Canada’s Green Economy - past, present and future

December 3, 2010 - ECO Canada’s latest report “Defining the Green Economy” is the result of a year-long study to bring clarity to a highly-dynamic sector. The project involved extensive research including the input from 13 national sector councils, an extensive review of 54 green economy related publications, and a survey conducted with 431 decision makers representing green organizations across Canada.

“This was done in an effort to provide the first critical step in solidifying the Canadian definition of the term ‘Green Economy,” says Grant Trump, President and CEO of ECO Canada.

In addition to communicating consensus-driven green economy and green jobs definitions, the report  begins to uncover on the top areas of economic opportunity in Canada and the impact it will have on employment.

The report outlines how a growing sense of environmental responsibility in conjunction with new government policies, and financial incentives is encouraging organizations in almost every sector of the economy to adopt greener practices. “By building upon the existing skill-sets of the environmental workforce and promoting cross-sectoral collaboration green organizations within Canada will be better positioned to embrace the opportunities that lie ahead,” says Trump.

This study lays a critical foundation for additional research that will explore the economic opportunities to uncover their implications for industry as well as narrow in on the actual occupations playing the most critical roles in the green economy. The report is available for free public download at www.eco.ca/greeneconomy.

Background:
The objective of ECO Canada’s Labour Market Information reports are to provide Canada’s environmental stakeholders including employers, the academic community, potential employees, and governments at all levels with current and accurate information to help guide initiatives and foster growth within the sector.