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Exchanging Ideas on Climate
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy
www.nrtee-trnee.ca
Exchanging ideas on Climate

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Economic Risks and Opportunities of Climate Change for Canada

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) has embarked on a two-year catalytic program to assess the economic risks and opportunities for Canada related to climate change. Inspired by Lord Stern?s Review on the Economics of Climate Change, the main objectives of the program are to enhance the understanding of the economic risks and opportunities that climate change brings for Canada?s economy, as a result of both the physical impacts of climate change and the global low-carbon transition Both the physical impacts and global transition have profound implications for Canada?s economy over the coming decades.

There is insufficient knowledge about what the physical impacts of a changing climate will mean for Canada?s economy, and our policy stakeholders have reinforced the value of NRTEE work in this area. The impacts from climate change and the related damages will bring both risks and opportunities for Canada?s economy.

We also lack understanding of how Canada can best take advantage of a global transition to a low-carbon economy, and what is at stake if it fails to act or is slow to act. New research will need to identify sectors with greatest opportunities or risks, and to benchmark Canada?s performance in terms of low-carbon innovation.

The program is a major priority for the NRTEE over the next two years. The level of dedicated resources is significant, and substantial effort will be dedicated to ongoing engagement and communications. In addition to a final synthesis report, the program is structured to be dynamic and interactive, engaging stakeholders and producing multiple deliverables to inform key events such as the UN Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen and the G8 meeting that Canada will host in 2010.

Policies and major investment decisions (in both the private and public sectors) should be informed by these implications. The broader economic implications of climate change are wide-reaching, and yet are often not considered by decision makers in government and industry. Our program therefore seeks to a) highlight and communicate the economic risks and opportunities from climate change and efforts to reduce GHG emissions, thus informing the policy dialogue and public understanding of what climate change means for Canada; and b) provide policy advice to Canada?s governments on how to reduce the economic risks of climate change, and maximise the economic opportunities.

Our primary goal, therefore, is about changing the debate, injecting economics into the climate change file, and raising awareness. Research alone will not achieve this goal. Research will always be challenged, and the NRTEE is a public policy advisory body, not a research institute. Instead, we must engage, bring people together, and seek profile for the program and for our ideas and findings ? and those of others.

EVENTS

January 14, 2010 - Climate Impacts and Adaptation Advisory Committee

July 28, 2009 - Workshop on US and Canadian Climate Policy
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July 29, 2009 - Session on Benchmarking Canada's Competitiveness in a Global Low Carbon Economy
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July 30, 2009 - The Economic Risks from Climate Impacts: Scoping Canadian Case Studies
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July 30, 2009
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PROGRAM LEAD

Photo - Alex Long

Alex Long
Senior Policy Advisor
Phone:
Email:

ASSIGNED STAFF

Dale Beugin

Dale Beugin
Policy Advisor

Email:

Jimena Eyzaguirre

Jimena Eyzaguirre
Policy Advisor

Email:

Will McDowall

Will McDowall
Research Associate
Phone:
Email:

Annika Tamlyn

Annika Tamlyn
Policy Advisor
Phone:
Email:

IN THE NEWS

Lord Nicholas Stern

Lord Nicholas Stern

May 1, 2009 - In an interview with CBC Radio - "The Current" Lord Nicholas Stern speaks about the challenges that world economies face when addressing climate change. Lord Stern states that "we need to seek out the lowest cost ways" of reaching emission reduction targets. This is a key finding of the NRTEE's recent report Achieving 2050: A Carbon Pricing Policy for Canada.

David McLaughlin
NRTEE President and CEO

David McLaughlin

May 7, 2009 - David McLaughlin shares the findings of the NRTEE's recent report Achieving 2050: A Carbon Pricing Policy for Canada with CBC Radio - "The Current", as a followup to the interview with Lord Nicholas Stern on May 1st. The interview with David McLaughlin begins at time code 18.35.