How Federal Fiscal and Policy Reform Can Lead the Way

Is it possible to have both a healthy environment and a prosperous economy? The answer to this question -one of the most important of our time -is yes, but only if the right policy and fiscal signals are in place.

How can innovative policy approaches harness the power of markets to solve environmental problems and help build a stronger, greener economy?  Can a federal carbon pricing policy help jump start the transition to a low-carbon economy and lay the foundation for a coordinated federal-provincial approach to clean energy? Is it possible to draw on the experience in other countries to identify tangible options for Canada that take into account political realities?

Stewart Elgie is a professor of law and environmental economics at the University of Ottawa and acting director of the university's Institute of the Environment.  In 2007, he founded Sustainable Prosperity - a national research network / think tank that brings together academic, business and policy leaders to develop market-based approaches for a cleaner, more vibrant economy. Elgie has been a prominent figure in sustainable development law and policy in Canada for 20 years.

7:45 - 9:00 am, Thursday, April 1, 2010