Québec, October 17, 2002 – André Boisclair, Minister of State for Municipal Affairs and Greater Montréal, the Environment and Water, today signed on behalf of the Government of Québec a voluntary agreement to reduce greenhouse gases with ALCAN Inc.

Minister André Boisclair and Mr. Jean Simon, Vice-President of the Operating Division of ALCAN in the Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean region, signed this special agreement to reduce greenhouse gases, which covers ALCAN’s facilities in Québec, namely the Alma, Arvida, Beauharnois, Grande-Baie, Laterrière, Vaudreuil and Shawinigan plants, as well as the port and electrical energy facilities. The agreement also covers the Compagnie de chemin de fer Roberval–Saguenay, owned by a subsidiary of ALCAN.

Since 1999, ALCAN’s performance in the reduction of greenhouse gases has corresponded to an average reduction of about 285,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year up to the end of 2003. For that period, this means an average annual reduction of 6.4%. New greenhouse gas reduction targets will be set annually by the company, until the end of the agreement in 2007.

"I congratulate ALCAN on these results. The agreement signed today testifies to the company’s desire to maintain and continue its efforts in the future. I am very proud of these voluntary reduction agreements, like the one with ALCAN, and I invite the other major industrial sectors to do likewise," stated Minister Boisclair.

It is worthwhile mentioning that in January 2002 the Government of Québec and the Aluminum Association of Canada signed a framework agreement on the voluntary reduction of greenhouse gases in Québec.

The voluntary greenhouse gas reduction agreement signed today is the second to be reached with a company in the aluminum sector, the first having been signed in June 2002 with ALCOA.

Thanks to the contribution of close to 500,000 tonnes of CO₂ equivalent per year of these 2 aluminum plants, the reduction objective set by the Aluminum Association of Canada, namely 200,000 tonnes per year, was largely exceeded.

"It is due to such steps that Québec is in a good position to achieve the objective of reducing greenhouse gases which will have been negotiated for the period from 2008 to 2012 within the framework of the Kyoto Protocol, which is currently going through the ratification process," concluded André Boiclair.

Schedule: Table of Alcan greenhouse gas emissions in Québec

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