A recent climate change report concludes that Canada can pull off a controversial double win of achieving both carbon reduction targets and economic growth. But a prominent economist warns of a potential drag effect instead, and says climate concerns are not top of mind with a recession battered public anyway. The study, Climate Leadership, Economic Prosperity was funded by the TD Bank and co-written by sustainability stalwarts the Pembina Institute and the David Suzuki Foundation and based on economic modeling from M.K. Jaccard and Associates. Says Pierre Sadik, Ottawa-based manager government affairs for the Suzuki Foundation, “the key element of the report or any sustainability program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions is the realistic pricing of carbon.” “The pricing of carbon is equal to a major tax hike,” says University of Calgary economist Jack Mintz. |