Removing concrete and asphalt, planting trees, weaning municipal buildings from fossil fuels, installing electric vehicle charging stations, opting for car sharing; the City of Laval will soon deploy its “Climate Plan”.
To help it implement it, Quebec is granting it $64.8 million in funding, Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks, announced on Friday.
Quebec’s third-largest city has pledged to reduce its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 33% below their 1990 level by 2035.
His plan, the details of which will be unveiled after its planned adoption by the city council on Tuesday, includes plans to stop using fuel oil, propane and natural gas in 40 municipal buildings, to turn to electricity or geothermal energy. .
Laval also plans to counter heat islands and intense precipitation by developing green infrastructure, including the demineralization of spaces totaling 3,360 m2 and the planting of nearly 15,000 trees.
The administration of Mayor Stéphane Boyer also plans to install 140 new public charging stations and 50 stations shared between the municipality and the community, as well as support for car sharing.
The GHG reductions attributable to the financial assistance announced by Minister Charette should reach 4,580 tonnes, which represents the equivalent of 4,000 individual trips Montreal-Paris round trip by plane in economy class, calculates Quebec.
The Legault government also announced on Sunday financial support of $24.9 million to the City of Gatineau for the same reasons.
These funds will allow the city of Outaouais to modernize the equipment for capturing and burning methane at the Cook landfill site, to decarbonize seven municipal buildings and to electrify part of its vehicle fleet.
The anticipated reduction is 10,550 tonnes of GHGs.
Financial support will also be announced to the City of Victoriaville on Monday; Montreal and Quebec have also received government funds for the same reasons in the past.
“Municipalities are valuable allies of the Government of Quebec in achieving the climate objectives it has set itself under the Plan for a Green Economy 2030,” said Minister Charette in a press release.
