The world is confronted with a slew of accelerating and converging crises, from climate change and biodiversity loss to energy insecurity, unaffordable living and rising inequality. In the face of these challenges, Canada must urgently and equitably decarbonize every sector of the economy both to contribute our fair share of the global climate effort and to ensure Canada’s longterm prosperity in a low-carbon global economy.
It is a daunting task facing a country that has long depended on fossil fuel extraction and consumption to drive the economy, and only through an ambitious, well-funded and publicly-coordinated transition effort are we likely to succeed at this complex and far-reaching project.
Spending What It Takes: Transformational climate investments for long-term prosperity in Canada proposes a comprehensive, $287 billion plan for public investment in a green economy, drawing on the recommendations of Climate Action Network – Réseau action climat (CAN-Rac) Canada members and other organizations working on climate policy in Canada today, including expert insights from a variety of research institutes, environmental organizations, academic bodies and activist groups. The report lays out the current state of public climate spending in Canada before turning to a forward-looking, sector-by-sector breakdown of necessary clean economy spending consistent with a net-zero economy by 2050.