I think there is a fundamental philosophical difference here. That's a fair point. What do we really know? We know that those countries around the world that are doing the most around this issue—countries like Germany and Norway—are doing perfectly well economically. So the sky doesn't fall. In fact, there's evidence that you can perform very successfully economically if you take this problem seriously.
We also know that provinces in Canada, like Quebec and British Columbia, that are trying to move forward are doing perfectly well economically and are taking steps to protect the least advantaged people in their provinces in ways that many other provinces aren't.
We also know, though, that we have a serious problem on our hands. If you actually believe in the science—and I think this is where the fundamental philosophical difference comes in—then you have to draw the conclusion that it would be reckless and irresponsible to continue on the trajectory we are on today, that it would fundamentally undermine the well-being of our children, and that it would cause potentially unprecedented harm to our economy and to future generations—not to mention the fact that the poorest people in the world, those least responsible for the problem, are the ones who will suffer first and worst if we fail to take action.
The fundamental philosophical difference we have is this: do you actually care about the problem? Do you actually care about what the science of climate change is telling us or the implications of doing nothing? If you do, then the secret is very clear. When we look at jurisdictions that are actually making progress on this issue, what do they have in common? They are trying. The jurisdictions around the world that care about this problem and are doing something about it and are actually making progress on reducing greenhouse gas emissions and ushering in the clean energy economy of the 21st century, what they ultimately have in common is that they are trying.
So if everyone around this table does truly care about this problem, if we do not suffer a philosophical divide on that question, then every party around the table has a responsibility to come forward with a plan that reflects the fact that they truly want to try to address it. In the absence of that plan, it's very difficult to come to the conclusion that we do in fact share a concern about this problem.