Sustainable Development Plan: the Port of Québec Focuses on Decarbonization

05/10/2024

Québec City, May 10, 2024 — The Port of Québec unveiled its new 2024–2028 Environment, Social, Governance, and Sustainable Development (ESGSD) action plan today. The plan is built around its Vision 2035 and calls for the implementation of 20 specific actions for a more sustainable world. More specifically, decarbonization has been prioritized, the Port aiming to reduce greenhouse gases (GHG) by 40% across the entire port territory by 2035. The plan also addresses the cruise sector, with a specific target of reducing cruise ship GHG emissions by at least 50% by 2030. As this second target is dependent on the electrification of cruise docks, the Port of Québec is taking the opportunity to reiterate the need for funding from the provincial and federal governments, as well as the electrical power required to achieve this objective.

“An infrastructure like the Port of Québec can be a solution to environmental challenges. Environmental issues are part of our daily lives, and the development of this new ESGSD action plan demonstrates our determination to go far beyond regulatory requirements when it comes to sustainable development. We urgently need to go full speed ahead when it comes to combating climate change, switching to green fuels, protecting biodiversity, and improving living conditions in our port cities. This plan will help us render our environmental actions concrete and measurable.”
— Mario Girard, President and CEO, Port of Québec

This ambitious new plan for the Port of Québec is closely aligned with the United Nations’ global sustainable development goals (SDGs) and is the product of several consultations with internal and external stakeholders. These consultations gave rise to the four priority areas that make up the 2024–2028 ESGSD plan:
•    Environment and biodiversity (five actions)
•    Climate resilience and decarbonization (four actions)
•    Employees and communities (six actions)
•    ESG leadership (five actions)

In addition to the aforementioned GHG reduction targets, the 20 specific actions include:
•    Adoption of a greening plan by 2025 
•    Establishment of objectives for ecosystem preservation, conservation, and enhancement by 2026
•    Analysis of climate risks and opportunities and adoption of a climate resilience plan
•    Creation of an annual fund dedicated to citizen initiatives
•    Active participation in the 2022–2027 action plan of the Comité intersectoriel sur la contamination environnementale et la qualité de l’air dans l’arrondissement de La Cité-Limoilou (CICEL)

The Port of Québec’s Vision 2035 is to be a port recognized by citizens for the responsible management of its territory, respect for the environment and protection of biodiversity, while positioning itself as a world leader in establishing sustainable supply chains for a more resilient economy.

Read the 2024–2028 ESGSD action plan to learn more about the planned actions.

About the Port of Québec
The Québec Port Authority, a non-profit organization, manages the Port of Québec which is strategically located to serve North America’s industrial and agricultural heartland. This Canadian hub for international trade for both the import and export of goods is the only port in the province of Québec with a fifteen-metre depth of water at low tide and a comprehensive intermodal infrastructure. The Port facilities generate 10,000 jobs and about two billion dollars in economic activity each year.

Source and information
Frédéric Lagacé
Communications Director
Port of Québec 
[email protected]
418-929-5031