QUEBEC, QC – Last week, just ahead of COP30, the Government of Quebec tabled a bill to transfer at least $1.8 billion from the Electrification and Climate Change Fund (FECC) to the Generations Fund, claiming that the “surplus” would be reallocated to something else – yet to be determined. Given that Quebec is clearly falling short of its goal to reduce greenhouse gas emissions by 37.5% by 2030, the government’s decision to slow down climate action is counterproductive.

The intended goal of the FECC was as follows:

“The FECC is a special fund entirely dedicated to the fight against climate change. As such, it aims to support concrete and efficient measures to reduce GHG emissions, adapt to the impacts of climate change, and electrify the economy.” [translated from French]

What’s more, “ this directly contradicts the economic plan unveiled yesterday, in which the government touts the importance of decarbonizing the economy and advancing the energy transition. In fact, on page 19 it states: ‘Quebec stands to benefit greatly from replacing imported fossil fuels with locally produced renewable energy’. We agree. So why is the government blocking programs and harming workers and businesses that are actively contributing to that very transition?”,stated Daniel Breton, President and CEO of Electric Mobility Canada.

The claim that there are “surpluses” in the FECC is not credible. Several previously announced programs have been on hold for months because the Treasury Board has prohibited the Ministries of Environment and Transport from investing funds in projects and programs that were already announced and should have been implemented long ago. There are therefore no surpluses—only funds deliberately blocked by part of the government.

Two examples of deliberately blocked funds by the government deserve mention:

• The Eco-camionnage Program: Paused in September 2024. In June 2025, the government announced its return with a $415 million envelope over five years. Yet, five months later, workers and businesses eagerly awaiting its return are growing discouraged due to the unnecessary uncertainty created by the Quebec government, at a time when workers and businesses are already affected by uncertainty from the Trump administration. For example, workers at Paccar, 300 of whom recently lost their jobs due to U.S. tariffs, could greatly benefit from this program to manufacture electric trucks in Quebec.
• The Quebec Strategy for Electric Vehicle Charging: A significant portion of the $514 million earmarked for charging infrastructure has been blocked, including the 2025 BRCC 3 project call and the program for heavy EV charging. Of note, the Minister of Finance had justified the reduction in electric vehicle rebates by stating that those funds would now go toward charging stations.

Critical minerals: A potential loss of at least 40,000 tonnes
It’s important to highlight that the government’s support for critical minerals completely overlooks their recycling, even though this must be an integral part of any comprehensive plan. More than 450,000 electric vehicles are already on Quebec’s roads, and it’s projected that there will be at least 1.5 million by 2030. If the Government of Quebec abandons the company Lithion, these minerals will be recovered by American companies, leading to the loss of at least 40,000 tonnes of critical minerals from Quebec by 2031. To understand what this figure represents: With just 10% recycled material in each battery, that amount could be used to manufacture approximately 1.1 million electric vehicle batteries. From economic, environmental, and geostrategic perspectives, this is completely incomprehensible.