SOMBA K'E/YELLOWKNIFE - Premier Floyd Roland is defending next month's $86,000 trip to a climate change conference in Copenhagen, Denmark, arguing there is a "cost to doing this business."

Roland is among five MLAs and two GNWT staffers attending the conference on the NWT taxpayer's dime. Another territorial government bureaucrat's trip is being paid for by the federal government, bringing the total of the territorial government's presence at the Dec. 7-18 climate change conference to eight.

Roland said there are several meetings planned for the GNWT delegation while they are in Copenhagen, though much is still being finalized. Roland said a detailed agenda will be available to the public when completed.

He said it's important the NWT is well represented.

"Should the government of the Northwest Territories be a part of this or allow others to have the discussion and wait for them to make the decisions and policies that effect our lives up here in the Northwest Territories?" he asked during an interview with media on Friday.

Roland will leave for Copenhagen on Dec. 12 and return on Dec. 19. He said he will be meeting with other premiers and with federal government officials while he is there, though he did not specify further.

"Our goal is to get there, to put on the table what we have put in place, to hear what others have put in place, to see what policy initiatives might be undertaken on a global front, and to bring that back to see if that can have an impact on us," said Roland.

He said he wants to learn more about alternative energy sources like biomass, which can be used to make pellets for wood pellet stoves and boilers. Wood pellet burners have already been installed in several government-owned buildings.

Roland said the government is considering biomass, which is essentially tree and plant material, as a source of electricity in communities that currently use diesel generators.

"Biomass, though fairly new to ourselves here in the North, has been used in other jurisdictions for some time," said Roland, adding he wants to see how it has worked out in the long run in other countries.

Weledeh MLA Bob Bromley and Mackenzie Delta MLA David Krutko have already taken part on a $54,191 trip to Denmark, Finland, and Sweden last spring where they visited several biomass facilities. They tabled a report upon their return that outlined what they had learned about biomass from these countries. They'll be returning to Denmark next month with Roland, along with Environment Minister Michael Miltenberger and Great Slave MLA Glen Abernethy.

Kam Lake MLA Dave Ramsay is not going on the trip, but agrees there should be a GNWT presence of some sort there.

"I do believe climate change is such a big issue to Northerners that we should be there," said Ramsay. "It's debatable whether we should be sending the numbers we're sending."

On whether or not it is necessary to have five MLAs in attendance, Roland said, "one of the things we've tried to do as an assembly is engage our regular members in some of the work we're doing, so that when they come back and speak with other members in committee, they would come with an informed position."

The importance of the climate change conference was reiterated by Andrew Robinson, executive director of the Arctic Energy Alliance.

"Professionally, I can say that there is no one issue that is bigger (than climate change) in the Northwest Territories right now, so the more people that can go and get interested in this, the better," said Robinson.

Robinson said the dangers that global warming poses to the Northwest Territories are huge. Thawing ice in the ocean would change Northern weather, he said, and melting permafrost would destroy homes and perhaps whole communities.

"Within 10 years we may have a completely ice-free ocean in the Arctic," said Robinson.

He noted the government has done some good by cutting back emissions in their own facilities, most recently by installing wood pellet boilers, but added the government must set their sights on reducing emissions in every facet of the NWT.

Daniel T'seleie of Ecology North will be going to the climate change conference in Copenhagen as part of Canada's youth delegation.

"In terms of having NWT representation at the summit, it's crucial. We have to be there and we need to speak up for ourselves while we're there," said T'seleie.

"We're spending millions of dollars to send people to the Olympics to showcase our cultures and our land, so if we're that concerned about our cultures and our land we need to have representation at Copenhagen to protect our land as we know it."

T'seleie said whether the $86,000 trip is worth it will depend on the actions of the GNWT delegation both during and after the conference.

"There's the potential here that the money is being well spent, but they have to makes sure they stand up for the Northwest Territories and us while they're in Copenhagen."