Imagining a Sustainable Future for Canada with ESG

In a little under two weeks, a snap election will be held in Canada. It’s an unpopular decision, but at a time when the country is facing an unprecedented level of change, it provides an almost unparalleled opportunity for Canadians to have a say in what they want the years ahead to look like.

Why does this matter so much right now? Because in so many ways, we are at a tipping point. A devastating summer of wildfires across Canada, the US and up into Siberia have awoken many to the fact that the climate crisis isn’t coming – it’s here. The discovery of children’s remains in residential schools has triggered a national sense of grief and shame about how we’ve failed First Nations communities. And of course, the pandemic has exposed the holes in our social safety net, and reminded us that Canada’s wellbeing is inexorably linked to the rest of the world. 

So, this week we’re taking a break from talking about how ESG can contribute to the business world, and instead considering how an Environmental, Social and Governance sustainability point of view could help us not only to imagine a sustainable future for Canada, but to create one.

Because after all, isn’t that our role as citizens? To picture the type of country we would like to live in, and elect a government that can help to shape that. 

Creating a Sustainable Environment

It’s easy to feel overwhelmed with a sense of doom about the state of our environment, especially when we learn that humanity has less than a decade to pull the brakes on centuries of destructive practices. It can lead to a sense of fatalism – we wonder what we tiny individuals can do in the face of such a complex global problem. But here’s the thing. We already have all the solutions we need to address the climate crisis, it’s just a matter of implementing them.

As the inimitable David Attenborough says, the natural world is uniquely equipped to restore balance, and it will do so, as long as humans can live not apart from nature, but as a part of it.

Here are some ways that Canada can play a part in restoring this balance in the months and years ahead.

A Just Transition from Fossil Fuels

Last week, the Iraqi Finance Minister and the head of the International Energy Agency issued a joint call for the world to immediately begin transitioning away from fossil fuels. For context, oil represents a whopping 60% of Iraq’s GDP. Minister Allawi raised this issue because he is keenly aware that you can’t just turn the lights off at the oil refinery overnight. The people and communities who rely on these industries need time to create new economic opportunities, or governments risk creating social upheaval.

What’s this got to do with Canada, you ask? Well, like Iraq, we have many towns (including First Nations communities) that rely almost entirely on the oil industry. As other oil producing nations, and corporate majors like BP begin to transition to renewables, we risk being left holding the proverbial baby. The incoming government has the opportunity to begin creating a sustainable future for all Canadians now, by retraining workers, diversifying small town economies, and investing in renewable energy generation. 

Rewilding the Land

Canada’s wild spaces are the envy of the world. From the majestic Rocky Mountains to the windswept coasts of Nova Scotia, we are a calendar maker’s dream. However, our wild places are becoming fewer and further between, as urban sprawl creeps outward and we co-opt more land for agriculture to feed our cities and export to the world.

We have a unique opportunity in the years ahead to think strategically and carefully about how we use this land we’re lucky enough to call home. We can mandate sustainable forestry practices and put a halt to logging in old-growth forests, protecting the fractional amount we have remaining, and keeping the carbon stored in ancient trunks from escaping into the atmosphere. We can incentivize the use of regenerative agricultural practices, even increasing food production as we reduce land and water use, with technologies and approaches that are already proven to work. We can create dark sky reserves to protect ecosystems reliant on nocturnal animals and plants.

Fishing for the Future

We can fish more by fishing less. By creating marine reserves where fishing vessels are banned, we can allow fish stocks to regenerate, restoring the balance to oceanic ecosystems. Rebalanced ecosystems also allow for regrowth of phytoplankton, a carbon-guzzling microalgae that makes the ocean an exceptional carbon sink, and that also forms the basis of many of the ocean’s food chains – in turn growing the number of fish available to harvest. 

Creating Sustainable Societies

We’re fortunate in Canada to have a social safety net that many other countries lack. From free healthcare, to paid parental leave, to employment insurance and other supports for those who find themselves without work. However, it has become clear over the past 18 months that many are falling through the gaps.

Adopting an ESG lens, we know that when people have the opportunity to thrive, communities thrive too. And thriving communities lead to economic growth and innovation, lowered healthcare costs, reduced crime rates… the list goes on. Through policy interventions, governments can make small changes in people’s lives that have significant ripple effects. For example, we can create:

A sustainable future for all workers

Many low-income workers don’t have access to paid sick leave, forcing them to choose between providing for their families and potentially spreading illness to coworkers and their community. We can fix that by introducing a nationwide paid sick leave scheme, like Australia, the UK, Afghanistan, Yemen and other countries already have in place.

A country where children have a right to food

Many parts of Canada, particularly Northern communities, lack food security. In fact, four million Canadians, including 1.15 million children, have trouble putting food on the table. We can begin to address this by introducing free meals in elementary school, improving access to traditional lands for hunting and food acquisition, and strengthening regional food systems to support Indigenous and remote communities.

A sustainable housing market for future generations

It’s not news to anyone that housing affordability is in crisis, with the average Canadian spending 52% of their income on mortgage payments, with that figure jumping to 67% in Toronto and 75% in Vancouver. Happily, this seems to be on the radar of the major parties, but more is possible – we can better regulate the real estate industry, and build more affordable housing to help more Canadians achieve the security of home ownership.

Sustainable Governance

While Canada has a stable, highly functioning democracy, like all countries there is room to do things a bit better. When we think of governance through an ESG lens, we think of organizations with diverse boards, transparent decision-making processes and policies that support the long-term wellbeing of staff, stakeholders, communities, and the environment. 

What we expect and hope of government is no different. Transparent decision-making that prioritizes a sustainable future for all, where personal gain or the interests of lobby groups aren’t a factor. Cooperation between the different levels of government, regardless of party politics, to ensure that community safety, wellbeing, education, and access to opportunity are the same for all Canadians, regardless of where they live. And the elevation of Indigenous voices, ensuring the varied views of our many First Nations communities are part of every decision.

While this may seem like a utopian vision, change is possible. We can restore the idea of governance as a public service, by requiring all politicians to have had a career in another field first, bringing diverse life experience and limiting the moral conflicts that can beleaguer career politicians. We can legislate to limit the access of lobbyists to decision-makers. What about establishing a First Nations advisory council for every branch of the executive?

The rules that govern how we are governed, matter. And we have the power to change them.

Here’s something to consider as you make your plan to vote on September 20. When 3.5% of the population is engaged on an issue, they have never failed to bring about change. Never. We might feel small and insignificant, but what we say and do at critical times of change can in fact be incredibly influential. 

Whatever your vision for the future of Canada, and whoever you plan to support, your voice matters. Let’s ensure we make all our voices heard as we look to create a sustainable home that meets not only our needs today, but those of generations to come.