Evidence of meeting #24 for Environment and Sustainable Development in the 39th Parliament, 1st Session. (The original version is on Parliament’s site, as are the minutes.) The winning word was change.
A recording is available from Parliament.
10:55 a.m.
Biologist, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi
No. It's a very efficient station, but it's a station that emits one million tonnes. It's the same machine as Suroît. It was planned at the same time or roughly so, but it adds a significant share to Quebec's footprint.
10:55 a.m.
Bloc
Marcel Lussier Bloc Brossard—La Prairie, QC
What do you think about replacing coal-fired stations with natural gas stations?
10:55 a.m.
Biologist, University of Quebec at Chicoutimi
That's a 40 percent advantage in terms of greenhouse gas reduction. Natural gas is the cleanest way to produce electricity with fossil fuels, especially if you can add biogas to the natural gas, purifying the biogas so that it only produces methane. Electricity produced from natural gas can be entirely valid when you don't have the choice to produce it with renewable resources.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Mr. Watson, if I could go to you, I'll ask you to pose your question and ask for a written answer. As you can see, another committee is coming in.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
Jeff Watson Conservative Essex, ON
Very good, Mr. Chair.
I want an answer to the carbon market question. The carbon market is more of a medium- to long-term tool. In the short term, it takes capital away from industries that should be investing in the technology for longer-range improvements in cleaner technologies. I think that's one of the perverse effects of a carbon market, in the short term.
I want that confirmed, particularly for industries like the machine tool, die, and mould sector or the auto parts industry, which are capital poor. That will give a competitive advantage to lower-cost jurisdictions, say China, to have those jobs that are already outside the Kyoto Protocol.
I'd like some thoughts on what a carbon market means for capital-poor industries, in the short term.
10:55 a.m.
Conservative
The Chair Conservative Bob Mills
Thank you very much.
I know, Mr. Lloyd, you'd love to answer that. If you could get a written answer through the clerk, certainly Mr. Watson deserves that.
Thank you very much to our witnesses. Thank you, Mr. Villeneuve.
The meeting is adjourned.