VICTORIA - The B.C. Liberals are launching a major effort to find out what the public will support in meeting Premier Gordon Campbell's "ambitious" target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions.

The tender call went out last week for firms capable of conducting polling, focus groups and other forms of research on public opinion, provincewide.

The hoped-for outcome is to "better understand how British Columbians think about climate change," according to the request for proposals posted on the government website.

By way of example, the Liberals express an interest in determining the level of "understanding of the links between global warming and fossil fuel emissions."

They aim to field-test "proposed models for explaining the human causes of global warming."

The research could also weigh "policy options for reducing greenhouse gas emissions," including ways to overcome resistance to change -- "removing barriers to targeted behaviours."

Another goal is to get at "solutions, particularly related to transportation and homes," those being two of the major sources of emissions in the province.

Many of the government's climate change initiatives are said to be "underway or in development." But the Liberals intend to use this provincewide sampling of public opinion "to support the development of successful implementation strategies aimed at reducing greenhouse gas emissions."

Specifically, the research will "help to inform public education and outreach approaches that will be included in a public outreach and strategic engagement strategy in support of government's climate action strategies."

Translated, the Liberals want the polling firm to tell them which measures are likely to fly, which could backfire, and how to package them into something that can be sold to the public.

Critically important, given the way Premier Campbell has proceeded on his climate change action plan to date.

For he has already committed B.C. to a huge reduction in greenhouse gas emissions without apparent benefit of any research into public opinion or (judging from the material released to date) any made-in-B.C. research of any kind.

The February throne speech promised to reduce annual emissions by 33 per cent by 2020. In August, the premier translated that goal into 40 million tonnes of emissions (reduced or prevented) over the same dozen-year time frame.

"This an ambitious target," says the request for proposals. Meeting it "will require the effort of all British Columbians."

The findings on public opinion will be fed back into the "climate action secretariat," based in the premier's office and answering only to Gordon Campbell.

The request for proposals provides additional detail on the mandate for this little-known but increasingly powerful agency.

The secretariat, not the ministry of environment, "coordinates research and policy on climate action across government ministries."

It, not the ministry of finance, "assesses incentives and other fiscal and financial mechanisms to lead and drive the change envisioned."

It, not the ministries for intergovernmental relations or the economy, "establishes consultation with first nations, other governments, industries, environmental organizations and the scientific community."

The secretariat "identifies actions," "recommends the allocation of funding," "develops strategies and procedures" and takes charge of "a program to mobilize citizens and partners."

Nor will the secretariat defer to anyone in awarding the contract for all this opinion research.

"The Climate Action Secretariat will not establish a contract with any proponent whose references are deemed to be unsatisfactory, in the sole opinion of the CAS."

Must-haves include 10 years' experience in the field. Ability to poll here and across Canada. In-house experts with at least five years' experience in project coordination, research, data collection, and administration.

The pool of potential bidders is small and the secretariat probably has someone in mind already.

Plus the premier is in a heckuva rush. The hunt for the right opinion research firm closes at the end of next week. The winning bidder then has one month -- until Dec. 15 -- to report the findings of its provincewide research.

By no coincidence that is also the delivery date for another fact-finding mission on climate change, mentioned here last week.

The secretariat is poised to award a contract to a major economic and environmental consulting firm to calculate how various options for reducing emissions will affect jobs, households, industry, transportation, energy production and so on.

Thus by mid-December the government should finally have some notion about how to implement the premier's ambitious target and the likely effects on public opinion and the economy.

Just in time for the one-man government to head out for his annual Hawaiian vacation, both reports in hand, to begin preparing his plan of action for next year.