Quebec will become the first Canadian province to adopt California's stringent auto-emissions standards in a move hailed as part of a domino effect toward greener cars.

Environment Minister Line Beauchamp made the announcement early Wednesday at the UN climate-change summit in Indonesia as a group of environmentalists looked on and applauded.

At least four other Canadian provinces are considering a similar plan, and Quebec described its step as part of a historic march toward cleaner cars across North America.

"This is a movement," Beauchamp said. "And it is an inevitable movement — it's one that cannot be reversed."

Green groups present said the steps taken by states and provinces will place additional pressure on the federal administrations in Washington and Ottawa to follow suit with tough national standards.

Beauchamp announced that Quebec's provincial cabinet has already authorized publication of a draft regulation respecting greenhouse gas emissions for light vehicles.

It will take effect only after a 60-day consultation period starting next Jan. 3 and once the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency provides a waiver that will allow California to enact its own law.

Quebec says it is prepared for a fight like the one faced by California — which is involved in lawsuits with automakers and with its own federal EPA to get the waiver it needs.

"We know that we will face a certain lobby that will make itself heard over the coming weeks," Beauchamp said. "We know their arguments."

And even before they make those arguments, Beauchamp is rejecting any suggestion that the new standards will result in higher car prices for consumers.

She said some cars on the road already meet the standard and the technology to cut emissions is readily available.

Officials from her office said the negligible additional cost — about $20 a car or less — will be more than offset by lower fuel costs for consumers.

Beauchamp's California counterpart, Linda Adams, said Quebec's actions send an important message to the auto manufacturers: make the cars that consumers demand.

"We call on automakers to stop suing us and stop wasting time and instead devote their efforts to meeting these standards," she said. "Congratulations to Quebec for showing leadership in this area"

"The message is very clear to the auto manufacturers — California and others and now Canada, is demanding clean cars."

Quebec showing leadership: Sierra Club

The Sierra Club of Canada hailed the announcement as "a huge victory for North America."

Emily Moorehouse, a spokeswoman for the group, said Quebec is taking the lead in Canada on vehicle emissions standards.

The move is being cast a key part of Quebec's six-year plan to fight greenhouse gases.

Quebec has a plan to reduce emissions by 14.6 megatonnes by 2012, and it says the auto announcement will cut 1.7 megatonnes within that time.

The Quebec regulations would force automakers to ensure the average level of emissions for their 2010 to 2016 vehicle fleets does not exceed the standards.

The U.S. Sierra Club cast Quebec's decision as a victory in the battle to persuade the entire United States to adopt California's standards, instead of Washington's.

Sixteen U.S. states have adopted the California model and Quebec is the first province to follow suit.

Federal governments lagging

The federal government is also working to harmonize its auto standards — but with the United States as a whole, not with California's, which rank among the strictest in the world.

A U.S. Sierra Club spokesman said the province is helping in the fight against carbon emissions — while Canada's federal government isn't.

"The Bush administration has continued to drag its feet on standards," said Glen Besa, a regional director for the group. "We really wouldn't expect too much to come out of those proceedings."

"Frankly, time is running out for the Bush administration, and we don't understand why the Harper government would be associating itself with the Bush administration on this issue when you are already a party to Kyoto," he said.

Earlier in the summit, Beauchamp and her Ontario counterpart distanced themselves from the federal government.

She said her province is moving forward on the fight against climate change and declined to explain or defend the federal position.

Ottawa is taking flak at the summit for sticking to a hardball view that unless all major emitters sign onto targets, it won't accept any climate deal.

But the feds have repeatedly pointed out that the countries which escaped targets under the Kyoto accord — countries like China, India and the United States — account for well over half the world's emissions.