Thank you very much, Mr. Chair. I'm very pleased to present the views of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce to this committee on Bill C-288.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce has 170,000 members, including local chambers of commerce, SME's, and large companies representing all sectors of the Canadian economy in all regions of the country.
I imagine most of you have chambers of commerce or boards of trade in your ridings and know the kind of work we do. We are very pleased on behalf of our members to provide some comments. I believe you do have our brief; I just want to highlight a few of the important points.
First of all, the Canadian Chamber of Commerce recognizes that climate change is a serious and complex global issue that requires effective short-, medium-, and long-term strategies and actions. However, with little more than a year to go before the start of the first Kyoto compliance period, we are concerned about the timelines and reduction levels the protocol requires of Canada, as well as the methods for implementation.
We also believe that the fixation on targets has been counterproductive to developing a practical and effective domestic contribution to the global effort on climate change. The international community is engaged in a variety of processes to determine the future framework for international cooperation on action to deal with greenhouse gas challenges. This provides an opportunity for Canada and other countries to refocus the domestic and international climate change issue from a debate about national targets to a discussion of effective actions to improve efficiency and develop the technological solutions required to bring GHG emissions under control over the long term.
Many of the members of the Canadian Chamber of Commerce have already taken action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We are committed to further efforts. We have been encouraging our members to participate in and enhance commitments to voluntary programs such as the Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation. These efforts have been working. For example, while Canada's emissions grew almost 20% between 1990 and 2000, industrial emissions grew by only 1%, and many sectors achieved significant reductions.
The Canadian Chambers of Commerce recognizes that climate change is a serious and complex issue that requires short, medium and long term action. Many of the members of the Canadian Chambers have already taken action to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and they continue to implement projects of their own creation. We continue to encourage our members to pursue their important work in the development of new technologies.
And new technologies are the key to the large-scale emission reductions that are needed over the long term.
Canadian industries are currently developing new technologies and new fuel sources, but many initiatives are in the pilot stage and will have to be scaled up to full projects and programs if they prove successful. Some examples of these technologies include the recovery and utilization of gas from oil wells that would otherwise be flared and improved animal waste management systems in animal feeding operations.
Unfortunately, while some development of these technologies has already begun to take place, in most cases it will not be feasible to have large-scale implementation by the 2012 Kyoto Protocol deadline. A longer-term focus is necessary to support full development and commercialization of these new technologies.
Another point, Mr. Chairman, is that the challenges of adapting to the effects of climate change have been largely ignored in the policy debate so far. It's clear that regardless of what actions are taken to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, no action will be enough to absolutely stop the effects of climate change; it can only slow those down. I think Canadians will need to anticipate the possible effects of climate change, take the necessary and practical precautions, and make changes in their lifestyles to make sure they are prepared. Obviously, individual companies and communities need to make their own decisions on how to best prepare for potential changes in the environment, but there is some useful research on adaptation being conducted within Natural Resources Canada, and that will be a key for companies and communities in their planning for climate change.
Governments in Canada have taken little action since 1997 to facilitate broadly effective energy efficiency improvement programs. While many industries have substantially reduced their energy use per unit of output--their energy intensity--the growth of the economy, as expected, has raised total emissions. There was serious doubt about the possibility of achieving Canada's Kyoto targets when they were announced, and more than eight years later, they are, in my view, virtually unachievable.
Irrespective of the mechanism used, industry broadly agrees that there must be a full review of greenhouse gas regulation policy before a legislative instrument is chosen. Furthermore, since provinces and territories are not only critical to moving forward on any approach to climate change but have jurisdictional responsibilities and policy priorities, it is essential that provinces and territories be fully consulted and fully engaged in this process. In addition, capital investment and the life cycle of capital is the key to reducing emission intensity, particularly in manufacturing, and those realities must definitely be taken into account in any plan going forward.
To conclude, we believe that Canada needs to develop a realistic plan to reduce greenhouse gases. But for it to be effective and practical, it must focus on long-term technology changes to achieve the desirable goal of environmental improvements in conjunction with sustainable economic growth and development. In addition, it must involve all Canadians, not only those who cause and create emissions but those on the consuming side as well.
The Canadian Chamber of Commerce asks you to vote against this particular bill and look at other approaches that will provide a realistic plan that all Canadians can participate in.
Thank you.
Thank you, and I'll be happy to answer questions later in the morning.