Environment committee  The plans that were referenced, I believe, do have a base year. I'm not sure if it's specifically in the Japanese plan, but the Japanese Prime Minister had spoken about 2006 as a base year. Certainly in Canada's plan there's a base year, and certainly the Europeans have had a base year.

Environment committee  But the net effect of Canada's reduction of 60% to 70% on 2006 is a 50% reduction on a 1990 base year.

Environment committee  Common but differentiated accepts the fact that every economy or large grouping of economies is different. Canada is, in the G8, an example of a nation with a growing population, a growing economy where there's a significant energy sector, yet we're willing to make commitments that will result in real gains over time.

Environment committee  The Prime Minister has mentioned this in his own interventions. He was very explicit in referring to this as a new step forward for the United States, a willingness to commit to a process of setting targets. He made that explicit in his direct address to the President, and in his address to other G8 members, as a significant step forward.

Environment committee  Thank you, Mr. Godfrey. First of all, what was explicit from the leaders was the acceptance of targets themselves. For the first time--and this is notable in the G8--you had the Americans speaking about the importance of setting and committing to a target. What they said--and this is a rational consideration from their perspective--is that they first want to have the process, the dialogue with the major emitters.

Environment committee  Mr. Regan, thank you very much for that. That's something that goes beyond my sphere as G8 sherpa. I'd be glad to have someone come from Environment Canada to address obligations under Kyoto specifically.

Environment committee  We had objectives in front of us to achieve a global agreement on a way forward, on the engagement of a broader community than is currently among the Kyoto signatories, and to establish a target, and ultimately a mandatory global target. Those were all things that I think we made progress on in Heiligendamm.

Environment committee  Can I continue?

Environment committee  The G8 achieved consensus on a way forward to combat climate change. G8 countries emphasized the importance of engaging all major emitters in the fight against climate change...

Environment committee  ...including their commitment to participate in the UN Convention on Climate Change conference in December 2007 in Indonesia, with a view to achieving a comprehensive agreement to succeed the Kyoto Protocol when it expires in 2012. The G8 recognized in the clearest terms that climate change is a global problem that requires a global response and that we share the long-term goal of curbing it significantly.

Environment committee  Thank you very much, Mr. Chair, and thank you, ladies and gentlemen. I am joined here in the room by a couple of colleagues: David McGovern, whom I think you know, the assistant deputy minister, international, at Environment Canada; and Keith Christie, who is the director general, environment, energy, and sustainable development at Foreign Affairs.