Environment committee  I'd like to welcome all of you and thank you for being here on short notice to talk about this very interesting subject. We will go in the order listed and begin with Climate Change Central and Mr. Simon Knight, please. Please keep it to 10 minutes so the members have time to ask questions. With so many witnesses it gets a little tough if you go over.

Environment committee  In September, I believe, the Rosebud water situation will be published, but they are also writing about climate change. I find it interesting that Quebec is so concerned about what is happening to our water in Alberta that they're sending journalists out. There is an Alberta Views article. I have copies here for you.

Environment committee  To tell you the truth, it was planned so as to be done this year, but we decided 18 months ago to focus on climate change, so the upcoming report will be on climate change; in the next one we'll do a wrap-up of some of the key issues we looked at in the past.

Environment committee  As I said, I believe greenhouse gas reductions are best done so that we get the twin benefits of clean air, reducing air pollutants, which I think is a priority for Canadians, as well as addressing climate change. Plus we get the benefit of the green economy. I think what Canadians want to see is a real effort to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, not an exclusive effort to simply send taxpayers' money abroad.

Environment committee  Let me respond. I believe climate change is the biggest ecological challenge facing the earth for my generation and generations to come. I want to see Canada play a major role domestically and abroad to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

Environment committee  So you've been forewarned on this issue by Mr. Nesbitt, CEO of the Toronto Stock Exchange, and every expert on climate change or on emissions trading that this committee or the Bill C-30 committee has heard from has told us it would be foolish, in fact, for Canada to withdraw and not take part in the global carbon market.

Environment committee  I can say that we came forward with the budget the other day, and we'll be coming forward in short order with industrial targets. There's the issue of climate change, efforts to reduce greenhouse gases, efforts to reduce air-pollutant smog and pollution. There will never be the final plan tabled. There will be the need for constant, continuing action to hear good ideas, see best practices, and come forward with additional initiatives—not just today but tomorrow, next week, next month, next year, 10 years, 30 years from now.

Environment committee  Your government committed $200 million for perhaps the most devastating effects of climate change we've seen so far last year, the mountain pine beetle in western Canada. Of that $200 million, approximately $11 million in total was spent for an airport improvement. How am I meant to go back to my communities in northwestern British Columbia and say that your government is doing what it takes to make the transitions necessary for their economies, when they are on the front edge of what is being described as the biggest ecological and perhaps economic devastation that rural northern British Columbia has ever seen?

Environment committee  Outside of the Arctic, it's certainly probably the best example of the huge effects of climate change. My colleague the Minister of Natural Resources will probably be best able to talk to the specifics of the forestry industry and the pine beetle.

Environment committee  So now that we've put some money on the table to show that we operate differently, I hope there can be greater engagement with the provinces on a variety of initiatives, not just on climate change but also on other issues. There also has to be a real acknowledgement that the provinces are all at very different places. New Brunswick's energy mix, in terms of their fleet, is very different from Nova Scotia's.

Environment committee  The Main Estimates announce initiatives relating to climate change. The total amount is of some 850 million dollars. As the minister mentioned, for Environment Canada, the Main Estimates provide for about 67.3 million dollars for these initiatives for the 2007-2008 fiscal year.

Environment committee  More specifically, in 2005-2006, the expenditures relating to climate change initiatives amounted to approximately 512 million dollars.

Environment committee  In 2005-2006, the amount was of 512 million dollars and it involved approximately four programs aimed at emissions, reductions for climate change, incentives for wind energy and partnerships. All of that is included in the estimates.

Environment committee  For 2005-06 we had $512 million for climate change programs. So that was for one year.

Environment committee  I know you're going to talk about repackaging and all the rest that your government did when it came into office with climate change programs in this country.