Wedge Advisory Note – Section 2
Advice on a Long-term Strategy
on Energy and Climate Change
Section II: Protecting
Canada’s National Interest
Canada is in a unique position
As a major producer and exporter of energy, Canada has
a national interest in climate change that is unique
among the highly industrialized countries.
Canada’s domestic and international policy response to climate
change needs to be firmly rooted in a clear assessment
of its national interest, which encompasses its economy,
its environment and the quality of life of its citizens.
Only in this way will Canada be in a position to effectively
mitigate and adapt to climate change, while pursuing
significant opportunities that may lie ahead.
In previous work on climate change, the NRTEE determined
that the following special features of Canada’s
national interest are directly relevant to the question
of climate change:
- As a major consumer, producer and exporter of energy,
Canada is unique among the highly industrialized countries
and the signatories to Kyoto. In essence, Canada faces
the climate change challenge from both the energy-producing
and energy-consuming perspectives. - Canada is likely to experience greater impacts than any other
industrialized nation, given its northern continent-wide
geography and resource-based economy.
For these reasons, Canada is uniquely motivated to mitigate
its contribution to climate change and to take advantage
of the real economic opportunities that will arise from
a strategic response.
The Dangers of Inaction
The NRTEE members believe that working to mitigate and adapt
to climate change should figure as one of the federal
government’s chief policy priorities. Urgent action
is required. Recent reports measuring the rate of increase
in melting of the Greenland ice cap and the Antarctic
ice cap suggest that previous studies may have underestimated
the speed of the deterioration in both cases.
As an Arctic nation, Canada has first-hand experience with
the implications of climate change. These changes have
implications for our sovereignty as the Northwest Passage
becomes easily navigable and increasing challenges arise
to the traditional way of life of the Inuit, as their
natural food sources diminish with the degradation of
habitat. It also has significant implications for the
Ekati and Diavik diamond mines and the proposed Mackenzie
Valley Pipeline. In the absence of permafrost, entirely
new construction technologies will need to be developed
to realize the potential of these resources.
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But the North is not the only area that will undergo negative
consequences.
Water and the Hydrological Cycle
Several regions of Canada are already facing water stresses,
and these are likely to increase as the result of projected
climate change. While sea levels may rise, water levels
could fall in the Great Lakes and in many rivers and
streams, creating economic and environmental impacts.
Agriculture, industry, oil sands development, hydroelectric
generation and communities could find themselves competing
for the reduced water flows. Where snowmelt is currently
an important part of the hydrological regime (such as
in Alberta), seasonal shifts in runoff are likely, potentially
reducing summer flow. Possible changes in the frequency,
intensity and/or duration of heavy precipitation events
may require significant investments in land use planning
and infrastructure to avoid damage arising from flooding,
landslides, sewage overflows and releases of contaminants
to natural water bodies.
Key Ecosystems and Related Natural Resource Sectors
The forestry sector has always had to manage for climate
variability. However, the magnitude of the climate changes
likely to face the sector over the coming decades may
be unprecedented within the history of the industry.
As the map shows, the area favourable for the boreal
forest – which sustains an industry responsible
for about half of Canada’s annual wood harvest
– shifts northward by several hundred kilometres
in a scenario where atmospheric levels of carbon dioxide
increase to about 550 parts per million (compared to
current atmospheric levels of 375 ppm). Over the next
century, the existing boreal forest throughout the Prairies
and Northern Ontario could come under severe stress
and would likely experience significant dieback. Compounding
the problem would be the increases in insect, disease
and fire-related losses expected with climate change.
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© 2013