Quebec environmental groups set climate priorities ahead of election campaign
A coalition of 24 environmental organizations is calling for water infrastructure funding, climate law, and endangered species protections as the province heads into a campaign.
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A coalition of 24 environmental organizations, alongside the Quebec municipalities union and the province's commissioner for sustainable development, is pushing climate and water priorities heading into the election campaign.
The group, Vire au vert, is demanding that the next government adequately fund water infrastructure, protect water resources, and use hydroelectric power to reduce fossil fuel dependence. They're also calling for a climate law to guide government action and a reform of the Endangered Species Act.
Quebec's Commissioner for Sustainable Development, Janique Lambert, released a report in May highlighting that water infrastructure "requires investments of several billion dollars." The commissioner warned that chronic underfunding poses risks to water quality, increases untreated wastewater overflows, threatens human health, and creates intergenerational equity problems.
According to the Centre for Expertise and Research in Urban Infrastructure (CERIU), the total value of water infrastructure assets at high or very high risk of failure reached $18.2 billion in Quebec in 2023.
Marc-André Viau, director of government relations at Équiterre, which is part of the Vire au vert coalition, said some cities are forced to restrict development due to insufficient water supply caused by deteriorating infrastructure. He's calling for a public registry of all water withdrawals to track usage and manage drought periods more effectively.
Viau also advocates for investment in both "gray" infrastructure—sewer systems, pumping stations, wastewater treatment plants—and "natural infrastructure," such as water-retaining parks, urban forests, and green drainage systems that reduce flooding risk.
The coalition is also seeking to preserve existing public water access and create new ones. According to research by Université de Montréal professors Sébastien Rioux and Rodolphe Gonzales, at least 98 per cent of Quebec's lake and river shorelines are currently inaccessible.
Which parties have committed to the environmental coalition's specific demands?
What is the timeline the next government would follow to fund the billions needed for water infrastructure?
We'll update this story as answers emerge.
The facts
How many environmental organizations are in the Vire au vert coalition?
The Vire au vert coalition includes 24 environmental organizations, alongside the Quebec municipalities union and the province's commissioner for sustainable development.
What was the total value of at-risk water infrastructure assets in Quebec in 2023?
According to the Centre for Expertise and Research in Urban Infrastructure, water infrastructure assets at high or very high risk of failure reached $18.2 billion in Quebec in 2023.
