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UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 OTTAWA 001437 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR WHA, OES, AND EB 
WHITE HOUSE FOR CEQ 
DOE FOR POLICY AND INTERNATIONAL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: SENV ENRG KCHG CA
SUBJECT: CANADA - ORGANIZING FOR CLIMATE CHANGE POLICY WORK 
 
REF: A. STATE 116939 
     ¶B. OTTAWA 446 (NOTAL) 
     ¶C. OTTAWA 438 (NOTAL) 
 
This message is Sensitive but Unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
¶1. (U) This message responds to ref a's request for 
information on how the government of Canada has organized 
itself to prepare for negotiations for a post-2012 climate 
framework and to develop and implement domestic climate 
programs. 
 
Organizing for Domestic Climate Work 
------------------------------------ 
¶2. (SBU) On the domestic front at the political level, the 
government of Canada in September 2007 established a Cabinet 
Committee on Environment and Energy Security.  As currently 
constituted, the committee is chaired by former environment 
(and now transport and infrastructure) minister John Baird. 
Other committee members include ministers for revenue, 
environment, health, and natural resources, and ministers of 
state (in effect junior ministers) for small business and 
tourism, western economic diversification, and science 
technology.  Although this committee is nominally charged 
with bringing a multi-disciplinary approach to cabinet 
consideration of environment and energy security policy, the 
real weight rests with current environment minister Jim 
Prentice, Prime Minister Stephen Harper's chief lieutenant. 
Senior Environment Canada officials have told ESTH counselor 
that Prentice's mandate letter from the Prime Minister makes 
it clear that lead responsibility for environmental matters, 
including climate change, lies with Prentice and Environment 
Canada.  Prentice's appointment to the environment portfolio 
on October 28 is unquestionably more important in signaling 
enhanced federal government interest in the environment and 
climate work than the establishment of the interagency 
cabinet committee. 
 
¶3. (SBU) Bureaucratically, the federal government has not 
added significant new staff for climate change policy or 
implementation work, and it has not significantly 
re-organized the bureaucracy dealing with climate at the 
federal level.  Domestic climate policy work at the federal 
level is interagency, with Environment Canada taking the lead 
role.  Other Canadian government departments with major roles 
include Natural Resources, Transport, and Agriculture, with 
other agencies brought in as the issues dictate.  Senior 
Environment Canada officials describe the interagency process 
as smooth and open.  Perhaps even more so than with 
international climate policy, Canadian domestic climate 
policy is the product of significant consultation with the 
provinces, industry, and other stakeholders, including First 
Nations and aboriginal peoples.  Provinces are heavily 
QNations and aboriginal peoples.  Provinces are heavily 
involved because the environment is a shared jurisdiction in 
Canada (with the provinces in fact holding the lion's share 
of responsibility and authority), and much of even federal 
policy can only be implemented by provinces.  (See Ref c for 
a description of shared jurisdiction in Canada on 
environment, energy, and other matters.)  Senior officials 
are therefore heavily involved in this consultation with the 
provinces and other stakeholders in deciding what climate 
 
OTTAWA 00001437  002 OF 002 
 
 
policies are feasible, and, perhaps more importantly, doable. 
 (Ref b describes the most recent federal pronouncement on 
climate policy and discusses the interplay between federal 
and provincial interests.  Our understanding is that 
regulations for the domestic climate regime will be issued - 
published in the Canada Gazette - in early December 2008 and 
come into force on January 1, 2010.) 
 
 
And in the International Arena 
------------------------------ 
¶4. (U) On the international plane, Canada did make a change 
in its organization for negotiations for a post-2012 
framework with the naming of Michael Martin as chief 
negotiator and ambassador for climate change in May 2008. 
Martin had been Environment Canada's assistant deputy 
minister for strategic policy, and had been involved in the 
file since May 2006.  He spent the bulk of his career in the 
Department of Foreign Affairs and International Trade. 
Environment Canada assistant deputy minister for 
international affairs David McGovern had been Canada's chief 
climate negotiator and remains actively involved in the file. 
 Martin's direct staff is small; the bulk of Canada's 
international climate policy development and staff-level 
negotiation is still done in McGovern's international affairs 
branch.  The Department of Foreign Affairs and International 
Trade also participates in international climate negotiations. 
 
¶5. (U) Canada's cooperation with the United States in 
international climate fora remains strong.  As Washington 
agencies are aware, Canada hosted its first major Asia 
Pacific Partnership for Clean Development and Climate meeting 
(of the Policy and Implementation Committee) in Vancouver at 
the end of last month. 
 
¶6. (U) Embassy does have discussions on U.S. and Canadian 
climate policies with other Ottawa diplomatic missions, 
particularly the UK High Commission. 
 
Visit Canada,s Economy and Environment Forum at 
http://www.intelink.gov/communities/state/can ada 
 
WILKINS