The Quebec government wants to get more people into electric cars and power more industrial production with hydroelectricity as it aims to meet the province's greenhouse gas emission reduction targets.

Premier François Legault announced his government's long-awaited plan to tackle climate change on Monday, after one of the main elements was revealed over the weekend: a ban on the sale of new gas-powered vehicles, starting in 2035. 

The government is devoting $6.7 billion over the next five years to deal with climate change. The bulk of that money will go to subsidies for the purchase of electric vehicles.

Climate change experts and environmental activists say that won't be enough to put the province on track to meet its goal of reducing greenhouse gas emissions by 29 million tonnes of CO2 by 2030. They say more money should be invested in public transit and climate change mitigation.

The ban on gas-powered vehicles will not extend to commercial vehicles, nor the sale of second-hand cars. 

Legault said at Monday's news conference he chose to focus on incentive-based policies, rather than taxation, to change people's behaviour. He said the plan was made with the regions in mind and is fitting with the "way Quebec is."

"People have no choice to have a pickup or a car. And very often also people having less means, they are the one who would be most affected," he said.

Legault blamed the previous Liberal government for the province's failure to meet its 2020 targets. He said his government would seek to further capitalize on the province's access to hydropower in the coming years.

Environment Minister Benoît Charette said the provincial government will give an update on the progress of its emissions reductions on an annual basis.

Here are some of the key targets included in the plan:

• Reduce GHG emissions by 37.5 per cent below 1990 levels by 2030.
• Achieve carbon neutrality by 2050.
• Put 1.5 million electric vehicles on the road in Quebec by 2030.
• 55 per cent of city buses and 65 per cent of school buses electrified by 2030.
• 100 per cent of governmental cars, SUVs, vans and minivans electrified in 2030.
• 50 per cent reduction of emissions related to heating for buildings by 2030.