Blog Post

Implementing green infrastructure across Canada

Feb 13, 2017

Local governments across Canada are starting to look at rainwater through a new lens – as a resource that can be managed and harvested on site as opposed to a waste product that must be removed.

Blog Post

Government Critical in Supporting Clean Innovation, But the Design of Government Matters

Feb 06, 2017

There is a growing recognition that direct government involvement is critical to the promotion of clean energy technologies and sustainability transitions. Technologies like the internet, lithium-ion batteries, electric vehicles, and wind and solar energy were aided by government policy.

Blog Post

How a Low Carbon Fuel Standard could reduce your GHG footprint without you even noticing

Feb 06, 2017

Never heard of a Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS)? That's okay. Neither have most survey respondents in British Columbia (BC), the only Canadian jurisdiction with one currently in place. Yet when the policy was explained, 90% of respondents supported it.

Blog Post

Ontario issues its third – and largest – green bond

Feb 03, 2017

Good ideas are worth repeating. And the Province of Ontario has found that green bonds are a good idea. On January 26, 2017, Ontario issued its third green bond – it’s largest yet – a reopening of its 2016 bond amounting to $800 million.

Blog Post

Guest Blog: How much is a wetland worth?

Jan 20, 2017

This guest blog is based on the paper “Valuing ecosystem services in the Columbia River Treaty” written by Anthony Cotter (Simon Fraser University) as partial fulfillment of the requirements for the Degree of Master of Public Policy.

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Low-carbon policy research for 2017

Jan 10, 2017

With the announcement of the Pan-Canadian Framework (PCF) on Clean Growth and Climate Change on December 9, we can now see the trajectory that federal, provincial and territorial climate policy will follow over the short and medium term.

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A deeper dive on BC’s carbon tax and household gasoline consumption

Nov 22, 2016

While people on both sides of the border are still digesting the American election results, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau reiterated that his government is moving forward with a pan-Canadian carbon price. Given the risk of weakened climate policies in the US for the coming years, some might wonder if it is still a good idea for Canada to move ahead without our gargantuan neighbor.

Blog Post

Big Ideas for a Stronger, Cleaner Economy

Nov 02, 2016

We are excited to be guest editors for the new special issue of Canadian Public Policy Journal (CPP) - “Big Ideas for Sustainable Prosperity: Policy Innovation for Greening Growth.”

Blog Post

Introducing Smart Prosperity Institute

Oct 24, 2016

Today we turn over a new leaf. Or rather I should say a new maple key. After 8 years of operating under the name Sustainable Prosperity I’m excited to announce that, effective today, Canada’s leading source of research and insights for a stronger, cleaner economy has changed its name to: Smart Prosperity Institute.

Blog Post

Building Connections – My experience at the 4th Canadian PhD and Early Career Workshop in Environmental Economics

Jun 17, 2016

The 4th Canadian PhD and Early Career Workshop in Environmental Economics — supported by Sustainable Prosperity — was hosted at the University of Ottawa from June 1st to June 2nd. This annual workshop brings together PhD students and early career researchers working on topics in Environmental Economics, Natural Resource Economics, Energy Economics, Economy of Climate Change, Energy Economics, and other related disciplines.

Blog Post

In Memory of Alan Nymark: Big thinker, policy leader, champion for change

Jun 07, 2016

This week Sustainable Prosperity lost one of its biggest champions as well as a friend in Alan Nymark. Alan was a lifelong champion for the idea that we can grow an economy that values environmental protection and has room for all.

Blog Post

Where have all the Canadian data gone?

Jun 06, 2016

It turns out we have a data void in Canada. If you’ve been following our series of blogs on #GreenTape (the first looked at environmental regulation and innovation, the second at good design of environmental regulation, you’ve seen how environmental regulation, when designed well, can bring both economic and environmental returns. You’ve also seen that retrospective analysis of environmental regulations can provide meaningful insight into where, when and how to design environmental regulation.

Blog Post

9 ways to design better environmental regulation

Jun 06, 2016

We have all heard the saying, “I’m drowning in red tape”. It’s a common rebuke from businesses and others being forced to comply with regulation. Green tape, the environmental equivalent of red tape, refers to the rules and regulations that limit pollution or protect ecosystems. While green tape also draws its fair share of complaints, it turns out environmental regulation can be designed in a way to produce environmental and economic benefits that can outweigh at least some of the drawbacks – if not all of them.

Blog Post

Beyond the stigma – environmental regulation can help drive clean innovation

Jun 06, 2016

Thirty years ago, as concerns grew over dioxins appearing in fish downstream from pulp and paper mills, Swedish firms developed chlorine-free pulp bleaching technologies. Developing these technologies helped protect fish and ecosystems. What’s more, it opened up new markets in Germany for the Swedish firms’ more-environmentally-friendly products, and allowed the leading firms to sell their technology to other jurisdictions. A win for the environment and the economy.

Blog Post

Guest Blog: Casting a Long Shadow – Canadian Consumption-Based Contributions to Global GHG Emissions

May 16, 2016

The new Canadian federal government has committed to develop a national climate change plan in co-operation with provincial and territorial governments. Under the previous federal government Canada had committed to a 17% reduction below 2005 levels by 2020 and a 30% reduction by 2030. Environment Minister Catherine McKenna has promised that the previous government’s 2030 commitments will be a “floor” for federal ambition. The big question is: where will these GHG emissions reductions come from?

Blog Post

Not for your eyes only: Statistics Canada has natural capital data to share

May 13, 2016

This week saw Canadians get excited about the 2016 Census, crashing servers and flipping out on social media in their rush to be counted and to contribute to building good data sets. And rightly so – data sets (and the analysis we do based on them) help drive good public policy.

Blog Post

Recapping the Natural Capital Symposium 2016

May 11, 2016

The Natural Capital Symposium is an annual event hosted by the Natural Capital Project (NatCap) at Stanford University that brings together dynamic and inspiring scholars, professionals and experts on natural capital from all around the world.

Blog Post

Linking natural capital and productivity: A roundup of two recent studies

May 02, 2016

For many of those who have been following Sustainable Prosperity's work, you've likely heard about our Linking Natural Capital & Productivity project.

Blog Post

Sharing the Earth with Species at Risk

Apr 22, 2016

Since its humble beginnings in New York City in 1970, Earth Day has been a celebration of the ecosystems and biodiversity on which we all depend for food, livelihoods, and our quality of life, as well as a call to action to share the earth and not squander our natural heritage.

Blog Post

Up, Down, and Forward: New numbers reflect the increasingly compelling economic case for greening the economy

Mar 16, 2016

The economic case for the transition to a green economy is becoming more and more compelling with the release of new figures on the rising cost of inaction on climate change, and falling prices for renewable power generation.

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