Sustainable Prosperity

Transcription

1 Alexander Wd Senir Directr, Plicy and Markets Sustainable Prsperity Innvatin in Plicy and Markets fr a Greener, Mre Cmpetitive, Ecnmy Deplying Clean Technlgies: Canada-United States Private Sectr and Gvernment Investments in Cleantech

2 Sustainable Prsperity Think tank based at University f Ottawa, with mandate t develp and prmte innvatin in plicy and markets leading t a green ecnmy in Canada Fcus n prmting academic research and develpment f plicy and market mdels Primarily interested in rle f market-based mechanisms that deliver simultaneus ecnmic and envirnmental benefits Fcal areas include carbn pricing, sustainable municipalities, and ecsystems services and markets

3 Sustainable Prsperity Cntext fr clean tech has changed: Fcus n climate change meant cperatin and cllabratin Fcus n green ecnmy and clean technlgy means cmpetitin Cmpetitin is being by driven by public perceptin f grwing race fr clean tech 3

4 Sustainable Prsperity Perceptin fuelled by civil sciety: Breakthrugh Institute: Winning the Clean Energy Race: A New Strategy fr American Leadership Pew Charitable Trusts: Wh s Winning the Clean Energy Race? Cnference Bard f Canada: Glbal Climate-Friendly Trade: Canada s Chance t Clean Up Sustainable Prsperity: The Lw-Carbn Investment Gap 4

5 Sustainable Prsperity That perceptin is reality: Canada faces grwing lw carbn investment gap with rest f the wrld SP has analyzed that gap, and cncluded that Canada risks being left behind in glbal clean tech cmpetitin Gap is particularly prnunced in cmpetitin fr private sectr investment in clean tech, which is fllwing the public mney Bright spt in Canada is prvincial actin US, despite ARRA, faces a similar gap in relatin t ther majr ecnmies, particularly China 5

6 Lw Carbn Investments as a Share f 2008 GDP (PPP) Sustainable Prsperity Canada s lw carbn investment gap (2009 analysis) 0.08% US Stimulus plus H.R % 0.04% 0.02% Canada's Ecnmic Actin Plan and Turning the Crner Technlgy Fund Actin Plan ends Canada's Lw Carbn Investment Gap 0.00% Technlgy Fund ends

7 Sustainable Prsperity Fr clean tech sectr, this race translates int gd news (supprtive public plicies and public investment) Sectr arund the wrld is seeing unprecedented grwth and pprtunity Fr gvernments, the plitics f this are very psitive (emplyment and investment) But this public supprt is a duble-edged swrd Mst aspects f public plicy cannt be sustained ver lng-term (subsidies, dmestic cntent, etc.) because f public cst What gvernments give, they can take away 7

8 Sustainable Prsperity Agenda is abut hw t transitin frm shrt-term cmpetitin t lng-term cllabratin and s ensure lng-term viability f the sectr Fr Canadian and American gvernments, this translates int cllabratin n transitining Nrth American energy system t a lw-carbn energy system, with mutually supprtive plicies and regulatins The fundatin f such cllabratin needs t take the frm f a carbn pricing plicy that is Nrth American in character Lgic is fr technlgy- and jurisdictin-neutral plicy framewrk that addresses dual plicy bjectives f clean tech develpment and climate change mitigatin, while minimizing cst t public purse 8

9 Sustainable Prsperity Fr clean tech sectr, cllabratin can centre arund tw things: Achieving ecnmies f scale t drive dwn prices and s establishing a self-sustaining business case Demnstrating lng-term ecnmic benefits (emplyment, innvatin, etc.) Fr civil sciety, the shrt-term fcus shuld be n rendering unt Caesar... : understanding that shrt term fcus n jbs and emplyment trumps ideal climate plicy In medium- t lng-term cllabratin can be abut hw t prmte and advcate at a Nrth American level, where plicy and markets will cnverge. Canadian grups shuld be mre active in seeking ut partnerships with U.S. grups t prmte cmmn interests 9

10 Sustainable Prsperity Current plicies are high cst (fr technlgy, jbs and emissin reductins), but are necessary t plitical supprt In the lng-term, interest f all cnverges arund driving dwn csts f technlgy Cllabratin between gvernments, clean tech advcates and cmpanies, and civil sciety depends n understanding this lng term interest The clean tech pie will be large, and all will prfit frm it. Fr that pie t ever exist, thugh, cmpetitin will have t give way t cllabratin 10