On Wednesday, federal Environment Minister Steven Guilbeault will announce $187 million in funding to "advance Quebec's climate priorities" and more than $40 million for three tree-planting initiatives in the Montreal region.
The $40 million in federal funding, as part of the national 2 Billion Trees program, is expected to plant more than 275,000 trees in the Greater Montreal area.
The first initiative, led by the Société de verdissement du Montréal métropolitain (SOVERDI) and the Urban Forest Alliance, aims to plant 200,000 trees by 2030 on private and institutional land through "thousands of projects" in schoolyards, hospitals and parking lots, among others.
The federal government will invest $20 million in this project, an amount equivalent to what the City of Montreal will fund. Another $20 million will be provided by other municipalities in the metropolitan area where the trees will be planted.
The second initiative, in collaboration with the City of Montreal, is expected to plant more than 64,000 trees over two years in areas of the city that are prone to heat waves.
The trees will be used to naturally cool heat islands but also to mitigate the impacts of flooding, reduce noise pollution and increase biodiversity in 19 neighbourhoods across the city.
For the project, the Government of Canada will fund approximately $20 million, while the Government of Quebec will contribute nearly $11 million and the City of Montreal $10 million.
"We know that one of the best tools we have to fight climate change is nature. It is also one of our best tools for building prosperous and livable cities. The planting of more than a quarter of a million new trees in Montreal will contribute in every way to a happier city and a healthier planet," said Guilbeault in a release.
The Minister of the Environment also indicated that the funding of a third project enabled the planting of 11,000 trees in Vaudreuil-Dorion in 2022.
CRITICIZED PROGRAM
Two weeks ago, a report by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, Jerry V. DeMarco, criticized the federal government's tree planting program.
The Liberals first promised to plant two billion trees, specifically to capture carbon, during the 2019 federal election campaign and then provided a $3.2 billion budget a year later to make it happen.
An audit of the first two years of planting indicates that the government does not appear to be on track to get even four per cent of the promised trees in the ground by the end of 2030. In addition, the Canadian government had not signed long-term project agreements with the provinces or territories to fulfil its promises.
$187 MILLION FOR CLIMATE PRIORITIES
Guilbeault will also announce $187 million to "advance climate priorities in Quebec" on Wednesday.
Of this amount, nearly $60 million would be used to help low-income households in the province switch from home heating oil to more affordable options to meet their energy needs.
$127 million will be invested by the federal government "to support initiatives that result in a reduction of greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 2030 and that align with Canada's and Quebec's 2050 carbon neutrality targets."
More details will be revealed when the Minister of the Environment speaks on the second day of the Montreal Climate Summit.
On Monday, Guilbeault is also expected to announce $1.5 million in funding through the Green Municipal Fund to support 18 local initiatives in Quebec.
The initiatives are designed to increase "energy efficiency and sustainability in key areas such as housing, transportation, municipal buildings and land use planning."
This report by the Canadian Press was first published in French on May 10, 2023.
