Sustainability

The Conference Board of Canada advances our understanding of how to achieve sustainable economic growth. Our work examines how changes in our energy systems, built environment, mobility, and government policies can allow Canada to achieve its economic, quality of life, and environmental objectives.

Transmissions tower; person with surfboard running into ocean

Featured

Green Homes: Sustainable Finance for Residential Retrofits

Single-attached and detached homes are responsible for approximately 7 per cent of Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs). Reducing this requires new financing tools that make it easier to invest in building improvements. That’s a challenge. Sustainable financial innovation is needed both to mitigate consumer barriers and to connect individual projects to green capital markets.

Issue briefing | 15-min read
August 18, 2021
Focus Area— Sustainability

Banking on a Dual Transition: Sustainable Finance for Petrochemical Plastic Producers

Ninety-nine per cent of plastics are produced from fossil fuels. As Canada and other advanced economies reach for net-zero carbon emissions by 2050, the emissions trajectory of petrochemical plastic producers needs a drastic change of course. With rising plastic pollution globally, this must be complemented by a transition to a circular economy. This dual transition will underpin the future of petrochemical plastic producers. These two elements of transition are complementary, yet distinct. The sustainability of plastics in our material world underscores this point.

Impact paper  |  30-min read
August 17, 2021

Keep Moving: Sustainable Mobility After the Pandemic

Sustainable mobility is facing some very real challenges from COVID-19. Transit ridership has collapsed. Rising single-occupancy vehicle travel and suburban flight pose genuine threats to the progress many Canadian cities have made. Deep uncertainty remains about the persistence of these behaviours and their implications for urban mobility.

Issue briefing  |  15-min read
June 2, 2021

A Microgrid Playbook

There are over 100 remote communities in Canada with more than 50 permanent residents each. None are connected to our national power grid. Imagine a microgrid system that offsets diesel use for each one. Microgrids are small-scale, self-sufficient energy systems. They can be the key to emissions reductions, resilience, and localized control of services—especially in Northern, Indigenous, and remote communities.

Online experience  |  4-min read
April 26, 2021

Recent releases

Canada’s Clean Energy Growth Economy Indicators

The CEGE Indicator Platform is an interactive online dashboard to monitor our progress toward a clean energy growth economy. Over the next four years, we will track the movement of specific economic indicators under three themes: economy, environment, and society.

Online experience  |  45-min read
March 29, 2021

A New Power Economic Impacts of Small Modular Nuclear Reactors in Electricity Grids

Zero-emissions, non-intermittent, cost-competitive electricity. As Canada electrifies, the potential of small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) to deliver these attributes is gaining steam. Seeking dividends Ontario, Saskatchewan, New Brunswick, and Alberta have committed to a memorandum of understanding to develop and deploy SMRs in Canada. While their motivations differ, transitioning their electricity markets toward carbon neutrality is a common theme.

Executive summary  |  4-min read
March 17, 2021

While building back better we need #naturenow

Pre-pandemic, the climate crisis was already critical. The Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change had released its landmark report, the United Nations had declared 2020 a “Nature Super Year,” and a record number of communities across Canada declared climate states of emergencies. COVID-19 may have slowed our pace of life and created a temporary dip in emissions, but our need to address the climate challenge is still very much alive and urgent.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
Roger Francis & Samantha Page—December 10, 2020

The power behind transition: A national energy system strategy

Canada is an energy bank. We need to treat it like one. We require an energy system strategy that would allow Canada to lead (not follow) market opportunities and leverage our capital to transition to a low carbon future. An energy system strategy will allow us to better monitor and achieve our transition.

Op-ed  |  4-min read
Roger Francis—December 7, 2020

The future of sustainable urban environments after COVID-19

The time to support a vision for public transportation is now. The pandemic has highlighted the role of public transit in sustainable urban centres, and two visions of the future are taking shape. In short, a future of automobile-centric sprawl.

Op-ed  |  3-min read
November 27, 2020

Liquefied Natural Gas Development in B.C. and Its Impact on Indigenous Communities

Industrial development drives economic potential for Indigenous people. Realizing that potential requires a long-term commitment by Indigenous leaders, industry, and governments to build prosperity aligned with Indigenous values and community development.

Issue Briefing  |  15-min read
November 9, 2020

Economic impacts of very small nuclear reactors in remote off-grid mining

Cost-competitive and zero-emissions mining is an opportunity for Canada. Very small modular nuclear reactors (vSMRs) offer this potential paradigm shift. Why does this matter? Northern, remote, and off-grid mines are an important part of Canada’s mining future.

Summary for executives  |  4-min read
October 28, 2020

Going nuclear: Zero-emissions mining in a material world

Canada’s energy transition has material issues. The climate change impact of energy materials is prominent among them. Canada’s mining industry can remedy this challenge with the adoption of low-carbon energy sources to power production.

Commentary  |  4-min read
October 14, 2020

View archive

View all reports

Featured researcher

Babatunde Olateju

Senior Research Associate

Learn more

Contact us to learn how to access our reports and data

Executive Councils & Research Centres

Custom research

Investigate energy, climate change, and the environment with short and large scale projects.

Contact us