Mr. Chairman and honourable members, thank you very much for the opportunity to present to you on behalf of the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences. My name is Marlon Lewis. I'm vice-chairman of the board of trustees of the foundation, a professor at Dalhousie University, and CEO of Satlantic Incorporated, an optical instrument manufacturing company in Halifax, Nova Scotia.
Canada’s economic rebound hinges on its ability to innovate and to rapidly adapt to changing global conditions. The creation of knowledge through fundamental and applied research underpins innovation and lies at the heart of Canada’s recovery program. According to the World Economic Forum, increased emphasis on science and innovation is crucial to achieving sustained economic recovery. This brief, sirs, describes needs and stimulus measures in a key area for the Canadian economy, which is climate.
The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences provides focused support for excellent university-based research. The foundation is Canada's primary funding body for university-based research in climate, atmospheric, and oceanographic sciences, investing an average of $10 million to $14 million per year into the research community. It is an autonomous, non-profit agency established in 2000, with federal endowments totalling $110 million. The mandate of the foundation continues through 2012, although all available funds have now been committed. We seek support for the foundation in meeting what we believe are challenges unprecedented in human history.
Climate change is a driving force in today's economy. On one hand, it is potentially enormously disruptive across the economic landscape. On the other hand, there is a real potential for the generation of new economic activity and the creation of new jobs. I think we heard a little bit of that in the previous session.
With an estimated value exceeding $100 billion per year, weather-dependent industries such as agriculture, forestry, fishing, natural resources, and tourism dominate Canada's economy. Businesses and governments require improved certainty with respect to future conditions to take relevant policy, regulatory, and investment decisions in these and other sectors. Examples include port and pipeline construction, energy markets, and carbon emission controls. This requires a vigorous research establishment, yet paradoxically, federal funding for university-based work on climate, weather, and oceanographic sciences, Arctic conditions, and air quality is in decline. This is compromising Canada's long-term economic recovery and future development.
Canada's Science, Technology and Innovation Council benchmarked Canada's performance earlier this year against national and international standards and urged Canada to “strengthen and better link all sectors of its science, technology and innovation system if it wishes to maintain its economic independence, competitiveness, productivity and quality of life, and position Canada in the leading group of innovating countries”. The measures and amounts required for this strengthening with respect to climate prediction, we believe, are assessed to be $25 million per year. This amount would increase research activity from the present level by about one-third, and it's what we estimate to be the likely limit for take-up and use of research results for policy and regulatory activities.
The Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences therefore recommends that the federal government invest $25 million per year for at least the next 10 years in weather, oceans, and climate research in order to underpin economic recovery, support innovation and policy, enhance intellectual capital, and safeguard Canadians. The funds, we believe, should be administered through an existing agency, such as the Canadian Foundation for Climate and Atmospheric Sciences.
Thank you very much, sir.