Report - Agence canadienne d'évaluation environnementale

Project energy context
implementation would result in a net increase in carbon dioxide emissions for Quebec
The criticisms and doubts expressed arise form considerations that the Panel studied
in greater depth.
The Panel notes that the problem of the presumed relationship between
anthropogenic carbon dioxide and unfavourable climate change constitutes a global
challenge. In that sense, it is of the view that the territorial origin of emissions is of
little importance inasmuch as the ultimate results of the efforts deployed by the
countries and regions on the world lead to a reduction in the concentration of carbon
dioxide in the atmosphere. The Panel estimated that the increase in emissions in a
given sector of activity is not necessarily incompatible with the objective, or the
feasibility, of reaching overall GHG emissions reductions of a country, a state, or a
region. Increases by sector could in fact be compensated, depending on their
magnitude, by compensatory or higher reduction measures in other sectors. That is
how, for example, the allotment of national reduction charges divided among
European Union member countries foresees and allows carbon dioxide emissions
growth for member countries such as Norway and Portugal whereas emissions
reduction targets are higher than the average of 6 percent of other member countries
such as Germany.
♦ Opinion 2 — In the Panel’s judgement, the carbon dioxide emissions reduction
commitments under the Kyoto protocol allow increases by sector, when the situation
justifies it, inasmuch as the overall reduction objective is achieved by compensatory
reductions in other sectors of the economy such as transportation or by the adoption
of proportional compensation measures aimed to counter these increases.
Moreover, without denying the potential of the project to provide supply and price
conditions that would favour the substitution of high carbon content fuels by natural
gas in Quebec, the AQLPA expressed reservations about this potential. That
organization believes that the projected fuel replacement level could not be attributed
to a single LNG terminal project (DM592.1). It also believes that the beneficial effect
of the project could diminish over time, thereby diminishing the carbon dioxide
emission reduction advantages forecast in Quebec.
On that basis, the AQLPA is of the opinion “that a program with objectives and adequate
means making it possible to achieve a substitution level should underlie any development
of the natural gas sector” in Quebec. It is also of the opinion that the uncertainty around the
means the proponent would implement in order to concretely achieve the fuel replacement
levels would make the GHG emission reductions “too hypothetical”.
The Panel considers that the advantages foreseen in this area could only occur if a
price differential in favour of natural gas exists in the Quebec market compared to
Rabaska Project – Implementation of an LNG Terminal and Related Infrastructure 83