Environmental Protection Branch
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Quebec Region

Air Issues

Our Programmes

When we hear the words “climate change” or “global warming”, the expression “greenhouse effect” is not far off. Yet, the greenhouse effect is a natural atmospheric phenomenon and essential for maintaining temperatures so that life, as we know it today, is possible on Earth.

Certain natural gases in the atmosphere serve to insulate the Earth, locking in a portion of the heat that comes to us from the Sun. These are: water vapour (H₂O), carbon dioxide (CO₂), methane (CH₄) and nitrous oxide (N₂O).

The average temperature of the air near the ground surface on Earth is approximately 15°C. Without the greenhouse effect, the average temperature of the air would be -18°C, that is, same as the temperature of your freezer !

Man, since the start of the industrial age (1850), has managed to amplify the greenhouse effect with his polluting activities.

The growing number of industries and changes in our way of life have increased the sources of greenhouse gases. The atmospheric concentration of CO₂, the principal gas responsible for the increase in the greenhouse effect, has increased almost 30%. These factors have also resulted in the production of new greenhouse gases that are released into the air: halocarbons and sulphur hexafluoride (SF6)..

For more information about climate change, consult Environment Canada's national web site: Global Climate Change:
http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/home-e.html

You can also consult our Fact Sheets for the Principal Greenhouse Gases

ACTIONS INVOLVING CLIMATE CHANGE

Sustainable transportation for the employees of federal institutions
Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF)
Awareness raising activities
Web links

Sustainable transportation for the employees of federal institutions

Automobile travel in Canada, 80% of which is for individuals, causes 30% of the greenhouse gas emissions. Moreover, this sector is growing. The Government of Canada has decided to act and set the example by undertaking initiatives towards sustainable transportation.

The Quebec Federal Council has assigned the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, Environment Canada, Transport Canada, Public Works and Government Services Canada and the Agence métropolitaine de transport to develop a joint transportation program for federal employees.

Travel Differently! : a pilot project for Environment Canada and the Canada Customs and Revenue Agency

The Canada Customs and Revenue Agency, the Air Issues section, and the Agence métropolitaine de transport signed an agreement In March 2001 to undertake an employer program pilot project: Travel Differently. This program is intended for the approximately 600 employees who work for both federal departments in Montreal.

Incentives have been implemented to reduce the number of car trips individuals make between their home and their place of work and encourage the use of mass transit, car pooling, cycling and walking.

Consult the Travel differently program web site :
http://lavoieverte.qc.ec.gc.ca/dpe/travelalternatively/dpe_main_en.asp?air_emp_index

A new policy for business travel

The Environmental Protection Branch of the Quebec Region (EPB) has modified the internal policy of the Treasury Board for the Quebec Region concerning trips made by federal employees as part of their functions. It now includes environmental criteria such as promoting eco-effective methods of transportation.

As part of this pilot project, the EPB has developed an Intranet application to track the business trips made by employees in order to assess the greenhouse gas emissions generated by business travel. This project is managed by the Air Issues section.

For more information about the actions taken by other institutions with respect to sustainable transportation, consult the following web links:

Transport Canada
http://www.tc.gc.ca/envaffairs/climate/code/en/climate_change.stm

Agence métropolitaine de transport (AMT)- Services en entreprise de l'AMT
http://www.amt.qc.ca/tc/entreprises/index.asp(French only)

Ministère des Transports du Québec - Transport des personnes, déplacements domicile- travail
http://www.mtq.gouv.qc.ca/personnes/deplacements.htm(French only)

The Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF)

The Climate Change Action Fund (CCAF) was founded in 1998 by the federal government in order to help Canada fulfil its commitments under the Kyoto Protocol with respect to reducing greenhouse gas emissions throughout the country.

The goal of the CCAF is to support measures intended to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and increase the understanding of the impacts, costs and advantages of implementing the Kyoto Protocol, as well as the various options available to Canada.

Through the CCAF, the Government of Canada is taking concrete action to have governments, companies, communities, and Canadians play a role in the fight against climate change.

The CCAF includes five sections:

• Building for the future
• International policy and related activities
• Awareness raising for the public
• Science, impacts and adaptation
• Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM)

As part of the CCAF's public awareness raising focus, the Air Issues section examines project proposals and gives advice to promoters. The section also takes part in the national project steering committee.

The section also manages:

• intervention projects with promoters
• the formulation of proposals and contribution agreements
• the examination of expenses and progress reports
• and the final evaluation

and takes part in promoting projects.

Since it was founded, the CCAF has financed over 30 projects in the Quebec region over a three-year period.

For more information, consult the national web site and the Climate Change Action Fund project database

Awareness raising activities

CLEAN AIR DAY

Since 1999, the Air Issues section has taken part in the Clean Air day activities that are held on the first Wednesday in June, as part of the Canadian Environment Week. For this event, federal employees are informed about car pooling and mass transit.

In the Montreal area, the non-profit organization, Transport 2000 Québec, has been involved in organizing this annual event for several years.

Consult the Environment Canada web site for a report on Clean Air Day 2000

SUMMER TOUR

During the summer, the section operates a mobile kiosk in several public areas throughout the Montreal area to inform the public about the problem of climate change. The next summer tour is scheduled for 2002.

The Biosphere will be presenting an exhibit on climate change and the impact of change on our daily life until April 1, 2002. For more information, consult the Biosphere web site on the exhibit Climate Warning!

REGIONAL WORKING GROUP ON CLIMATE CHANGE

Environment Canada's Quebec Region has set up a regional working group on climate change, which includes representatives from seven regional branches and is coordinated by the Air Issues section. The mission of this group is to coordinate the actions of Environment Canada's various regional branches:

• to improve scientific knowledge
• to raise the awareness of the public and those operating in the priority sectors
• to implement strategies for adapting to the repercussions of climate change
• to help reduce greenhouse gases

Environment Canada web links concerning the issue of climate change

What Canada is doing
http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/doing/index.html

Greenhouse gas division
http://www2.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/ghg_home_e.cfm

Canada's Greenhouse Gas Inventory, 1997 Emissions and Removals with Trends
http://www.ec.gc.ca/pdb/ghg/ghg_docs_e.cfm

A Primer on Climate Change
http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/primer/sec-4.htm

Canada Country Study: Climate Impacts and Adaptation, Tome V: Responding to Global Climate Change in Quebec
http://www.ec.gc.ca/climate/ccs/volume5.htm

Government of Canada – Climate Change
http://climatechange.gc.ca/english/issues/what_is/greenhouse_gas.shtml

In Quebec, the St. Lawrence River, which draws its water from the Great Lakes, is affected directly by the climate changes that play a major role in fluctuations in the water level of the river.

For more information, consult the following Environment Canada web sites:

St. Lawrence River 2000 Action Plan: Le Fleuve newsletter, July 2000
http ://www.slv2000.qc.ec.gc.ca/bibliotheque/lefleuve/vol11no4/volume11_4_accueil_e.htm

The Biosphere: A few web sites on the Great Lakes and the St. Lawrence River water levels
http://biosphere.ec.gc.ca/bio/actu/actu/-fset4_a.html