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Greenhouse-gas emissions waning in Montreal; down 25% since 1990

The city of Montreal announced Wednesday it has reduced its greenhouse gas emissions by 25 per cent between 1990 and 2013.

An inventory of emissions sources presented Wednesday morning showed the city is on target to meet its objective to reduce greenhouse gases to 30 per cent below 1990 levels by the year 2020.

“We still have a lot of work to do, especially on the level of transport,” said Réal Ménard, the executive committee member in charge of the environment. “But obviously, a reduction by 25 per cent is good news.”

The report stated some of the largest decreases in emissions came from people switching from oil heating to electric, with a 45-per-cent decrease in greenhouse gases emitted from homes.

Because Quebec relies mostly on hydroelectric energy for electricity, which does not emit many greenhouse gases, switching to electricity made a significant difference. There was also a significant reduction from the commercial and industrial sectors. Another large reduction came from the fact that the city now captures almost 90 per cent of all greenhouse gases emitted from its municipal dump at St-Michel. That resulted in 77 per cent fewer emissions from that sector. The closing of a major refinery in the east end of the city also resulted in a significant decrease in emissions.

However, there was a significant increase in the number of motor vehicles on the road. Over the 23 years, there was an increase of 16 per cent in the emissions coming from the road network. That’s because there are 18 per cent more cars and trucks on the road, The number of SUVs and minivans has climbed steeply, up 137 per cent from 1990.

Ménard said that’s why the city is working hard to increase the number of bike paths, and is investing in public transit.

jmagder@postmedia.com
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