Business leaders Call for Bold Green Recovery
TORONTO, June 29, 2020 /CNW/ - Corporate Knights Inc. today released a letter signed by 47 (and growing) business leaders calling for a bold green recovery coming out of the COVID 19 crisis. The signatories lead companies employing over 200,000 people in Canada and with annual revenues of $140 billion.
The letter outlines recommendations for investment in the green economy, arguing that is where our most valuable assets line up best with global growth trends including for green buildings, sustainably produced food, zero emissions vehicles and clean natural resources, including zero-carbon energy.
The leaders also challenge the notion of austerity and the idea of a mild recovery plan and instead call for action that is even bolder than has been the case for the COVID crisis response. "It will require a significant burst of investment in the first couple of years buttressed with complimentary policies over the next five. Some will raise concerns about the costs, but if we learned anything from the last economic crisis, it's that austerity is not a growth strategy, rather it leads to lost opportunities for people and businesses alike."
"These leaders know our future as a nation, and whether we will be leaders or followers in the world economy, depends on the decisions we make today, and they know those decisions need to be bold and green," said Toby Heaps, CEO of Corporate Knights.
The letter also highlights that the opportunity provided by a green recovery is one that will help address equity and fairness in our society and our economy, with central roles for Indigenous communities to play, and means to ensure people of colour benefit from green growth.
"Now is the time to be courageous and bold" the letter concludes. "We encourage governments to lead a collaborative and bold economic recovery building on the strengths of our existing economy and talent to capture the growth markets of the future. As corporate leaders, we are committed to doing our part to build back better towards a more resilient – and inclusive – economy."
Signatories include: Mike Andrade, CEO, Morgan Solar, Brian Bentz, CEO, Alectra Inc, Guy Bourbonnière, Vice President Trane Commercial HVAC – Eastern Canada, Trane Technologies, Toby Heaps, CEO, Corporate Knights Inc., Gord Hicks, CEO, BGIS, Gord Johnston, CEO, Stantec Inc, Mark Little, CEO, Suncor Energy Inc, Marcelo Lu, President, BASF Canada, Susan Uthayakumar, CEO, Schneider Electric Canada, Christine Bergeron, Chief Member Services Officer, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Erica Brabon, Director, Energy & Sustainability, Black & McDonald, Kim Caron, President, Executive Mat Group, Guthrie Cox, President, View Canada, Mike Crawley, CEO, Northland Power Inc, Darren Entwistle, CEO, Telus Corp, Jason Fitzsimmons, Chief Corporate Affairs and Customer Care Officer, Hydro One Ltd, Sabrina Geremia, Country Manager, Google Canada, Mike Gerbis, CEO, The Delphi Group, Michael Gonsalves, President, Carrier Enterprise, David Grinstead, CEO, Signify Canada, Anthony Haines, CEO, Toronto Hydro Corporation, Matt Jamieson, CEO, Six Nations of the Grand River Development Corporation, Philippe Jetté, CEO, Cogeco Communications Inc, Faisal Kazi, CEO, Siemens Canada, Melissa Kennedy, EVP, Chief Legal Officer & Public Affairs, Sun Life Financial Inc, Laura Kilcrease, CEO, Alberta Innovates, Alex Lau, VP, Golden Properties Ltd, Don Lindsay, CEO, Teck Resources Ltd, Michael McCain, CEO, Maple Leaf Foods Inc, Carol McGlogan, CEO, Electro-Federation Canada, Dermot McMorrow, General Manager – HVAC Division, Mitsubishi Electric Sales Canada Inc., Paul Mertes, CEO, Circuit Meter, Terri Lynn Morrison, Director of Strategic Partnerships, Indigenous Clean Energy, Thomas Mueller, CEO, Canadian Green Building Council, Derek Nighbor, CEO, Forest Products Association of Canada, Nathalie Palladitcheff, CEO, Ivanhoé Cambridge, Josipa Petrunić, CEO, The Canadian Urban Transit Research & Innovation Consortium (CUTRIC), Gregor Robertson, EVP, Nexii, Bill Strohecker, Country Managing Director, ABB Power Grids Canada, Sandra Stuart, CEO, HSBC Bank Canada, Nadeem Velani, EVP & CFO, Canadian Pacific Railway Ltd, Anthony Viel, Managing Partner and Chief Executive, Deloitte Canada, Tamara Vrooman, CEO, Vancouver City Savings Credit Union, Rob Wesseling, CEO, The Co-Operators, Dan Wicklum, CEO, The Transition Accelerator, Casey Witkowicz, CEO, RYCOM, Mary Ann Yule, CEO, HP Canada
About Corporate Knights:
Corporate Knights Inc. includes the sustainable business magazine Corporate Knights and a research division that produces rankings and financial product ratings based on corporate sustainability performance. Corporate Knights was named Magazine of the Year at the National Magazine Awards in 2013 and won the SABEW Canada Silver Award for Investigative Reporting in 2019.
SOURCE Corporate Knights Inc.
Toby Heaps, CEO, Corporate Knights Phone: +1 (416) 274-1432, Email: [email protected]
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