Global change is important to Canada because it is a large country with an economy that is still highly dependent upon natural resources. Forests cover about 45% of the country's land surface area (see Figure 3), and almost 50% of this wood is considered commercial. With less than 0.5% of the world's population, Canada encompasses 6.7% of the world's total land surface area, 9% of its forests, 13% of its wilderness area and 3% of its cropland. Within Canada's boundaries the world's largest collection of freshwater lakes are found, as well as 9% of the world's total fresh water. Canada also shares the Great Lakes, which contain 22,800 cubic kilometres of water or about 18% of the fresh water in lakes on the planet's surface. Global systems support and directly affect these resources, which in turn support a large part of the Canadian economy. Canada and Canadians are therefore particularly vulnerable to any changes in global systems that may result from global change.

Global change will affect all ecosystems to a greater or lesser degree. However, Canada's geography and location makes it particularly susceptible to certain types of global change. Ozone depletion and global warming, two of the most frequently discussed global change issues, are predicted to have a greater impact in the higher northern latitudes occupied by Canada. In addition, Canadian arctic and mountain regions contain ecosystems that are thought to be more sensitive to changes in environmental conditions than ecosystems found in temperate or tropical regions.

It is clear that the threat to Canadians from global change is real; that altered global systems have little regard for national boundaries or per capita income. Wealth might be able to shelter individual Canadians from some of the negative effects of global change, but it will be much more difficult to shelter the natural resources that support the economy or the sensitive arctic and mountain ecosystems that support Canadian wildlife. Moreover, the economies of all countries, including Canada's, are becoming more integrated. Events that negatively impact other countries will affect Canada's ability to trade goods in both directions and could result in significant impacts on the domestic economy.