March 26, 2026 –Weaknesses in the federal industrial carbon pricing benchmark risk limiting progress toward national greenhouse gas reduction targets. As the federal government prepares its 2026 review of carbon pricing, Canada’s carbon pricing benchmark needs to be retooled to improve transparency, fairness, and efficiency, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. […]
by Nicholas Rivers Canada’s industrial carbon pricing systems, covering roughly 40 percent of national emissions, aim to reduce greenhouse gases while protecting competitiveness, but are being undermined by a poorly designed federal “benchmark.” The current benchmark relies on a subjective and opaque “demand test” to assess system stringency, resulting in overly generous performance standards, low […]
From: Lennie KaplanTo: Alberta budget observers Date: February 20, 2026Re: How Will Alberta Deal With Low Oil Prices in Next Week’s Budget? The Alberta government is signaling that its 2026 budget next week is going “stay the course” with a large deficit number in 2026/27, and likely into 2027/28. One of the critical factors influencing the […]
To: Housing watchers From: Kate KoplovichRe: We Need an Eye on Two Prizes: More Housing and Lower Emissions As Canada races to fix its housing affordability crisis, one issue is consistently treated as an afterthought: How to close the housing supply gap without creating higher residential greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. With the […]
Published in The Hill Times. As Canada races to fix its housing affordability crisis, one issue is consistently treated as an afterthought: how to close the housing supply gap without creating higher residential greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. With the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimating […]
January 27, 2026 – The expansion of US dollar-linked stablecoins is accelerating a revolution in how payments are made – raising growing concerns about Canada’s ability to maintain control over its monetary system and domestic payment infrastructure, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “The Window Is Closing: How Canada Can Shape the […]
January 20, 2026 – What does it mean to be an “energy superpower,” and how will it economically benefit Canadians? A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute warns that recent megaproject power sector announcements touting Canada as such lack definition, cost-benefit analysis, and evidence that they will improve affordability, which continues to remain a […]
Canada faces unprecedented power-sector investment needs through 2050, driven by ageing infrastructure, rapid load growth, and decarbonization goals. Governments increasingly frame large transmission and generation projects as “nation-building” or pathways to becoming an “energy superpower,” yet many recent announcements lack clear economic definitions, cost-benefit analyses, or evidence that they will improve affordability for ratepayers and […]
Canada, like many other countries, is not on track to meet its 2030 and 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement, even under the “With Additional Measures” scenario. To move us closer to these goals, we need more efficient, predictable, and durable policies to incentivize investment and adoption of decarbonization technologies without […]
From: Madeleine McPherson and Peter FairleyTo: Electrification watchers Date: December 19, 2025Re: It’s Long Past Time for a National Transmission Grid Manitoba joined an Ontario-led initiative to work towards a national electricity grid late last month, and called for all provinces and territories to sign on to their memorandum of understanding. It’s a welcome development given […]
Ottawa’s forthcoming AI strategy needs to walk a tightrope between two equally important principles: safeguarding Canadians from possible misuses of AI but also giving our private and academic sectors the leeway to use Canada’s AI strengths to develop and commercialize new technologies and products.
From: Lennie KaplanTo: Carbon capture watchers Date: December 5, 2025Re: The Reforms Needed to Unlock Private Billions for Carbon Capture Market-based reforms to industrial carbon pricing are critical to unlocking billions in private sector investment in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) across Canada over the next 25 years. The recently signed Canada-Alberta MOU commits the […]
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March 26, 2026 –Weaknesses in the federal industrial carbon pricing benchmark risk limiting progress toward national greenhouse gas reduction targets. As the federal government prepares its 2026 review of carbon pricing, Canada’s carbon pricing benchmark needs to be retooled to improve transparency, fairness, and efficiency, according to a new report by the C.D. Howe Institute. […] 
From: Lennie KaplanTo: Alberta budget observers Date: February 20, 2026Re: How Will Alberta Deal With Low Oil Prices in Next Week’s Budget? The Alberta government is signaling that its 2026 budget next week is going “stay the course” with a large deficit number in 2026/27, and likely into 2027/28. One of the critical factors influencing the […] 
To: Housing watchers From: Kate KoplovichRe: We Need an Eye on Two Prizes: More Housing and Lower Emissions As Canada races to fix its housing affordability crisis, one issue is consistently treated as an afterthought: How to close the housing supply gap without creating higher residential greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. With the […] 
Published in The Hill Times. As Canada races to fix its housing affordability crisis, one issue is consistently treated as an afterthought: how to close the housing supply gap without creating higher residential greenhouse gas emissions for decades to come. With the Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation (CMHC) and the Parliamentary Budget Office (PBO) estimating […] 
January 27, 2026 – The expansion of US dollar-linked stablecoins is accelerating a revolution in how payments are made – raising growing concerns about Canada’s ability to maintain control over its monetary system and domestic payment infrastructure, according to a new C.D. Howe Institute report. In “The Window Is Closing: How Canada Can Shape the […] 
January 20, 2026 – What does it mean to be an “energy superpower,” and how will it economically benefit Canadians? A new report from the C.D. Howe Institute warns that recent megaproject power sector announcements touting Canada as such lack definition, cost-benefit analysis, and evidence that they will improve affordability, which continues to remain a […] 
Canada, like many other countries, is not on track to meet its 2030 and 2035 Nationally Determined Contribution targets under the 2015 Paris Agreement, even under the “With Additional Measures” scenario. To move us closer to these goals, we need more efficient, predictable, and durable policies to incentivize investment and adoption of decarbonization technologies without […] 
From: Madeleine McPherson and Peter FairleyTo: Electrification watchers Date: December 19, 2025Re: It’s Long Past Time for a National Transmission Grid Manitoba joined an Ontario-led initiative to work towards a national electricity grid late last month, and called for all provinces and territories to sign on to their memorandum of understanding. It’s a welcome development given […] 
Ottawa’s forthcoming AI strategy needs to walk a tightrope between two equally important principles: safeguarding Canadians from possible misuses of AI but also giving our private and academic sectors the leeway to use Canada’s AI strengths to develop and commercialize new technologies and products. 
From: Lennie KaplanTo: Carbon capture watchers Date: December 5, 2025Re: The Reforms Needed to Unlock Private Billions for Carbon Capture Market-based reforms to industrial carbon pricing are critical to unlocking billions in private sector investment in carbon capture, utilization, and storage (CCUS) across Canada over the next 25 years. The recently signed Canada-Alberta MOU commits the […]