétique (FCTÉ)
- The Climate Reality Project
- Greenpeace Canada
- Climate Action Network Canada
- Société pour vaincre la pollution
- Réseau québécois de l’action communautaire autonome (RQ-ACA)
- Mouvement écocitoyen UNEplanète
- Collectif scientifique sur les enjeux énergétiques au Québec
- L’Assomption en transition
- Coalition Alerte à l’Enfouissement Rivière-du-Nord (CAER)
- Travailleuses et travailleurs pour la justice climatique
- Syndicat de la fonction publique et parapublique du Québec (SFPQ)
- Amnistie internationale Canada francophone
- Le vivant se défend – fermons le pipeline 9b
- Transition Manicouagan
- Mères au front – Baie-Comeau
- Énergie Côte-Nord
- Collectif Antigone
- Attac Québec
- Mères au front
- NON à une marée noire dans le Saint-Laurent
- Prospérité Sans Pétrole
- GMob (GroupMobilisation)
- Comité citoyens et citoyennes pour la protection de l’environnement maskoutain
- Regroupement des groupes de femmes de la région de la Capitale-Nationale
- Ateliers pour la biodiversité
- Collectif pour un transport abordable et accessible à Québec
- Mobilisation environnement Ahuntsic-Cartierville
- Villeray en transition
- Coalition Terrains de golf en transition
- Comité Maskoutain Vigilance Éolienne
- Écologie populaire
- Vigie citoyenne port de Contrecoeur
- Réseau écocitoyen de Saint-Lambert
- Mouvement ACTES-CSQ
- Fondation Rivières
- Réseau québécois des groupes écologistes
- Familles pour l’air pur
- Mères au front Vaudreuil-Soulanges
- Action environnement Tingwick
- Comité citoyen Vers un Val Vert
- Le Carrefour d’animation et participation à un monde ouvert (CAPMO)
- Mouvement pour une ville Zéro déchet
- Fédération autonome de l’enseignement (FAE)
- Vivre en Ville
- Regroupement des éco-quartiers
- Coalition Sortons la Caisse du Carbone
- Mobilisation 6600 Parc-Nature MHM
- Association pour la santé publique du Québec
- Les Ami.e.s des boisés de Granby
- Regroupement national des conseils régionaux de l’environnement du Québec (RNCREQ)
- Coalition Mobilisations Citoyennes Environnementales de Laval (CMCEL)
- Mères au front Saguenay
- Action Climat Rimouski
- Rimouski en transition
- Collectif Sauvetage
- Protec-Terre
- Mères au front de Laval
- SNAP Québec
- À nous le Plateau
- Coalition anti-pipeline Rouyn-Noranda
- La marche des Peuples pour la Terre Mère
- Le pont de la 20 ça tient pas Debout
- Vigile citoyenne Cacouna
- Transition écologique La Pêche Coalition for a Green New Deal
- Mères au front Trois-Pistoles
- Mouvement Zéro Déchet Longueuil
- Convergence populaire
- Comité action/mobilisation Sauvons la sablière d’Arthabaska
- Boisés et écologie – Châteauguay
- 350 Montréal
- Table citoyenne Littoral Est
- Action environnement Basses-Laurentides
- Conseil régional de l’environnement de Montréal
List of expert signatories:
- Annie Chaloux, Professor in Climate Policy, Université de Sherbrooke (UdS)
- Éric Pineault, Professor of Economics and Energy Transition, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM)
- Pierre-Antoine Harvey, Economist, Centrale des syndicats du Québec
- Isabelle Arseneau, Professor of Education, Chaire de recherche en éducation transformatrice pour l’engagement climatique, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)
- Charles-Antoine Bachand, Professor of Educational Foundations specializing in Eco-Citizenship Education, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
- Dany Dumont, Professor of Physical Oceanography, Institut des sciences de la mer, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR), Associate Scientific Director of the program Transformer l’action pour le climat
- Mélanie Lemire, Professor of Environmental Health, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec
- Isabelle Goupil-Sormany, Specialist in Public Health and Preventive Medicine, Assistant Professor in Environmental Health, Département de médecine sociale et préventive, Université Laval and Centre de recherche du CHU de Québec
- Laure Waridel, ecosociologist, PhD, Associate Professor at the Institut des sciences de l’environnement, Université du Québec à Montréal (UQÀM)
- Émilie Morin, Professor of Educational Psychology, specializing in education in the context of climate change, Unité départementale des sciences de l’éducation, Université du Québec à Rimouski (UQAR)
- René Lachapelle, PhD Researcher – Centre de recherche et de consultation en organisation communautaire, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
- Mathieu Charron, PhD in Urban Studies, Professor of Decarbonation and GHG Quantification, Université du Québec en Outaouais (UQO)
