Latest SP reports

Smart Budget: A Background Paper on Environmental Pricing Reform for Local Governments

The Smart Budget report has been prepared to help community leaders in both the public and private sector gain a practical understanding of the potential role for environmental pricing reform (EPR) in building sustainable communities. It seeks to facilitate a dialogue among all key community interests on identifying opportunities to address local government priorities through a mix of EPR policy instruments.

Sustainable Prosperity's “Eight Principles for Pricing Carbon”

With Canadian governments poised to move forward on climate change laws in the near future, SP has released a list of the key principles needed for effective carbon pricing – whether through a carbon tax or cap and trade. The report, based on a year-long dialogue among top economic, business and environment leaders, also evaluates and ranks existing carbon laws and proposals across the country against these principles. 

Latest SP News Feature

"Green values, green business" - Investment Executive

(February 19 2010) by Joanne Summers

There is a growing consensus that environmental goals will drive future profits.

Alex Wood: The Green Economy Boat Has Left (Response to James Travers' Column in Toronto Star)

(The Toronto Star, February 4 2010) James Travers' piece is bang on: the world is changing at a dizzying pace all around us, and Canada is standing still. In particular we are falling behind in the transition to a low-carbon economy.

U.S. Senator Lindsey Graham, South Carolina Republican, commented at Davos: "Six months ago my biggest worry was that an emissions deal would make American business less competitive compared to China. Now my concern is that every day that we delay trying to find a price for carbon is a day that China uses to dominate the green economy."

For some, Canada's stand-pat attitude is prudent. For others who understand what sustainable prosperity will look like, it is negligence.

That's not to say things are uniformly grim. Ontario's Green Energy Act is transformative. So is B.C.'s carbon tax shift. They prove that Canada, if willing, can become an active and competitive participant in the economy of tomorrow.

Alex Wood: The Economy of the Future

(The Mark News, January 20 2010) Even before the incredible build-up in expectation that surrounded the Copenhagen climate change summit, we knew a couple of things: first, the Canadian government has essentially abdicated its policy role on the issue to the U.S. Congress, and second, under Barack Obama, the U.S. is taking a much more active role in addressing climate change.

While the summit failed to yield any real breakthrough, this does not mean an end to American engagement on the issue. It does mean, however, that the U.S. is facing some new choices. For Canada, the lessons the U.S. take away from Copenhagen and how they proceed as a result will have long-term implications for our environmental and economic policy.