A crowd seen from above mills about a town square with the Canadian flag hanging on the left
Press release

“Now is the time to plan a clean and resilient recovery”, says Task Force in final report

Ottawa, ON – The Task Force for a Resilient Recovery shares its final report, recommending CAD 55.4 billion in green recovery investments to support long-term jobs and economic growth.

September 16, 2020

Investments in a post-COVID-19 economic recovery will either kick-start jobs and growth for a cleaner, more resilient economy or lock Canada into a high-pollution future. Today, the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery released its final report, recommending specific measures and investments to help the Government of Canada achieve the former.

The Task Force urges Canada’s leaders to learn from the missed opportunities of 2010, when countries made investments coming out of the 2008/09 financial crisis that resulted in a historic global increase in carbon emissions.

Its final report recommends CAD 55.4 billion in green recovery investments that will support long-term jobs and economic growth and keep Canada on pace with its international peers.

The independent group of 15 finance, policy, and sustainability leaders launched in May to urgently identify and recommend how the government can stimulate an economic recovery from COVID-19 that gets Canadians back to work while supporting Canada’s climate goals.

The final report from the Task Force includes new analysis of international recovery investments, which shows that Canada’s peers are leading the charge toward a recovery built around the massive opportunities of a clean economy and a net-zero emissions future.

The Task Force for a Resilient Recovery makes 22 recommendations for how Canada can stay competitive and prosperous in this global clean economy, including through investments in energy-efficient and climate-resilient buildings, jumpstarting Canada’s production and adoption of zero-emission vehicles, investing in hydrogen and clean energy, and growing the nature economy.

“Drawing on ideas from across Canada and around the world, our recommendations will deliver the safe, clean and long-term economic recovery that Canadians are ready for,” said Richard Florizone, President and CEO of the International Institute for Sustainable Development and chair of the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery.

With the release of the final report, the Task Force for a Resilient Recovery is now formally concluded.

A technical briefing on the final report will be held at 11:30 a.m. EST on September 16. Media can register here.

Media Contacts:

Vanessa Farquharson
Communications Manager, Editorial Strategy, IISD
613-238-2296 ext. 114
media@iisd.org

Eric Campbell
Communications Director
613-790-1100
eric@smartprosperity.ca

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is an award-winning independent think tank working to accelerate solutions for a stable climate, sustainable resource management, and fair economies. Our work inspires better decisions and sparks meaningful action to help people and the planet thrive. We shine a light on what can be achieved when governments, businesses, non-profits, and communities come together. IISD’s staff of more than 250 experts come from across the globe and from many disciplines. With offices in Winnipeg, Geneva, Ottawa, and Toronto, our work affects lives in nearly 100 countries.