Natural Resources committee  No. This is the first time that the Canadian authorities have asked me about Canada's possible contribution to the UN bodies. I would not say here that Canada is absent. All I want to say is that, when those things are examined in United Nations forums, including matters relating

Natural Resources committee  Take green construction, for example. In this construction system, the amount of intrinsic energy is decreased to reduce the impact and, above all, to create a very energy efficient building. The United Nations Environment Programme includes a component on construction standards

Natural Resources committee  Yes, it's another challenge we are facing. It's rather easy to develop new recipes in the lab. The idea is to export those new products and new recipes from the lab to the processing plant, and we are facing a tremendous.... If I compare what is going on in Sweden, for instance,

Natural Resources committee  We have no reason to be ashamed when we are comparing our research labs, be they in British Columbia, Ontario or Quebec, to those in Sweden, Finland, Germany or Austria, the main locations. Moreover, you need to see the French and British laboratories. The Université de Bordeaux

Natural Resources committee  Go ahead.

Natural Resources committee  The forestry sector is complex. In terms of industrial innovation, if we are talking about wood products and new processes, I think our funding is fairly competitive. There is also the whole resource development side of things. The cost of wood for a sawmill, for example, is abou

Natural Resources committee  Canada is a very big country. I will answer your question from the Quebec perspective. Wood pellets are not finding their niche on the domestic Quebec market for the simple reason that hydroelectricity is a challenge. Being competitive is extremely difficult. That's why we need

Natural Resources committee  Yes.

Natural Resources committee  Of course, there are synergies there. With the free trade agreement with the European community there is an opportunity that eastern Canada should seize for green construction, for bioenergy with pellets and briquettes and things like that. Actually, right down here in Quebec Cit

Natural Resources committee  Of course, British Columbia is closer to Asia than eastern Canada is and the forest industry in British Columbia was very keen on developing the Chinese market and it was done very successfully. For the Quebec industry, we are further away from the Asian market, and I've mentione

Natural Resources committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman. Members of the committee, I would like to thank you for your invitation, and especially for having me appear live by videoconference. I would first like to stress one fact that you have probably been reminded of frequently: Canada is a forest nation wit