Ecofiscal Commission launches new online course on designing and implementing market-based tools to make municipalities more sustainable

Municipalities are missing out on the full potential of market-based tools!

Municipal governments are facing multiple, growing, and overlapping challenges. Yet, there are tools available to address these challenges that are not being used to their full potential. Market-based policies such as well-designed user fees can help reduce traffic, cut water use, and improve solid waste management, while generating revenue that can be used to fill financial gaps.

These challenges include:

  • Municipal infrastructure is aging and faces a growing investment gap;
  • Municipalities have limited ability to raise revenues. Only so much can be raised from property taxes. They also often face constraints on debt financing; and
  • To attract people and investment, livability is key: cities must provide job and recreational opportunities, ensure affordability, make it easy to move people and products, and protect clean air and water.

It all sounds a little daunting. Yet an under-used policy option might lie at the intersection of these challenges. Municipalities can use market-based tools to fund critical infrastructure and create incentives for individuals and businesses to make choices that improve the livability of our communities.

Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, with support from the McConnell Foundation, is launching a new offering. A unique online course on municipal market-based tools for sustainable development, that will help municipal employees, and those that work with municipalities, successfully design and implement these solutions.

Through five modules that include live, interactive webinars led by experts and experienced practitioners and a series of self-directed, online exercises, participants will learn how Canadian municipalities can practically use a variety of market-based tools. The five modules, each 2 hours long, include:

The course is guaranteed to provide unique insight and practical guidance on the selection, design and implementation of municipal market-based tools.

Who should attend?
The course is intended for municipal employees, as well as federal and provincial employees that work with municipalities on related issues. It is open to anyone, including students and private sector employees, that has an interest in topics such as municipal finance, asset management, infrastructure financing, environmental policy, urban planning, traffic management, water and wastewater management, and solid waste management.

Registration details:
The live webinars are limited to 25 participants. Register early to secure a spot. The cost of each course is $70, but if you sign up for all 5 modules you save $50. Complete at least 3 modules to receive a certificate! While modules can be mixed and matched, Module 1 is a pre-requisite for modules 2-5 as it is foundational.

Go to courses.ecofiscal.ca for more information and to register.