Environment committee  Just go about your business.” That is what I thought of when I got this response from Environment and Climate Change Canada. It has the big “Draft” watermark across the front and it says on page 1, “Please note, this is a draft in progress. Any comments would be appreciated. Views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect those of Environment and Climate Change Canada or the Government of Canada.”

Environment committee  And whereas Environment and Climate Change Canada has failed to provide all information ordered by the committee within the adopted timeline. Accordingly, the Committee views this failure to comply with this committee order as a violation of its privileges, and that this matter be reported to the House.

Environment committee  And whereas Environment and Climate Change Canada has failed to provide all information ordered by the committee within the adopted timeline. Accordingly, the Committee views this failure to comply with this committee....

Environment committee  Views expressed in this paper are those of the authors and do not reflect those of Environment and Climate Change Canada or the Government of Canada.” I'll also draw the committee's attention to the draft document's inclusion on page 12, which states, “This document provides a work in progress draft description of ECCC's provincial CGE (D-level) CGE model used for carbon policy analysis.”

Environment committee  Yes, we used to talk a lot about adapting to climate change or reducing greenhouse gas emissions. Perhaps that was because we hadn't acted quickly or forcefully enough over the years, but my sense now is that we talk more about adaptation than mitigation, although both are extremely important.

Environment committee  Could you address broadly the cost of not dealing with these climate events that are happening and not taking action to stop the increase in greenhouse gases in climate change and heating up the planet? What do those costs generally look like to our planet?

Environment committee  If humanity fails to rein in emissions quickly and tightly enough, the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change projects that one half to three quarters of the human population could routinely be exposed to life-threatening heat and humidity. Food production systems will be severely undermined.

Environment committee  Flood and drought damages have risen dramatically in Canada since then and are expected to rise further due to extreme weather and water events, thanks to climate change coupled with our growing communities and increasing agricultural and industrial production. Flood plains are growing, droughts are intensifying and many community farms and industries are impacted by this.

Environment committee  We've seen delays, and fair enough, because these are complicated matters to hand in, but to be handed a document that says this is made by Environment and Climate Change Canada, but doesn't reflect ECCC, and then just told that this is what our model is, how is that believable? You're telling me that ECCC doesn't have any better data than four people.

Environment committee  When we are asked to provide documents and those documents are provided, it's no surprise that the Conservatives don't like the math or don't like the evidence. They've leaned into climate change denial as their policy plank now. It's not that they don't agree with the fact that our climate is changing; they've now decided that they don't like the answers they've received—

Environment committee  I'll go back to where I was interrupted: And whereas Environment and Climate Change Canada has failed to provide all information ordered by the committee within the adopted timeline. Accordingly, the Committee views this failure to comply with the committee order as a violation of its privileges, and that this matter be reported to the House.

Environment committee  We are only beginning to see just what those costs might look like. We first have to determine exactly what kinds of impacts we're talking about. When climate change migrations become a crisis of national security, the costs can be quite dramatic in terms of the loss of GDP, productivity, stability, public health costs, security costs and so on.

Environment committee  Climate change is causing a lot of problems for farmers, who are on the front line. How will this strategy be able to help them plan their season more effectively?

Environment committee  It says, “The Government of Canada is investing over $227 million in the ongoing Flood Hazard Identification and Mapping program...to meet this need by updating and expanding its existing flood mapping capabilities.... Natural Resources Canada leads [this program] in partnership with Environment and Climate Change Canada and Public Safety Canada.” Can you give us an idea of how the initiative contained in Bill C-317 will align with these initiatives that are going on at Natural Resources Canada?

Environment committee  It's one of the challenges, obviously, with predicting climate change and the impacts. I think what's perhaps more easily accessible are the land use changes that have happened over a number of years, but that's also information that's held and known more locally.