February 3, 2023
Mr. François Legault, Prime Minister of Quebec
Mr. Pierre Fitzgibbon, Minister of the Economy, Innovation and Energy and Minister responsible for Regional Economic Development
Mr. Eric Girard, Minister of Finance and Minister responsible for Relations with English-speaking Quebecers
Mr. Benoit Charette, Minister of the Environment, the Fight Against Climate Change, Wildlife and Parks
Mr. Ian Lafrenière, Minister responsible for Relations with First Nations and Inuit
Subject: Request for a “generic BAPE” on Quebec’s energy future
Prime Minister,
Ministers,
We, the undersigned, 110 signatories from the environmental, environmentalist, community, union, university, student, agricultural, nature protection, rights defense, health, education, law circles of the environment, sustainable mobility, local consultation and others, we are addressing you in your capacity as president and members of the Committee on the Economy and Energy Transition, in order to ask you to take the necessary measures to trigger holding an investigation with public hearings, commonly called a “generic BAPE”, on Quebec’s energy future.
Your government announced in the opening speech of November 30, 2022 its intention to have a “real societal debate” on Quebec's energy future, and confirmed on January 26 the holding of a public consultation on this subject. of primary importance.
While we are delighted with these announcements, we question the nature of the social debate envisaged and want to insist on the need for it to have all the completeness, all the credibility and all the legitimacy which are required with regard to the crucial importance and the interdependence of the collective choices that will result from it.
We understand that the decarbonization of Quebec's energy system is long overdue, that the Régie de l'énergie, Hydro-Québec and the companies requesting the supply of electricity need new guidelines, and that the construction of new energy infrastructure necessarily extends over several years. Nevertheless, it seems essential to us that decisions on these subjects are not taken hastily, in restricted circles, in pieces and without an overall view because they will have major impacts on regions potentially targeted for extraction projects. mining and production of renewable energies, on agricultural land and the natural environments found there, on waterways and on the ecosystems which make them viable territories as well as on the health and quality of life of the populations who live there. They are closely linked to Quebec's economic orientations and industrial policy as well as to the modes of production, consumption, housing and travel that underlie our energy consumption.
Therefore, it is essential to convince the population that the promised social debate is not a simple formality and that decisions are not taken in advance. On the contrary, as highlighted in the open letter published in Le Devoir on January 17, 2023 and signed by 80 organizations from various sectors, the debate on the decarbonization of Quebec's energy system must in our opinion be “real” and include the scientific community, civil society in all its diversity, indigenous peoples and the most vulnerable populations, who risk being penalized by the transition if they are not duly consulted.
A truly broad and open consultation is essential to reach strong consensus, identify promising and appropriate solutions in addition to promoting the support and mobilization of the whole of society in the face of the numerous challenges posed by the transition.
Quebec has, to carry out this type of exercise, an institution whose credibility no longer needs to be demonstrated and which has often been cited as a model outside Quebec: the Office of Public Hearings on the Environment. (BAPE).
We believe that the BAPE has developed the best processes – particularly when it comes to a “generic BAPE” – to ensure a neutral and exhaustive examination of the environmental, social and economic issues raised by the energy choices available. in Quebec and that it provides the most legitimate framework for orchestrating a social debate on this issue.
This is why we are asking you to order the holding of an investigation with public hearings, commonly called a “generic BAPE”, on Quebec's energy future.
We also ask you not to limit the role of the BAPE to specific questions but rather to entrust it with the mandate to address the decarbonization of Quebec's energy system as a whole, taking into account the climate crisis and Quebec's fair share in the efforts required to mitigate it, the constraints posed by the depletion of resources, the degradation of natural environments and the collapse of biodiversity, the repercussions of decisions on workers, the rights of indigenous peoples and the issues of social acceptability associated with the various possible trajectories. These varied perspectives will allow the population as well as public decision-makers to fully understand the potential and real impacts of each energy sector, including sobriety and efficiency, which will lead to an intelligent and intelligible debate on the trade-offs. which are available to us.
Regarding sobriety, we would like to recall that it is the first pillar of 2026 upgrade of the Master Plan for energy transition, innovation and efficiency that your government put into force on June 10, 2022 (followed by efficiency and, thirdly, conversion to renewable energies), and that it does not consist of inflicting punitive measures on the various energy consuming customers.
Energy sobriety is on the contrary the fruit of a coherent set of public policies and government programs affecting, in all sectors, infrastructure, investments, taxation, regulation and pricing, and leading to the capacity to respond to needs of the population while substantially reducing the demand for primary energy.
Finally, we cannot overemphasize the importance of full participation in the generic BAPE being truly accessible to the population of all regions of Quebec and to all groups in society. Innovative participation support mechanisms should be put in place to ensure meaningful contribution from indigenous communities and vulnerable or marginalized populations whose voices are not always heard.
Mr Prime Minister, Gentlemen Ministers, we understand and share your desire to make smooth progress on the major project of decarbonization of the energy system. However, we believe that haste could slow down the progress of the file rather than accelerate it, while the few additional months devoted to a real social debate will pave the way for effective implementation of the collective choices that will result from it.
The success or failure of Quebec's energy transition will undoubtedly be the most fundamental legacy that your government will leave in the history of Quebec. Evading the more thorny issues and rushing the deployment of an energy policy that has not been carefully thought through and debated would risk generating a host of outcry that will paralyze action instead of stimulating it, and lead to a bitter historical failure –– when on the contrary, it is up to you to seize this unique opportunity to define with the population a real social project.
Pending your response, which we hope is favorable, we thank you for your attention and ask you to accept, Mr Prime Minister, Gentlemen Ministers, the expression of our respectful feelings.
Signatory organizations
- Elisabeth Gibeau, general coordinator, Common Front for the Energy Transition
- Jean-François Boisvert, president, Montreal Climate Coalition
- Laurence Leduc-Primeau, coordinator, Grouping of environmental energy organizations (ROEÉ)
- Françoise Ramel, vice-president, Interprofessional Health Federation of Quebec-FIQ
- Martin Vaillancourt, Director General, National Regroupment of Regional Environmental Councils of Quebec (RNCREQ)
- Normand Ethier, co-spokesperson, SOS Grenville-sur-la-Rouge
- Geneviève Paul, Director General, Quebec Environmental Law Center (CQDE)
- Anne-Céline Guyon, climate expert project manager, Nature Québec
- André Bélanger, general manager, Fondation Rivières
- Pascal Bergeron, Spokesperson, Environnement Vert Plus
- Charles Bonhomme, Public Affairs Manager, David Suzuki Foundation
- Patrick Gloutney, president, CUPE-Québec
- Henri Jacob, president, Action boréale
- Marc Nantel, spokesperson, Regroupement Vigilance Mines de l’Abitibi et du Témiscamingue (REVIMAT)
- André-Yanne Parent, Director General, Climate Reality Canada
- Marie-Eve Bélanger-Southey, Équiterre
- Mélanie Hubert, president, Autonomous Education Federation
- Patricia Posadas, Prosperity without oil
- Elsa Beaulieu Bastien, Participation, Resourcing and Training Hub (CPRF)
- Marie-Soleil Gagné, Director General, Sustainable Transportation Access
- Patrick Bonin, head of the Climate-Energy campaign, Greenpeace Canada
- Dominique Daigneault, president, Central Council of Metropolitan Montreal – CSN
- Carole Dupuis, spokesperson, UNEplanète eco-citizen movement
- Krystel Marylène Papineau, Coalition Let’s get out of the Carbon Fund
- Danielle Demers, president, Les Amis de la Chicot de Saint-Cuthbert
- Georgette Beaudry, training director, diocese of Joliette
- Mélanie Busby, Environmental Mobilization Ahuntsic-Cartierville
- Jacques Rousseau, secretary general, Regroupement vigilance hydrocarbons Québec
- Emmanuel Rondia, Director General, Montreal Regional Environmental Council
- Anaïs Houde, co-spokesperson, Mobilization 6600 MHM nature park
- David Roy, founder, Quebec Biodiversity Workshops
- Patrick Dubé, Director General, House of Social Innovation
- Maxime Baril, co-general director, QUINTUS
- André Pépin, president of the Water, Nature and Clean Air Coalition
- Quentin Lehmann, Ecothèque
- Benoît Waeckel, The Climate Fresco
- Sylvie Berthiaume, Sutton Environmental Solidarity
- Pierre Avignon, citizen committee Towards a green valley
- Claudel Pétrin-Desrosiers, president, Quebec Association of Physicians for the Environment (AQME)
- Frédéric Charlier, member of the board of directors, Les Shifters Montréal
- Gaspar C. Lépine, Union Paysanne
- Tristan Ouimet-Savard, Quebec Network of Independent Community Action (RQ-ACA)
- Thibault Rehn, coordinator, Vigilance OGM
- François Geoffroy, La Planète invites itself to Parliament
- Bernard Hudon, Justice and Faith Center
- Yves Bellavance, coordinator, Montreal Coalition of Neighborhood Tables
- Karine Hébert, coordinator, Plateau-Mont-Royal Community Development Corporation
- Claude Lavoie, general director, LaSalle Social Development Table
- Véronique Fournier, general director, Montreal Urban Ecology Center
- Simon Chavarie, Workers for Climate Justice (TJC)
- Jean-François Rheault, President and CEO, Vélo Québec
- Marc-André Fortin, coordinator, Faubourg Saint-Laurent concertation table
- Véronique Laflamme, spokesperson, Popular Action Front for Urban Redevelopment (FRAPRU)
- Louise Royer, director, social ministry, Catholic Archdiocese of Montreal
- Chantal Levert, Quebec network of environmental groups RQGE
- Louis St-Hilaire, spokesperson, Quebec Coalition of Lakes Incompatible with Mining Activity (Qlaim)
- Jacob Pirro, Extinction Rebellion Quebec
- Alain Branchaud, general director, SNAP Quebec
- Michel Jetté, co-founder, GMob
- Marie-Jacques Samson, Coordinator, South Shore in Transition
- Yenny Vega Cárdenas, International Observatory for the Rights of Nature
- René Labrosse, general director, Manicouagan Watersheds Organization (OBVM)
- Andres Larrea, Center for research in education and training relating to the environment and eco-citizenship (Centr'ERE-UQAM)
- Bertrand Fouss, Solon
- Louise Laberge, member of the Verrecycle – Ahuntsic-Cartierville citizen committee
- Rébecca Pétrin, general director, Eau Secours
- Christian Savard, general director, Living in the City
- Vania Wright-Larin, coordinator at the Popular Education Group in Community Action of the Quebec and Chaudière-Appalaches regions
- Daniel Tokatéloff, eng. retired, Association for the protection of Lake Taureau, St Michel-des-Saints
- Camille Lambert-Deubelbeiss, sociologist and political attaché
- Renaud Blais, Citizen Circle in the heart of Sainte-Foy
- Azélie Rocray, employee activist for co-coordination and administration, ROSE du Nord
- Valérie Lépine, co-coordinator of the Popular Education and Community Action Movement of Quebec
- Alice Chipot, Group for Corporate Social Responsibility
- Catherine Pouliot, coordinator of the Autonomous Popular Education Movement of Lanaudière
- Anne Dionne, vice-president of the Centrale des syndicats du Québec (CSQ)
- Carol Saucier, Solidarité Gaspésie citizen group
- Lucie Massé, spokesperson, Action Environnement Basses-Laurentides
- Judy Coulombe, co-coordinator, Regroupment of women's groups in the National Capital region
- Bernard Rioux, Hurry to the left!
- Marylène Pronovost, co-spokesperson, Living Without Mine Citizen Committee
- Luce Balthazar, Director General, Bas-Saint-Laurent Regional Environmental Council (CREBSL)
- Antoine Béchard, president, Cégep de Sainte-Foy Student Association (AECSF)
- Jacinthe Caron, co-director general, Estrie Regional Environmental Council
- Michèle Dumas Paradis, Movement for a Zero Waste City
- Joanne Boutet, coordinator, Emotions Support Center
- Isabelle Thérien, Popular Convergence
- Michèle Laberge, Friends of the Earth of Val-Saint-François
- Thomas Harton, Association of Social Sciences Students of Laval University
- Pascal Melançon, Urban Trail
- Rodrigue Turgeon, lawyer, co-spokesperson, Coalition Québec Meilleur Mine
- Jessica Bourque, second vice-president, Union of Professionals of the Government of Quebec (SPGQ)
- Réal Lalande, president, Action Climat Outaouais (ACO)
- Odette Clairoux, president, Red River, Petite-Nation, Salmon Watershed Organization (OBVRPNS)
- France Duquette, co-coordinator, Mothers at the Front (MAF)
- Lucie Bergeron, member, Transition Capitale-Nationale
- Émilie Laurin-Dansereau, responsible for the “access to energy” file, ACEF du Nord de Montréal
- Emilie Dubé, project manager, Eau Vive Québec
- Karine Dextras-Paquette, vice-president, Quebec Public and Parapublic Service Union (SFPQ)
- Sarah-Katherine Lutz, Executive Director, ENvironnement JEUnesse
- David Pharand, mayor, municipality of Duhamel
Signatory academics
- Jonathan Durand Folco, assistant professor, Élisabeth-Bruyère School of Social Innovation, Saint Paul University
- Eric Pineault, president of the scientific committee of the Institute of Environmental Sciences, UQAM
- Michel Picard, Ph.D., University of Montreal
- Simon Tremblay-Pepin, professor at the Élisabeth-Bruyère School of Social Innovation at Saint-Paul University
- Christophe Reutenauer, mathematician, UQAM
- René Audet, holder of the research chair on ecological transition, professor in the Department of Strategy, Social and Environmental Responsibility, UQAM
- Alain Deneault
- Olivier Riffon, professor of eco-consulting, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi
- Sophie L. Van Neste, professor at INRS, holder of the Canada Research Chair in Urban Climate Action
Photo: Wind turbines by Jason Blackeye / Unsplash
