Multimedia - Environment and Sustainable Development
Public Attitudes and Environmental Policy in Canada and Europe
These interviews resulted from a workshop that explored public attitudes toward environmental issues and policies with a focus on the similarities and differences between Canada and Europe. The conference took place at Carleton University on Feb 8, 2013. The event was supported by the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue. For more information please visit the event page
The interviewees were in conversation with Anca Gurzu, and the video slideshows were prepared by Caitlin Keaney, both of Carleton University.
Miranda Schreurs is the Director of the Environmental Policy Research Center and a Professor of Comparative Politics at the Freie Universitaet Berlin. In this interview she discusses the green house gas reduction target goals of both the EU and Canada and their use and access to energy resources. She also touches upon public opinion and support needed for environmental policies to meet their goals. Podcast and Youtube video slideshow available below.
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Russell J. Dalton is a Professor of Political Science at the University of California, Irvine and was the founding Director of the Center for the Study of Democracy at UC Irvine. In this interview he discusses the environmental platforms of national green parties and other political parties in the EU and Canada. He also describes the publics’ party affiliation based on similar attitudes towards the environment. Podcast and Youtube video slideshow available below.
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Jon H. Pammett is Professor of Political Science at Carleton University. He is also co-Director of the Carleton University Survey Centre, and Canadian delegate to the International Social Survey Programme (ISSP). In this interview, Dr. Pammett describes the results from the ISSP and its connection to environmental issues in the Canada-Europe Transatlantic dialogue. Dr. Pammett also describes the role that environmental issues play during election, referendums and how they are presented in party platforms.
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Conference on The European Union, Canada, and the Arctic: International Policy on the Arctic
These interviews result from a two-day conference (Sept. 22-23): The European Union, Canada and the Arctic: International Policy on the Arctic , supported by Carleton University’s Centre for European Studies (European Union Centre of Excellence) and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation.
- Armand de Mestral, Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue lead researcher, Law Professor at McGill University and former member of the Canadian Law of the Sea delegation, talks about international frustration over Canada’s 2010 unilateral decision to make compulsory the duty to notify Canadian authorities in advance of a ship’s entry into Canadian waters. He argues Canada had no choice but to take this decision, highlighting the lack of solid international standards on Arctic shipping. He also discusses how the European Unions’ eventual position—in favour or against Canada’s decision—could influence the issue.
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- Cécile Pelaudeix, Research Associate in PACTE, at the Institute of Political Studies in Grenoble, France, talks about the differences between Canadian and EU Arctic policies. She argues Canadian policies are more focused on sovereignty issues, while that is less important for the EU. She also highlights some of the tensions between Canada and the EU as they relate to the Arctic and some policy options for resolving issues.
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- David Long, Professor at Carleton University’s Norman Paterson School of International Affairs and CETD collaborator, argues theory is important in explaining current Arctic policies. He proposes a counterintuitive reasoning to explain prospects for conflict in the Arctic. He says a realist approach could suggest future conflict over the Arctic. However, he argues that the region may in fact not be significant enough to the international actors to warrant a violent response. He says institutionalists and constructivists find more basis for dispute in the Arctic due to overlapping institutional frameworks. He discusses the possible impact of his conclusions on current Arctic policies.
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- Rob Huebert, Associate Director at the Centre for Military and Strategic Studies and Associate Professor in the Political Science Department at the University of Calgary, discusses the changes to the EU-Canada security relationship in the Arctic. He argues energy security will move the Arctic from an almost non-existent issue to one of central importance. In this context, he touches on current debates (such as NATO’s role in the Arctic and maritime navigation) and the potential for diplomatic disputes over these issues.
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- Markus Kaim, Head of Research on international security at the German Institute of International and Security Affairs (Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik), Berlin, talks about Germany’s key areas of interest in the Arctic. He describes how Germany makes use of international organizations to have its voice heard in the Arctic, but argues that overall, the Arctic will have little importance in the future for German foreign policy.
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- Sandra Cavalieri, Senior Fellow and Coordinator for the Arctic and Transatlantic programs at the Ecologic Institute in Berlin, discusses the importance of environmental protection in the Arctic and how efforts in this area compete with interests of resource exploitation. She stresses the importance of developing common guidelines that will allow states to act in an environmentally friendly way in the Arctic.
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Dr. Frank Umbach on Energy and Climate Change Policy
Dr. Frank Umbach, Senior Associate and Head of the International Energy Security Program at the Centre for European Security Strategies (Munich-Berlin) spoke to Helen Morris about the issues facing European policymakers when formulating energy and climate change policy. He discusses whether the European experiences of balancing climate change/environmental sustainability, economic competitiveness and supply security can inform the energy security debate here in Canada.
Dr. Umbach was in Ottawa at the invitation of the German Embassy in Canada and the Centre for European Studies at Carleton University to deliver a lecture on Global Energy Challenges and the Implications for the EU’s Common Energy Policies at the Delegation of the European Commission to Canada.
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Policy Workshop on Sustainable Local Food Systems in Europe and the Americas
These interviews result from a policy workshop Sustainable Local Food Systems in Europe and the Americas: Lessons for Policy and Practice, supported by the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue and grants from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC).
- Alison Blay-Palmer, Associate Professor at Wilfrid Laurier University talks about ‘food hubs’ and the connections between farmers, consumers, and regulators. She discusses their importance for sustainable food systems in Canada. Blay-Palmer compares the approach to food policy and the role of farmers in Canada compared to the situation in Europe.
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- Chantal Blouin is Associate Director of the Centre for Trade Policy and Law, Carleton University. She discusses the impact of trade agreements on health policies. Blouin discusses the impact of differing policy frameworks upon food production and distribution. She compares the policy frameworks for local food systems in Europe with those for Canada.
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- Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Professor of Rural Sociology at Wageningen University discusses local food production in Europe and their role in economic and social developments. He discusses the role of grassroots initiatives in local food systems and the difficulties of establishing a policy framework to promote the local food sector.
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Dr. Hartmut Schmeck from the Karlsruhe Institute of Technology in Germany spoke about “Smart Grid, Renewables, Electric Mobility: When to use your dishwasher or recharge electric vehicles?” Schmeck was at Carleton University on November 25, 2010 as part of the Centre for European Studies lecture series: Carleton German Climate Day. A copy of Schmek’s PowerPoint presentation is available from the website of the Centre for European Studies.
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Policy Workshop on A Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement: Public Good or Private Interest
These interviews result from a one‐day policy workshop A Canada-EU Free Trade Agreement: Public Good or Private Interest, sponsored by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, Carleton University’s Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue and the Friedrich Ebert Foundation. The report on workshop proceedings and presentations are also available on this website.
- Janet Eaton, PhD, has taught at several Nova Scotian universities including Dalhousie, St. Mary’s, Mount Saint Vincent and most recently at Acadia where she offered courses on “Critical Perspectives on Globalization”, “Environment and Sustainable Society”, and “Community Political Power”. From an early career as a marine biologist, she went on to work in the fields of adult and community education; systemic change [becoming a fellow of the International Systems Institute in the mid- 1990s] ; as a consultant to government and NGO’s on systemic change; and since 1999 has been a part of the ‘global democracy movement’. She is the Sierra Club of Canada’s Trade and the Environment representative and a member of the Canadian Trade Justice Network. In her unending quest for “another possible world”, Janet is presently working on a book: “Unmasking the Myths of Globalization: Reframing and Redesigning Our World” which combines a life time of learning, research, teaching and action
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Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue scholar Inger Weibust talks about what a Canada-EU trade deal would mean for Environmental regulation in Canada: |
- Teresa Healey, earned her doctorate in Political Science from Carleton University in 1999. She specializes in North American integration, labour, and public sector issues. Before coming to the Canadian Labour Congress as Senior Researcher, Healy worked in the Research Branch at the Canadian Union of Public Employees. Prior to working in the labour movement, Teresa held academic posts as Assistant Professor of International Relations at Wilfred Laurier University and Lecturer in International Political Economy at Trent University. Currently, Teresa is involved in ongoing research on the Canada-EU CETA negotiations, Canadian Communities in Crisis, North American integration, as well as health care privatization. Teresa Healy’s book, Gendered Struggles against Globalisation in Mexico was published by Ashgate Publishing in 2008. Her edited collection, The Harper Record , was published by the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, also in 2008. She is also a recording singer-songwriter.
Click to listen to the podcast - Louis Thériault, joined the Conference Board of Canada in 1997 where he specializes in product development and macro and micro economic analysis. Louis joined The Conference Board to launch the Metropolitan Outlook Service including a quarterly economic forecast for large Canadian urban centres. Louis is currently Director of the International Trade and Investment Center, which provides Canadian business leaders and policy-makers with forward-looking analysis related to the implications of ongoing restructuring of global production. He is also a primary contact for contracts with external clients. He is an expert in health economics modeling and forecasting and has been involved in numerous partnership projects that require databasing and model simulation expertise. In addition, he is a speaker and a media spokesperson on topics related to international trade and investment and the Canadian economy.
Click to listen to the podcast - Larry Brown, is President of the CCPA. He is also Secretary-Treasurer of the National Union of Public and General Employees since 1986. He holds political science and law degrees from the University of Saskatchewan which he has put to use as chair of PSI’s Public Sector Working Group and the National Union’s Pensions Committee where he is leading the push to expand unions’ control of members’ pension funds in order to better the condition of workers through ethical screening, shareholder activism and social investment. He has written and spoken extensively about public finances, debt and deficit issues, changes in federal provincial financing, public sector restructuring and changes in the economic and political structures of Canada.
Click to listen to the podcast - Scott Sinclair, is a senior researcher with the Canadian Centre for Policy Alternatives, where he directs the centre’s Trade and Investment Research Project. Scott has written widely on trade policy, including Facing the Facts: A Guide to the GATS Debate (with Jim Grieshaber-Otto); and Putting Health First: Canadian Health Care Reform, Trade Treaties and Foreign Policy (with Matthew Sanger), a background study for the Romanow Commission on the Future of Health Care in Canada. In April 2010, he published Negotiating From Weakness: How the Canada-EU Trade Treaty Threatens Canadian Purchasing Policies and Public Services. Prior to joining CCPA, Scott was a senior trade policy advisor with the Government of British Columbia. He lives in Prince Edward Island.
Click to listen to the podcast - Hon. Peter Julian, MP (Burnaby-New Westminster) and NDP Critic on International Trade and Globalization. A former manual labourer, Peter returned to school later and became a financial administrator. Organizations that he led won consecutive Excellence in Business awards. Peter has been a strong critic of the dysfunctional trade architecture and Canada’s trade policies. He oppposed the softwood lumber agreement unsuccesfully; the SPP in campaign with activists across the country succesfully and working with civil society activists and the labour movement was able to pioneer a new approach on trade legislation through combined oppostion to the Canada-Colombia trade deal.
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Monika Griefahn, former Minister for Environment of Lower Saxony, Germany spoke to Helen Morris about the policy framework required to support sustainable architecture. Griefahn was brought to Carleton University by the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung (FES, www.fesdc.org) for the 2010 Idea Contest and Workshop titled Young Leaders for Future Cities: Constructing sustainable environments and relations held on October 25, 2010.
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Dr. Ulrike Reutter, head of research area: mobility, Research Institute for Regional and Urban Development, Dortmund, Germany spoke to Helen Morris about the policy requirements for car-free neighbourhoods. Dr. Reutter discussed the European experience of car-free areas and outlined aspects of Canadian cities which could potentially lend themselves to such developments. Dr. Reutter came to Ottawa on September 24, 2010 with the Goethe Institute, Montreal to participate in the Centre for European Studies and the Azrieli School of Architecture and Urbanism workshop on urban cycling and car-free neighbourhoods at Carleton University.
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The link between climate change and energy security – Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti
UK Climate and Energy Security Envoy Rear Admiral Neil Morisetti talks to Helen Morris about the link between climate change and energy security. He discusses how the consequences of climate change cut across traditional policy and geographical boundaries. While climate change is not expected to cause conflict directly RAdm Morisetti argues it may well act as a stress or threat multiplier in areas that are already suffering from food and water shortages. He outlines the challenges ahead and some of the possible options to reduce our impact on the environment and so mitigate the effect of climate change on our security.
The interview was conducted on September 20, 2010 at the British High Commission in Ottawa where RAdm Morisetti was speaking at a discussion on the links between climate and energy security held in cooperation with the EU Centre of Excellence and the Department of Geography and Environmental Studies at Carleton University. The Climate Change Programme at the British High Commission in Ottawa is a partner organization of the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue.
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Policy Workshop on Promoting Carbon Markets in Canada: lessons from existing markets
Podcasts from the event Promoting Carbon Markets in Canada: lessons from existing markets held on May 13th, 2010 at the University of Ottawa. Interviewees: Doug Russell, President of MDF Associates and Associate of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD); James Burt, Special Advisor on Cap-and-Trade and Climate Action, Climate Action Secretariat (British Columbia); currently on loan from the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC); Denny Ellerman, MIT Global Change Program; David McLaughlin, President and CEO, National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE).
- Doug Russell, President of MDF Associates and Associate of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) talks to Helen Morris about what the private sector needs from policymakers in order to buy into carbon markets. Russell discusses the emergence of carbon markets and the fact that industry needs to be at the table when markets are being designed.
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Presentation Slides Event Poster - James Burt, Special Advisor on Cap-and-Trade and Climate Action, Climate Action Secretariat (British Columbia); currently on loan from the UK’s Department of Energy and Climate Change (DECC) discusses the political impetus behind the EU emissions trading scheme. Burt looks at the lessons which other regions can be learn from the European experience of setting up a market. He assesses elements which have worked as well as those features which were less successful.
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Presentation Slides Event Poster - Denny Ellerman, MIT Global Change Program talks about how the European assesses what political elements came together to prompt the formation of the Emissions Trading market in Europe. Ellerman highlights which parts of the European experience could inform the debate around carbon markets in Canada.
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Presentation Slides Event Poster - David McLaughlin, President and CEO, National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) discusses why the physical impacts of climate change mean that policymakers and industry need to seize the opportunities available in a new global low carbon transition. McLaughlin the importance of carbon pricing.
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H.E. Anthony Cary, British High Commissioner to Canada
Today is day one of the two week UN climate summit in Copenhagen. In our latest podcast H.E. Anthony Cary, British High Commissioner to Canada talks to Helen Morris about why climate change is a hard international security issue. Cary argues that we need to move away from short term political considerations, take a long term view and act together to tackle climate change. Cary discusses the human and financial costs of not taking action to mitigate climate change. The interview discusses the opportunities being seized by the business community in Europe in managing a transition to a low carbon economy and asks whether their experiences could inform the debate in Canada. The interview was conducted at the Canadian International Council event on Challenges Facing the Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen held on December 1, 2009. The Canadian International Council and the Climate Change Programme at the British High Commission in Ottawa are both partner organizations of the Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue.
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Miranda Schreurs’ lecture
Miranda Schreurs, director of Canada-Europe Transatlantic Dialogue partner organization the Environmental Policy Research Centre at the Free University of Berlin, spoke to Helen Morris about the importance of Canada-Europe co-operation on Climate Change. Schreurs discusses the challenges and opportunities on both sides of the Atlantic when it comes to tackling the effects of climate change. Schreurs asks what this all means heading into the United Nations climate change conference in Copenhagen next month (November 2009).
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