Three Quebec ports announce net zero goal

The Ports of Montreal, Québec and Trois-Rivières are taking the federal government’s Net-Zero Challenge.

The announcement was made by Daniel Dagenais, vice-president, port performance and sustainable development of the Montreal Port Authority (MPA) alongside Pascal Raby, vice-president, operations of the Québec Port Authority, and Jacques Paquin, executive vice-president of the Trois-Rivières Port Authority.

They were taking part in Quebec’s marine sector conference, Assises québécoises du secteur maritime 2023, taking place May 9 and 10 at the Lévis Convention Centre.

Launched in August 2022 by the Minister of Environment and Climate Change, the Net-Zero Challenge is a voluntary initiative that invites organizations to develop and implement credible and effective transition plans to make their facilities and operations emission-free by 2050.

By announcing their collective participation in the Net-Zero Challenge, the ports of Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières are joining forces to accelerate the decarbonization of maritime transport on the St. Lawrence River corridor.

The ports of Montreal, Quebec City and Trois-Rivières signed a cooperation agreement in 2022 covering various aspects, including communications, innovation, the environment, marine operations and asset management. This shared commitment to the Net-Zero Challenge is a tangible example of promising projects set in motion to develop a strong shipping corridor from a sustainable development perspective.

Operated by the Montreal Port Authority (MPA), the Port of Montreal is the second largest port in Canada.

The Port of Trois-Rivières accommodates 55,000 trucks, 11,000 railcars and more than 240 merchant and cruise ships annually originating from over 100 different ports in more than 40 countries around the world. It handles 4.3 million metric tonnes of traffic yearly.

The Port of Québec is among Canada’s five largest ports in terms of tonnage handled and economic spinoffs. Each year, cargo ships from or to some fifty countries call at the Port of Québec to connect the Great Lakes and Midwestern U.S. markets to the rest of the world.