Growing global population: burden or boon to the environment?
Historical overview As the chemist and geographer Daniel B. Luten observed on the eve of the famous 1980 Julian Simon-Paul Ehrlich wager, since the late 18th century “the question of limits to growth and optimism and pessimism regarding the human prospect [has been] debated without consensus” while interest in the issue has “waxed and waned […]
When making transport policy, don’t forget how it affects company vehicles
From changing environmental and transportation policies to the intense NAFTA renegotiation, the past few years have been a roller-coaster ride for the auto industry and fleet managers. The federal government is in the process of developing some very important policies for the ever-evolving transportation sector. Last year, Transport Canada released its Transportation 2030 strategy, which […]
Infrastructure is Canada’s backbone
Critically important infrastructure is too often poorly maintained or lacking in sufficient future planning. Delaying maintenance is a misplaced budgetary economy. Insufficient planning is symptomatic of a lack of realistic forethought. Both represent a much greater cost than is often acknowledged. The railway to the northern port town of Churchill, Man., is a prime example. […]
We need a different kind of growth agenda
TORONTO—With much fanfare last June, Innovation Minister Navdeep Bains launched national consultations on policies to help Canada succeed in the digital transformation of society and the economy. The consultations were closed last October, but since then there has been silence. What was learned in these nationwide consultations is not being shared. My own efforts to […]
Growing movement of investors, impact investors taking environmental, social, and governance factors into investment decision-making
When thinking about a sustainability, it is essential to look at the underlying infrastructure on which our economy depends. Roads, buildings, energy grids, sewers, airports, telecommunications are all vital components of a sustainable economy going forward. Yet everywhere our infrastructure is crumbling. It has been estimated that $94-trillion will be needed in infrastructure investment by […]
Canada’s forest sector in a changing economy
Canadians are proud of our forests—and rightly so. Our forests have played a major role in building our country from our beginnings, and they continue to drive our economy today. If you go on a cross-country road trip, you will see the forest sector at work everywhere— on our coastlines, in the North, in urban […]
Agricultural innovation key to sector growth
Recognizing Canada’s large natural endowment of water and arable land, Innovation, Science, and Economic Development Canada (ISED) defined agri-food as one of six interconnected sectors with tremendous global growth prospects. But, as with the other five sectors, the government of Canada emphasized that the agri-food industry’s potential would only be realized through a concerted innovation […]
Agriculture
Canada’s future is electric
On any given day, Canadians don’t think much about electricity. A switch is flicked, the light turns on. A thermostat heats and cools your house on command. Industry and commerce open, employ people and ensure the economy is moving. Electricity is noticeable mostly when it’s missing, something rare enough that it’s a remarkable event. Behind […]
Co-ops key to building nation of innovators
Co-operatives often fail to fit program or policy criteria as a ‘business,’ or face costly delays and barriers to growth, such as those that result from disparities between the Canadian Cooperatives Act and individual provincial acts, which limit co-operatives’ ability to trade and expand across provinces.
