Canadians are anything but shrinking violets on environmental issues, and they are right to demand real action from their government representatives.

Our federal government is staying on top of the environmental issues that will dictate the quality of life for our future generations. In fact, Canada will join more than 190 countries in Copenhagen, Denmark on December 7-18 for the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change’s 15th session of the Conference of the Parties (COP 15).

Canada will be represented by the Hon. Jim Prentice, Minister of the Environment, and Michael Martin, Chief Negotiator and Ambassador for Climate Change. The United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change is an international treaty that sets an overall plan for intergovernmental efforts to tackle the challenges posed by climate change.

Canada has been at the table since the convention was created some 15 years ago. We have participated in the convention’s annual and biannual meetings to discuss global action on climate change, including taking stock of national and international progress to reduce greenhouse gas emissions.

The federal government’s Economic Action Plan includes more than $2 billion of green investments designed to protect the environment, stimulate our economy and transform our technologies. Our government committed $1 billion over five years for clean energy research and demonstration projects, including $650 million for large-scale carbon capture and storage projects. We have also allocated $1 billion for a Green Infrastructure Fund to support modern energy transmission lines and sustainable energy projects.

Given Canada’s proximity to the United States, it is important to try to harmonize our regulatory regimes. Canadians share a common environment with the U.S., our economies are integrated, and Canada is a major part of the North American energy equation. We're a supplier, a business partner, and a recipient of direct U.S. investment.

Our country is the largest supplier of U.S.-bound oil, natural gas, hydroelectricity and uranium. We co-manage and co-own pipelines and power grids that transcend the border. Stabilizing greenhouse gas emissions in the atmosphere at non-dangerous levels is one of the great challenges of our time. It is environmentally responsible for our government to seek a made-in-Canada regulatory regime that harmonizes with the regime of our southern neighbours.

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The audio version of Garry's November 16, 2009 op-ed column can be heard by clicking here