Stéphane Dion will be taking to the podium next week in Montreal to preside over the most challenging task he's likely to face as Canada's Environment Minister....a fractious gathering expected to attract up to 10,000 officials, scientists and environmental activists from around the globe.

Currently, the Kyoto Protocol only limits emissions in advanced industrial countries, and applies only to countries responsible for 35 per cent of global-greenhouse-gas releases. Thus, major advances in the fight against global warming will have to involve other countries in some way.

Mr. Dion said he is under no illusions that this task will be easy, but he's hoping to coax and prod the major participants to stay involved. "It is very unlikely at Montreal that countries that have no [emission] targets will accept one," he said.

The opening in Montreal on Monday of the first global conference on climate change since the Kyoto Protocol came into effect threatens being overshadowed by the collapse of Canadian Prime Minister Paul Martin's minority liberal government.

If the government falls, Environment Minister Stephane Dion will have to hit the campaign trail instead of focusing on achieving consensus at the two-week United Nations conference on measures to halt climate change.

Instead of pushing for commitments to these measures over the next two weeks, Martin and Dion may be obliged to start securing votes for the Liberal Party ahead of general elections, likely to take place in January.