Senator Gold: Thank you for your question. Indeed, the Government of Canada, mindful and sensitive to the challenges of communities and the impact of climate change across this country, and indeed in the North and on Indigenous communities, has launched Canada’s first-ever National Adaptation Strategy to help all communities across this country adapt and develop the infrastructure to be more resilient in the face of these climate‑change-induced challenges.

In that regard, since 2015 the government has invested over $10 billion in disaster relief and climate change adaptation, and will continue to work with each and every community as their needs dictate.

[Translation]

Hon. Marc Gold (Government Representative in the Senate): It is important and responsible for this government and, indeed, all governments to work with all governments in this world to combat climate change. It would be irresponsible and, indeed, a measure of rather ideological blindness to ignore the important contribution to fossil fuel emissions, for which countries like China are responsible. It is the responsible thing for ourselves, for our children and our grandchildren — not to be cliché about it — to work independently of fundamental differences and values and ideologies with those governments that are expressing a willingness — for their own sake and in their own self-interest — to reduce the ravages that climate change is having on their land, on their people and on their future.