On March 21st, 2013 the federal government released its eighth budget. This budget includes investment in Canada’s crumbling infrastructure, but does not launch new measures to reduce greenhouse gas emissions or support a world-class clean tech sector.  It overhauls the government’s development and trade departments, which could result in changes to Canada’s international climate change adaptation contributions. Lately the government’s ... Read More »

Toronto’s Parks and Environment Committee has recommended the city ramp up efforts to understand and prepare for the effects of climate change. This came after consideration of a study commissioned to better understand the conditions that public infrastructure would be operating in over the course of it’s service life, considering increased extreme weather and changing climate (Toronto’s Future Climate: Study ... Read More »

The global market for low carbon goods and services (LCGS) could grow from $339 billion (2010) to between $3.9 and $8.3 trillion per year by 2050, according to a new report released by the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRT).  Framing the Future: Embracing the Low-Carbon Economy – considers how Canada needs to position itself with ... Read More »

Munich Re, the world’s largest reinsurance company, released a report yesterday finding that North America is experiencing the fastest increase in natural disasters in the world. The report, entitled Severe Weather in North America: Perils, Risks, and Insurance, is not yet publicly available, but in a USA Today article its author – Professor Peter Hoppe – explains that the number ... Read More »

Community leaders from Newtok, Alaska, and the Cartaret Islands, Papua New Guinea, met over the week of September 27th, 2012, to discuss the solution they have both chosen in the face of rising sea levels and harsher, more frequent storms: relocation. These communities are among the first in the world to choose relocation as a way to adapt to climate ... Read More »

A memo and powerpoint presentation sent to Canadian environment minister Peter Kent from Environment Canada dated March 5, 2012 contain a very interesting summary of climate change impacts in Canada. The memo states “In external discussions and speeches regarding the government of Canada’s action on climate change, it may be useful to present concrete examples of climate-change impacts occurring in ... Read More »

On Tuesday October 16, 2012 from 8:15-10:00 a.m., SPRiNG Dialogues will be discussing public companies’ disclosure of material environmental risk in Toronto. Travis will be serving as a featured expert. Event summary: Canada’s public companies now have clear guidance that they must disclose material environmental risks and opportunities to their investors. Companies also need to be careful that statements in ... Read More »

A recent decision by Vancity Investment Managements Ltd. to remove Enbridge from two SRI funds and employee pension plans suggests a growing concern over the financial influence of environmental risks. The decision to withdraw came as a result of alarm over Enbridge’s operational management and performance after a series of incidents called into question the safety of the company’s pipelines. ... Read More »

Development charges can have an important impact on the way we build our communities, the amount of time people spend in cars and the environment. A recent article in the Hamilton Spectator by Emma Reilly looked at development charges in the City of Hamilton. Ms. Reilly interviewed Travis for the article following the release of the Live Where You Go report, written ... Read More »

Zizzo Allan Climate Law LLP, the Pembina Institute, the Canadian Environmental Law Association and Ecojustice are pleased to announce the release of a new report today entitled Live Where You Go: encouraging location-efficient development in Ontario, which is the result of year-long “Cool Communities” project run by the report’s co-authors. The report recommends 5 key tools (discussed below) to make ... Read More »