Thank you, Chair.
My thanks to the witnesses for being here. I also want to thank you for the briefing materials. We find them very helpful. Often we don't get them until we come into the meeting. I got them yesterday and was able to read through them last night.
Mr. Tirpak, in your presentation you highlighted the consequences of climate change all over the world. In the third paragraph of your presentation you referred to the first paragraph of the statement from the Toronto Conference on the Changing Atmosphere, held in 1988. You said:
The conference went on to set a target of 20 per cent reduction in carbon dioxide emissions below 1998 levels by 2005. Those were heady days in the climate change field. Today, we appreciate much more how easy it is to call for ambitious targets and how difficult it is to achieve them.
That was part of the 1993 Liberal red book, a commitment to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. We know that Canada then signed the Kyoto commitment. Of course, we know what happened. The result was that nothing happened on climate change under the previous government.
I would like a comment from each of you on the importance of having a harmonized continental approach as we set targets, as we create a plan to fight climate change. At our last meeting we had witnesses from the EU and the U.K. They have 27 different countries setting a continental target, with the U.K. being one of those 27. It only makes sense to have all the countries on the continent working together to set a common target. This was shared and agreed to by the witnesses at the last meeting.
I am sure you are all aware of the clean energy dialogue that has been taking place since President Obama came and met with our prime minister. There has been ongoing dialogue on climate change and how to have a harmonized approach. Canada has committed to a 20% reduction from 2006 levels by 2020, and similar targets are coming out of the United States.
There is still a lot of work required to get the legislation, but would you agree that because of our interlinked economies we could best approach climate change from a harmonized continental position?