A changing climate and the accelerated pace of the Earth's warming make climate change the greatest environmental, social and economic challenge facing Canada today.
Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) plays a critical role in addressing this challenge, by virtue of its mandate for the sustainable development of many of Canada's natural resources.
Canada's climate change response, including measures to achieve the 6 percent greenhouse gas (GHG) reduction target of the Kyoto Protocol will affect how we produce and use energy. It will also have implications for our national and regional economies, and for consumers. Our response strategies will have to take into consideration the role of forests, peatlands, lakes and agricultural soils as carbon sinks to sequester GHG emissions, as well as the capture and storage of CO2 in geological formations.
In Canada and abroad, decision makers in the public and private sectors need leading-edge information on which to base their climate change policies and actions. NRCan works in the areas of energy, forestry, earth sciences, and minerals and metals to address climate change. It has the expertise, knowledge, facilities and services to assist Canada and the globe in taking mitigative and adaptive action on climate change on various fronts, in a manner that respects the sustainable development of our natural resources.
NRCan is a recognized leader in energy efficiency; renewable energy; environmentally friendly technologies; forest management; and scientific assessment, monitoring and adaptation planning. Its work in these areas supports policy development and initiatives to identify climate change problems and advance solutions. For example, research and planning is conducted on how different sectors and regions can adapt to climate change, since some climate change is inevitable. Also, in the areas of energy efficiency, renewable energy, alternative transportation fuels and fuel switching, NRCan has been successfully delivering mitigative programs for over a decade to help reduce GHG emissions.
The department's mandate and its climate change work also support the government's commitment to technology and innovation. Through sound science and technological innovation, NRCan develops and deploys emerging renewable and alternative energy sources to meet the demand for energy while decreasing CO2 emissions. It also supports work on hydrocarbon technologies to reduce emissions and enhance efficiency, and, in conjunction with other federal departments, conducts research on the cycling and storage of GHGs in the atmosphere, oceans and land.
NRCan promotes cooperation with partners from government, business and institutions to improve our understanding of climate change, develop solutions and create opportunities for Canadians. Within the federal government, NRCan plays an important role in analyzing and developing climate change policy options with other departments, notably those concerning energy production and use, and forest carbon sinks. Also, the department hosts the Climate Change Adaptation Liaison Office; housed in the Earth Sciences Sector, this office supports initiatives to further our understanding of how climate change will affect Canadians and explores ways to adapt to present and future climate change impacts. Similarly, it hosts the International Centre for the Sustainable Development of Cement and Concrete (ICON) housed in the Minerals and Metals Sector, ICON works with the industry to develop a climate change strategy and create new environmentally-sound economic opportunities.
In leading Canada's domestic response to climate change, NRCan is bringing its expertise to bear on an issue that has profound implications for the environment, economy and society. Through initiatives that reach all sectors of the economy, and through its renowned scientific and policy research, NRCan will continue to help Canada meet the challenge of climate change.
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