QUEBEC CITY -- Quebec may well have declared a climate emergency, but sales of light trucks such as sport-utility vehicles (SUVs) continue to grow.
That is what researchers Johanne Whitmore and Pierre-Olivier Pineau, from HEC Montreal, noted in their report on the state of energy in Quebec in 2020, which calls for "radical transformations, especially in our consumption habits."
According to the researchers, Quebecers continue to adopt behaviours that are "contrary" to the achievement of greenhouse gas (GHG) emission reduction targets.
For example, since 2012, truck sales - a category that includes minivans, SUVs and pickup trucks - have increased every year in Quebec, from 182,465 units in 2012, to 294,491 units in 2018 - an increase of 61 per cent, they found.
Even though they consume on average 20 per cent less fuel, cars are "less and less popular," as evidenced by a 31-per cent drop in units sold between 2012 and 2018.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published Jan. 17, 2020.
