What happens when a small town declares trees as legal entities? And what does this imply as the demand for cars has never been greater?
By Carter Hammett
“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.” – Margaret Mead
On June 9 a remarkable thing happened: a first in Canada and a first for Quebec. The small town of Terrasse-Vaudreuil took a bold step forward and declared tress as worthy of protection, including “the right to life, to natural growth, to integrity and to regeneration.”
In essence the Quebec town officially granted trees the right to be recognized as living beings with their own rights.
Key details of this historic piece of legislation include: recognizing each tree is an ecosystem, capable of feeling and communicating. Policy shifts ensure the municipality is updating bylaws to ensure that trees are actively protected or replaced when removal is requested. The town also promotes the planting of non-invasive species, tree canopy protection as well as public education regarding the importance of local ecosystems.
The small town of under 2,000 people also became the first town in the country to sign on to the Universal Declaration of the Rights of the Tree, which is an international initiative undertaken by the collective efforts of several environmental groups.
The main tenets of the declaration include that trees are living beings and a common human good; that life on earth depends on their existence and that humans must act in “fraternity and solidarity” with them.
In theory this all sounds great but in practice? I can’t help but wonder that despite all the potential a move like this carries, what about the intersection between vehicles and trees? Certainly the introduction of EVs addresses some of this but certainly much more can be done.
For starters, the feds introduced the 2 Billion Trees Program back in 2021, with a goal of offsetting up to 12 Mt of emissions by 2050. This is amounts to removing about 4% of all cars off Canadian Roads. The project is implemented in partnership with provinces, territories, municipalities, indigenous groups and others across the country.
There are also a number of offset programs where Canadian vehicle platforms partner with nonprofits like Tree Canada, in cooperation with dealerships to plant trees for every car sold or driven.
Let’s look at the numbers shall we? According to Environment and Climate Change Canada, a passenger vehicle accounts for roughly 51 percent of volatile organic compound (VOC) national transportation emissions, and 21% of nitrogen oxide making them chief culprits in smog and traffic-related air pollution (TRAP). Road side trees act as natural filters capturing particulate matter and lowering local air pollution along roadways.
Furthermore, street trees form a natural barrier that reduces urban speeds and improves walkers’ safety and wellbeing. Oddly enough, they also provide shade and lower urban heat island temperatures, thereby reducing energy uses from your vehicle’s A/C.
These are but two examples of the intersection between trees and our vehicle culture but they are sufficient enough to illustrate the impact and importance that trees have on urban and environmental planning, as well as creating new ways of monitoring systems and developing strategies to mitigate some of the negative impact caused by the vehicles we take for granted.
Initiatives like this are not new. Indeed, on a global level, jurisdictions, India, New Zealand and Colombia have all granted legal personhood to rivers and other natural, sensitive areas. But it’s one of the first times in Canada that a move like this has taken shape and been promoted as a step towards protecting our planet.
The town of Terrasse-Vaudreuil should be applauded for taking a giant leap forward in future planning. It can also serve as a model for other Canadian jurisdictions.