As Canada comes out of the COVID crisis, governments and the private sector will turn their attention to building a long-term economic recovery. Let’s make that recovery resilient by supporting the jobs, infrastructure and growth that will keep Canada competitive in the clean economy of the 21st century. The Task Force for a Resilient Recovery is an independent group of Canadian finance, policy and sustainability leaders determined to make sure Canada seizes this opportunity.
The COVID-19 pandemic is a global health and economic crisis. Since it began, governments around the world have focused on the need for health care support and immediate economic relief for those directly affected.
Countries are now setting their sights on the longer-term horizon and determining how to drive an economic recovery. A number of historic green stimulus announcements, particularly in Europe and Asia, show positive signs that the recovery will support urgent climate goals and the growth of a low-carbon economy.
What will be Canada’s response? How can we foster a recovery that gets Canadians back to work while ensuring our country is competitive, prosperous and climate-resilient in the clean economy of the twenty-first century? This is the urgent question that inspired the work of the independent Task Force for a Resilient Recovery.
The Task Force came together in May 2020 to provide independent and urgent advice on how government can build this kind of recovery through actions and investments over the next five years. In developing this advice, the Task Force drew on leading international efforts while also assessing dozens of Canadian recovery proposals for economic, equity and climate benefits.
The result is five overarching bold moves, supported by 22 recommendations, and calling for $55.4 billion in government investment over the next five years.
The decisions we make coming out of COVID will shape our country for years to come. We encourage governments, and all Canadians, to envision and work towards the future we truly want. The Task Force offers these recommendations as a bridge to a better Canada – one that is clean, prosperous and climate-resilient.
