Climate science is a complex and rapidly evolving field of investigation. Scientists in Canada and around the world are engaged in a broad variety of endeavours to better understand Earth's climate. As well, scientific involvement in issues related to climate is becoming increasingly integrated with other issues. The data generated by computer models that project future climate conditions are used by researchers studying the potential impacts of climate change on areas such as water resources, health, food production, forestry, wildlife, and urban infrastructure. Our impacts researchers are increasingly working on projects that integrate the effects of climate change across sectors or regions to get a more realistic picture of what climate change will mean for Canadians.
Science also has a role to play in guiding the strategies proposed to lessen the impacts.
By signing the Kyoto Protocol, Canada has demonstrated its commitment to moving forward domestically and internationally on meeting its reduction targets, and to preparing to face the changing climate of the 21st century. We will also continue to support the scientific investigation of climate change so that we can increase our understanding of what is to come. In Canada, the research agenda concerning climate change is influenced by the issues that are most crucial to our country and by our international commitments under the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change. We recognize the crucial need to maintain, and in some areas extend, our capacity in the fields of climate science, impacts and adaptation. We are taking steps to ensure that the required investments are made to foster this capacity.