There are two things. One is about a company's ability to draw down from that account. For some of these projects, in terms of reducing the amount of greenhouse gas emissions coming out of their site, there are two things. One is, we have long imagined that once the signals are sent, there will be broad sectoral approaches to these things. It's not going to be one company marching out alone while the other ones don't, because they'll all be working under the same rules, particularly if they're applied fairly.
To that point, there have been some, and we've heard from some of these companies already at this committee, who have done much of the legwork already in terms of research as to what's feasible, what types of measures cost what. And they've done much of the engineering. The reason we're comfortable with the two-year window is that in terms of launching those projects, there are feasibility studies, and the engineering beyond a two-year scope is not really required.
To do a feasibility study or an engineering scope on a project—Companies move at rates much quicker than this, and we've heard that. To simply design the project over a two-year concept window—If they're going much beyond that, their shareholders are going to have some questions for them. But that's for them to manage. There are companies that have been doing that without any signals put so far. They have been doing the engineering and designing and talking about things such as sequestration. There have been feasibility projects, and this government has made lots of laudable claims about just that project alone—how applicable sequestration is and what the costs per tonne are. A lot of that work's been done.
In terms of the bank being drawn on by other communities and there being a lag period, we very much imagine that the communities would be coming forward with concepts and projects that are already on their books. There probably isn't a municipality of any size in this country that does not have right now, at least in concept, if not already fleshed out in the development stage, projects they deem to be worthwhile for the environment in terms of greenhouse gas mitigation. We think there'd be an oversubscription to that particular portion.
In terms of companies' responses, the companies will always say the things take longer; they always will. This is not necessarily their responsibility. They're not in the business of reducing greenhouse gas emissions; it's not their job. Making this part of their job is what we think is incumbent upon government.