Greening Canada's COVID Recovery

Rebuilding the economy after the COVID pandemic will be complex, challenging and long-lasting. Almost every part of our economy has suffered. Some sectors may rebound quickly, but many will take years to recover fully. National, provincial and local recovery planning is essential and so is a broad-based buy-in. The process must include small businesses, civil society, public and private institutions, consumers, corporations, and investors large and small. A better future, as envisioned in these principles for a just recovery, requires significant environmental protection and social equity improvements. Recovery is thus both a challenge and an opportunity, since the three core needs of better environmental protection, greater social equity and inclusive nationwide economic recovery, can be achieved simultaneously. The good news is that interest rates are low and almost certain to remain low for years, which will make this essential spending possible as public and private borrowing will be more manageable.