Climate Change Implications for Northern Development

1
Climate ChangeImplications for Northern
Development

• Presentation to the Task Force
• June 13th, 2001
• Presenter Gordon Wakeling
• GM CEO The Development Fund

2
Thoughts
The Future does not happen all at once it
accumulates routinely. Occasionally the routine
is punctuated by exception Anon Why should we
worry about climate change? It is difficult to
predict what the specific regional impacts will
be. It is certain, however, that the overall
impacts will be harmful. This will be
particularly true for those regions of the world
that are least responsible for producing
greenhouse gases, yet are the most directly
affected the small island states and
impoverished areas of the developing world, for
example. CEC
3
Outline

• Northern Development
• Northern Economic Advantages
• Challenges to Government
• Program Design and Emphasis
• Information and Communication of Opportunities
• Threats to Northern Development

4
Northern Development

• Redress Economic Disparities
• South to North
• Northern Industrial to Northern Rural
• Transportation, Communication
• Sustainable Communities
• Strengthening Aboriginal Participation in the
  Economy
• Federal/Provincial/Territorial Ministers Group

5
Northern Economic Advantages

• Resources Mineral and Renewable
• Watershed Through North
• Power Generation
• Industrial Water Needs
• Transportation Route to World Markets
• Natural Splendor
• Tourism

6
Challenges to Government

• Program Design and Emphasis
• Identify and De-emphasize sunset Industries
• Emphasize New Opportunities due to Change
• Government Needs To
• Be Ready and Willing to Adapt
• Changing resource allocations (e.g Forestry)
• Provide Infrastructure (Transportation,
  Communication)
• Provide Information
• Communicate Opportunities

7
Threats to Northern Development

• External Decision Making
• View of North as an Empty Wilderness
• Low Residual Benefit from Use of Resources

8
Conclusion

• Climate change adds a further dynamic to the
  process of developing the North. Government needs
  to draw the lessons it learns in considering
  climate change into the adaptation of policies
  and programs related to economic development in
  Northern Manitoba 
• In addition to the more obvious environmental and
  conservation role government has in meeting
  objectives to slow GHG emissions and try to
  reduce/slow climate change, it has a role to play
  as a resource in identifying opportunity and
  challenge resulting from the change.
• The North needs to be consulted in matters of
  land use and resource allocation, permitting it
  to maximize benefits, and to avoid the loss of
  opportunity which could result from external
  decisions.