Royal Roads University, in partnership with the Public Policy Forum and the Policy Research Initiative, held its first e-dialogue on climate change, over three days in September 2001.

Moderated by Dr. David Zussman, the expert panel included:

• Dr. Stewart Cohen, Environment Canada, Adaptation and Impacts Group, and Sustainable Development Research Institute, UBC;
• Louise Comeau, Federation of Canadian Municipalities;
• Dr. Danny Harvey, University of Toronto;
• Al Howatson, Conference Board of Canada, and
• Dr. Patricia Roberts-Pichette, retired government scientist and former head of EMAN.

The three days of the dialogue were organized around themes and strategic questions. The first day addressed the science, the second day, the vulnerabilities, and the third, response strategies. The entire dialogue may be viewed as a PDF document here.

1. a focus on shifting and diversifying energy sources
2. investment in core infrastructure: more efficient water, waste, energy and transportation infrastructure
3. model standards and codes for land use planning and urban design
4. rewrite building codes (not just to require more insulation, but to facilitate use of solar energy for hot water heating for example)
5. consumer incentives for green power and efficient/alternative technology vehicles

1. facilitate a national process to address the asymmetrical nature of climate change impacts
2. initiate collaboratives for mutual learning on climate change so that researchers and local knowledge holders learn from each other through partnerships
3. catalyze broad-based dialogues on the relative roles of public and private risk-bearing that involve regional/local governments, private and public insurance, and property owners

1. develop some fairly detailed international scenarios of the probable outcomes and implications for Canada, especially vis-à-vis U.S. actions and inactions
2. determine the relative resources that should be devoted to adaptation versus mitigation
3. develop principles for resolving the burden-sharing within Canada: how to share the costs and benefits of adaptation and mitigation
4. use financial instruments: emissions trading (cap and trade system so that large emitters can begin to reduce emissions); a pollution tax, and/or transfer payments to cooperating provinces)
5. make greater use of decision analysis; in particular, a structured process to elicit stakeholder values as a basis for formulating decision options. One approach is to have 'experts' input assumptions in an open forum. The other would be some pooled consensus of stakeholders determining input to the assumptions.

In the words of Danny Harvey, "Let's just do it!"

Royal Roads University
Science, Technology & Environment Division
edialogues@royalroads.ca