From Saskatchewan's rural communities to downtown Calgary, from the off-shore of Newfoundland and Nova Scotia, to the office towers of Montreal and Toronto, the energy sector is a major source of economic prosperity and jobs. It contributes to our national and international competitiveness. It's a big part of the Canadian way of life. All Canadians benefit from our nation's abundance of petroleum, uranium, coal and hydroelectric power. Reliable and affordable energy has driven our industrial development throughout Canada and has helped give us one of the highest living standards in the world.
Climate change is an important matter for the Canadian government.
If we fail to act appropriately in our day and age, it may be that our children and grandchildren will face consequences. It is difficult to calculate what those consequences might be, a generation down the road. It is a global issue in the truest sense of that often-overused phrase. You cannot pigeon-hole the climate within national borders. Action by industrialized nations will not be enough.