A new debate has hit the roads of Montreal and it all has to do with consumer demand and car choices fuelling climate change.
The environmental group Équiterre wants people to purchase smaller cars instead of SUVs arguing that larger vehicles are bigger polluters, emitting 20 per cent more greenhouse gas emissions than smaller cars.
”In Quebec, they are the main cause of the increase in greenhouse gas emissions since 2015,” Andréanne Brazeau, Équiterr mobility analyst, told Global News.
The organization has started a public awareness campaign called ”No SUV for me” hoping to steer potential buyers away from larger cars.
”The idea of the campaign is really to take the time to assess your needs,” she said.
Three out of every four cars sold in Canada were SUVs, minivans or trucks in 2021 according to Statistics Canada.
”We won’t fool anybody. An SUV is more practical than a car or a regular sedan with a separate trunk,” Jesse Caron, an automotive expert at CAA-Québec told Global News.
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But the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association argues the choice of purchasing a vehicle should be left to consumers, not Équiterre and instead the group should focus its efforts on making access to the electric vehicle market more accessible.
”Help Canadians switch to electric and purchase some of these new and exciting vehicles we’re seeing coming into the market,” said Brian Kingston, CEO of the Canadian Vehicle Manufacturers’ Association.
Équiterre doesn’t anticipate any changes overnight — it’s just hoping to move the consumer demand needle to smaller cars in the near future.
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