Annual Report 2019: Letter from the Chair

Climate and Energy Livable Cities Pollution Water

This marks our final annual report, as the Commission comes to the end of our five-year mandate. In 2019, our work focussed once again on carbon pricing — a topic we first addressed in 2014 and have returned to regularly. Since our launch, the political landscape around carbon has changed significantly — and so has […]

A final note on Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission

Climate and Energy Livable Cities Pollution

This week, Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission released its final report. While we have a few loose ends to tie up in 2020, the report signals the end of our research mandate. Over the last five years, we’ve contributed to policy conversations across Canada about water, waste, traffic, risk, and climate change. I’d like to think that […]

Reducing environmental risks from mining in British Columbia

Pollution

Next month marks the five-year anniversary of the Mount Polley mining disaster. On August 4th, 2014, a dam at the mine ruptured, releasing 24 million cubic metres of water and mine tailings into several lakes and rivers in British Columbia’s Interior. We have written before about how putting a price on the risk of mining […]

Climate Roulette: Risks too big to ignore

Climate and Energy

It’s a sobering time for anthropogenic climate change. Heatwaves, wildfires, droughts, and hurricanes continue to make headlines around the globe. At the same time, major reports are reminding us that the world is a long way from its climate commitments. We’re even further from limiting global temperature rise to the international target of 1.5ºC. Without […]

Redwater decision is progress, but environmental liabilities run deep

Climate and Energy

by Simon Dyer, Chris Ragan & Blake Shaffer The Supreme Court of Canada last week overturned the Court of Appeal of Alberta’s decision in the closely-watched Redwater legal case. The court’s ruling ensures environmental cleanup costs will get priority over creditors when companies go bankrupt. The Redwater decision reinforces the polluter-pay principle, which is reassuring for […]

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