Troubled steel, aluminum sectors show need for balance on climate change action
Recent furor over whether American tariffs on steel and aluminum imports would apply to Canadian products illustrated perfectly the vulnerability of some segments of the economy to wild fluctuations in international trade. But as steel and aluminum producers contend with the daily challenges of doing business in a highly competitive and often-uncertain international marketplace, the […]
What do we really need from Canada’s green economy?
Since the 1970s there has emerged a vast literature exploring the relationship between economic growth and the environment. Fifty years of research has yielded anything but consensus: One major school in the debate claims that humanity long ago overshot Earth’s natural carrying capacity; it thus argues we need to dramatically scale back material consumption (particularly in […]
Trudeau needs to step up his game to meet Paris, says energy economist
The Liberal government is “a determined bunch,” but its policies need to be more stringent to meet Canada’s 2030 carbon reduction commitment in the Paris Climate Accord, says Simon Fraser University energy economist Mark Jaccard. Current and planned policies expand the oil sands, he said, and the government can’t wait around to impose emissions regulations […]
Acting on climate change will create ‘new economic opportunities and good jobs,’ says environment minister
It has been one of the most pressing priorities for the Liberal government since assuming power in November 2015. Reducing Canada’s carbon footprint as part of global efforts to combat climate change and transitioning the country to a new, lower carbon economy. It has also been one of the most frequent targets for the opposition Conservatives, […]
Why we need a green economy today, and for tomorrow
In a seminal 1987 report, Our Common Future, the Brundtland Commission advanced the understanding of global interdependence and the relationship between economics and the environment. The report wove together social, economic, cultural and environmental issues towards global solutions. It found, for the first time that “the environment does not exist as a sphere separate from […]
Championing the green economy: why values matter more than logic
Carbon tax—“unfair”, according to the new Ontario PC leader Doug Ford. His colleague, Tanya Granic Allen, a former candidate for the leadership, suggests that she has always known “right from my gut” that carbon taxes are “wrong.” Such knee-jerk, “gut” reactions to a strategy that behavioural economists know to be a rational way to curb […]
An open letter to Prime Minister Trudeau: climate change and the collapse of civilization
Dear Prime Minister Justin Trudeau, If I may I would like to give you a brief lesson in arithmetic, then go on to demonstrate why this lesson is so important given the world situation today. I would like you to imagine that you have discovered a magical investment that allows you to double your money […]
On climate change and disclosure, Canadian businesses must embrace the inevitable
Last month, the federal government released its draft legislation to institute a minimum price on carbon. Starting in 2019, businesses in every province will have to pay for the carbon they emit into the atmosphere, whether it’s through a provincial system or a federal “backstop.” This is a clear signal that carbon pricing is here […]
Partnerships key to game-changing investment in conservation
The $1.3-billion federal budget promise for new parks and protected areas sets the stage for one of the biggest, boldest conservation initiatives in Canadian history. After a quarter of a century of relative neglect, conservation in Canada is back in the spotlight; supporting provincial, territorial and Indigenous conservation partnerships is the best way to keep […]
Budget 2018 signals a new vision for nature conservation in Canada
Despite its natural bounty and the significance of nature to our national identity, Canada has badly lagged other countries in the protection of ecosystems and wildlife habitat. To date, we have protected only 10.6 per cent of our terrestrial ecosystems and inland waters and less than 5 per cent of our marine areas. Among OECD […]
