On the eve of Earth Day, Équiterre and Green Communities Canada are launching the Canadian School Bus Electricity Alliance, a new initiative to make all school buses in the country electric by 2040.
Andréanne Brazeau, Mobility Analyst at Équiterre, explains in an interview with He should.
The initiative, which aims to “get more ambitious political commitments, both regionally and federally,” brings together more than fifteen organizations from school community and environmental groups.
The famous yellow bus in North America [transporte] Kids have been in school since the 1930s, fueled almost exclusively by fossil fuels,” Equateur said in a press release. “That is still the case today,” we continue, even if Canada sticks, in its latest climate plan, Support transportation agencies and school boards in converting bus fleets to zero-emission technologies.
Inspired by Quebec
To promote the transition to electric power, the alliance intends to “equip the provinces that need it most”, inspired in particular by the example of Quebec, which has already implemented a series of measures to promote the purchase of electric school buses, identifies ame Brazzo.
In its Green Economy Plan, the Legault government has set a goal of replacing 65% of diesel school buses with electric models by 2030. To achieve this, the district has allocated an envelope of $250 million to electrify school bus vehicles. Additionally, since last summer, Quebec has required that “all new school buses be powered by electricity”.
Efforts worthy of emulation elsewhere in Canada, believes Mr.me Brazeau, even if the Quebec must also overburden the accelerator to reach his goal. In Quebec, as of January 2021, only 130 school buses were electric. According to government datawhich represents only about 1% of the total fleet.
Since road transport accounts for a quarter of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions, it’s time to encourage the electrification of school buses to improve climate balance, Judge Eketer.