As winter recedes and spring fills the air, Canadians find the chalky residue of salt everywhere. Road salt is an inexpensive option to clear our streets of ice and snow, but the damages to our cities and environment cost us in the long run. Can ecofiscal policies offer a potential solution? Or might another policy toolkit […]
by Craig Alexander and Chris Ragan Even after last week’s budget, Saskatchewan faces two important economic challenges. The first is to enhance its economic growth, projected to be below the national average this year. The second is to reduce its GHG emissions, currently the highest in Canada in per-capita terms. Addressing either one is tough enough. […]
Two weeks ago, the Healthy Transportation Coalition (HTC) held a forum at the University of Ottawa. The subject: congestion pricing in our nation’s capital. The HTC hosted six expert speakers for a lively debate (including our research team’s fearless leader, Dale Beugin). The same day, four Ottawa city councillors released a new report on congestion […]
I recently spent some time in Yellowknife. While I was there, I had the chance to talk carbon pricing with some government officials and stakeholders. Under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Climate Change, provinces and territories need to have a carbon price policy in place by next year. As they move forward with carbon pricing, Canada’s […]
In the spirit of water week, the Royal Bank of Canada released its annual water survey as part of its Blue Water Project. The survey makes clear that Canadians value clean water, and want policies that encourage sustainable water management. Surprisingly, however, the survey also finds that an overwhelming majority of Canadians are reluctant to […]
by Annette Verschuren and Chris Ragan The new carbon-pricing systems are now in effect in Ontario and Alberta, and some people are complaining that the policies sting a little. This is not surprising. Carbon pricing works precisely by raising the price of carbon-intensive goods and services, incentivizing all of us – households and businesses alike […]