Second study launched by the CPQ for the PROSPERITE.QUEBEC campaign analyzing the situation of the Quebec’s natural resources.
Preface
Launched o cially on February 16 and 17, 2015, the “PROSPERITE.QUEBEC” campaign will be rolled out over the next three years. It allows all interested parties to share their experience and views. Together, we will be deploying concrete initiatives aimed at stimulating Quebecers’ determination to prosper, by highlighting entrepreneurs at the helm of Quebec companies, holding business development forums and creating opportunities for people from all walks of life and all regions of the province to share their ideas about the importance of prosperity, with benefits for and contributions by one and all.
In order to encourage open dialogue and bring stakeholders together, we have decided to carry out about a dozen studies and research projects on various levers for prosperity. The findings will be released gradually over the next three years.
This is the second study in the series. It highlights the importance of so-called “traditional” natural resources in the economy. The contribution of these resources is felt in terms of jobs, exports, added value, innovation and government revenue.
Companies in the natural resource sector contribute to our prosperity in a number of ways:
- they raise our standard of living; they pay higher-than-average wages; they contribute to economic diversification and regional development; they drive international trade dynamics that boost our prosperity; they help reduce economic inequality.
- Quebec has the good fortune to be able to count on abundant and diverse natural resources (mines, forests, energy), and the potential of these resources has yet to be fully developed. In this economic context, there are two inseparable and interdependent truths: resources are an essential economic lever for ensuring our collective prosperity; and it is important that we develop our resources responsibly, in a spirit of respect for the environment and communities.
Quebec lags behind the Canadian average when it comes to GDP and disposable income. Natural resources can help us eliminate this gap and meet citizens’ quality-of-life needs in areas like health, education and social protection for the underprivileged.
