Canada's new environment minister tells Quebecers we must all do more

Canada's newly appointed minister of environment and climate change says although Quebec has shown leadership when it comes to fighting climate change, there's still work to be done. 

Jonathan Wilkinson was in Montreal Monday to meet clean technology companies focused on addressing the global climate emergency.

Wilkinson, former minister of fisheries and oceans and parliamentary secretary to the former environment minister, Catherine McKenna, talked to CBC Montreal about the Trans Mountain pipeline purchase, youth climate activism and Quebec's role in achieving the government's commitment to net zero greenhouse gas emissions by 2050. 

The following is based on Wilkinson's interview with CBC reporter Simon Nakonechny. It has been edited and condensed for clarity. 

The Trans Mountain pipeline purchase is unpopular in Quebec. What do you say to critics?

The Trans Mountain pipeline is part of an energy transition. It is trying to ensure that we are extracting full value for our resources during the period of time where oil and gas continues to be used in the world.

But we all recognize that we need to move beyond carbon pollution; we need to get to net zero by 2050. That means we need to look for longer-term solutions to energy requirements and in the interim.

Over the coming few decades, we need to ensure that Canada is extracting the value from its resources. That enables us to invest in accelerating the transition to a green future.

Half a million people marched in Montreal for climate action in September. Did the government get the message? 

Yes, I think so. The pressure that is coming most particularly from young people around the urgency of the issue I think has been very helpful in pushing politicians of all stripes to think about how they can address this in a more and more aggressive way.

Because I have teenage daughters, I worry a lot about the future that we are going to be leaving to them. Those kinds of things are pushing politicians to do more.

Some Quebecers expected long-time activist Steven Guilbeault to be appointed environment minister. 

[Guilbeault] is first and foremost the minister of heritage, but certainly I look to Minister Guilbeault as somebody with enormous experience who can assist me in ensuring that we are doing everything that we possibly can to fight climate change.

I'm looking to draw on people like Steven who can help to ensure that our policies are fully informed and thoughtful.

Is Quebec doing enough to fight climate change? 

I think we can all do more: that's the federal government; that's the provinces; that's cities and municipalities. The focus for our government has been investing in public transit — finding ways to try to encourage people to get out of their cars in major urban centres.

What about the CAQ government's '3rd link'?

I'm not opining on a specific project, but I do think that as a general rule we are focused very much on trying to find ways to reduce emissions, and transportation is 23 to 25 per cent of Canadian emissions right now.

A second interview with Wilkinson will also air on CBC Daybreak with Mike Finnerty, Tuesday at 6:10 a.m.