Environmental group calls for Quebec election debate on climate crisis

A coalition of environmental organizations, Vire au Vert, is calling for a leaders’ debate in the next provincial election that would deal exclusively with the climate crisis.

A Léger poll commissioned by Équiterre found that 56 per cent of Quebecers believe that such a debate would be “fairly” or “very” relevant.

 READ MORE: World’s oceans were warmest on record in 2021, climate report says

“Political parties must raise these questions, must respond and present a concrete plan to ensure that we are able to judge this plan and choose the party that offers us the best chance of getting out of this crisis and to face the difficulties that will last for decades to come,” said Colleen Thorpe, general manager of Équiterre, in a telephone interview.

“We are asking the media to organize this debate in order to ensure that the formula makes it possible to discuss environmental issues, which has not been the case in the past.”

She said that during the 2018 provincial campaign, there was a “16-minute segment in a two-hour debate” organized by the media consortium, while during a debate organized by TVA, “there was no segment that focused specifically on the environment.”

Get breaking National news

For news impacting Canada and around the world, sign up for breaking news alerts delivered directly to you when they happen.

Sign up for breaking National newsletter Sign Up

By providing your email address, you have read and agree to Global News' Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.

“We are in a climate emergency just as we were in an emergency for the pandemic. We have given a lot of importance to the pandemic in recent years and in public discourse,” she said.

This is why, according to Thorpe, the climate should not be relegated to the back benches.

READ MORE: B.C. researchers developing ‘insect forecasting’ system

Climate has an impact on many issues, such as quality of life, the safety of individuals, public spending, the economy, and the creation of “transition jobs” in sectors that have less impact on the environment and that protect vulnerable populations, Thorpe said.

According to the survey, 74 per cent of respondents said they were somewhat or completely worried about the impact of climate change on their health or public health. An identical proportion said they worry about their personal finances or public funds.

Meanwhile, only a quarter of respondents said they somewhat or completely agree with the idea that “the government is doing enough to adapt Quebec’s territory to the consequences of climate change.”

“The current government has taken stock of these environmental achievements,” Thorpe said.  “Groups like Équiterre consider that this is insufficient, that more needs to be done.”

The next Quebec provincial election is scheduled for Oct. 3.

READ MORE: Manitobans call for change to flood insurance policies: ‘It’s not just a cabin in the bush anymore’

The Léger survey was carried out from May 27 to 29 with 1,004 respondents. The firm indicates that while “it is not possible to calculate a margin of error on a sample drawn from a panel,”  the usual maximum margin for such a sample size is plus or minus three per cent, 19 times on 20.

In addition, the results were weighted according to participant characteristics, such as gender or mother tongue, to adjust to the demographic portrait of Quebec.