Environment committee  Thanks to its scientific research chairs program, Canada funds almost 70 chairs that are researching climate change. Have there been any results achieved from all of the money we are investing? Is anything on the way?

Environment committee  I don't know what the number is now. What you get out depends on what you put in, in terms of the actual model of climate change. It is a very complex subject.

Environment committee  What I'm now seeing is next week being as I've described, the first meeting on Tuesday being on both the scientific and economic impacts of climate change if we don't do anything. The impacts of action will potentially come on Thursday, and we have lots of people who will talk about that. We then have a week-long break, at which point I think it would be most timely—and maybe we can even get the minister in for this—for the first session after we return to be an update on the Kyoto process, because it will be concluded at that point.

Environment committee  I had a little difficulty following some of his suggestions, but if we were to start with what he is proposing for meetings for next week, the 7th and the 9th, is he wanting to stay with the theme of urgency and have the first meeting on impacts of climate change: scientific, social, economic? Is that what he's proposing?

Environment committee  On this side, given how this file is evolving and just to remind ourselves of why we're doing this, what it's about--climate change, global warming--I think we as a group would very much insist that we have a session on impacts. Once we get beyond that, the only other question is whether in fact on the impact side it may be possible to take some of the....

Environment committee  We continued on with our review of the Kyoto Protocol. We of course brought in aspects of what was happening with the government's climate change plan. That came in. It informed the work we did as a committee. We had no problem with doing that at the time, and we still produced a report--one that we're going to be bringing back, interestingly enough, in the discussion on Bill C-288--so I don't think that parties agreeing to put a special legislative committee to discuss the Clean Air Act can't somehow inform what we're doing.

Environment committee  I think it's like Mr. Mokhtar has said. We had a number of programs in, let's say, climate change and other areas that were sunsetting, for which they were to get further priority established this fiscal year under the previous government. The current government is looking at setting priorities, so we'll see what will happen in terms of funding.

Environment committee  Yes. I just find it odd that on an issue like EnerGuide, which attacks the problem of climate change, the environment department doesn't have very much of a say. I find that odd. Thank you.

Environment committee  Thank you, Basia. Environment Canada works very closely with other government departments on the climate change file. Organizations such as PCO are constantly seeking our advice on the types of programming that should be put in place. The decisions at the end of the day on that programming are made by cabinet, not by Environment Canada.

Environment committee  The other thing I'd like to bring to your attention is there is about $14 million in supplementary estimates for climate change initiatives. A very big proportion of that funding is for paying the salaries of the people, because the decision was that nobody will be affected until the final decisions are made.

Environment committee  How come this $34 million adjustment has been transferred under the heading "The impacts of climate change..." which initially had been approximately $19 million and was suddenly increased to $34 million? What process led to increasing this $19 million budget item to $34 million? Did it involve breaking down the adjustments under different themes?

Environment committee  Approximately 15 or 16 months ago, a decision was taken to do a full review of all climate change programs. This review was carried out by the Treasury Board Secretariat with considerable input from the department. There was a rather systematic process: 95 initiatives were reviewed.

Environment committee  But how would you state that the government is setting those priorities, given the fact that there's been a very urgent call by the environment commission for action by the government on issues such as climate change, which are so critical for the environment?

Environment committee  For the chemical industry, I provided information when I talked about our reducing emissions report last May, where I discussed in detail what we're doing on climate change. We also track what we've been doing on emissions of substances like dioxins and furans, and those have been substantially reduced. I know it's also the case in broader studies that have shown it outside the chemical industry.

Environment committee  If we really are going to make advances, culturally, from a consumer's point of view, we have to educate the consumer that this is an important issue. We have a tremendous problem with climate change. We have a tremendous problem with air quality. We must educate the consumer about change, and then we have to change. We also have to educate politicians about behaviour change, to get to the point where they start looking past an election period.