President's Report - September 2015

President's Report

September 2015

With a busy fall in full swing, I am pleased to have this opportunity to connect with you regarding the full slate of activities underway at the Business Council.
Our policy team has produced a number of excellent publications and blogs which are assembled for you below, including our recommendations in response to the Provincial Government's Climate Leadership Plan Discussion Paper. Watch for a Business Alert later this month which will delve into business matters relevant to the federal election.
I encourage you to join us on October 22nd for The Future of Energy. We are excited about this opportunity to work with GE Ecomagination to provide much needed dialogue around how business can succeed in the face of the changing energy landscape and cleaner energy mandates. Featuring representatives from GE, Statoil and Eurasia Group, this event will unpack the trends, technologies and actions necessary to advance innovative and sustainable energy strategies.
On November 19th, the Business Council is pleased to present the third annual BC Business Summit 2015. The event will bring together leaders from across the province to engage in an important dialogue on the future of British Columbia's economy. As in previous years, we have an impressive and thoughtful speaker lineup of leaders from the business, government and community sectors, including George Cope, President and CEO of BCE Inc and Bell Canada and Andrew Ramlo, Executive Director at Urban Futures Inc. Join us for conversation, networking and insights into the opportunities and realities impacting British Columbia's prosperity as we prepare to kick off our yearlong conversation, BC 2035, and the Council's 50th Anniversary year. Early bird pricing is available until October 1st and I encourage you to confirm your table at: www.BCBusinessSummit.com.
Sincerely,
Greg D'Avignon
President & CEO

Recent Business Council Publications

By Jock Finlayson & Ken Peacock

The recent decline of the Canadian dollar relative to the US dollar is the steepest on record over any three-year period. The Loonie's fall touches nearly all aspects of the BC economy and while there are winners and losers, on balance a lower dollar is positive for economic and job growth in the near term.

Read more in this issue of Policy Perspectives.

By Jock Finlayson
Concerns over labour shortages continue to be voiced by some leading employer organizations. While economists and other social scientists favour quantitative evidence over anecdotal stories of business owners scrambling to fill entry-level positions, it is fair to say that evidence of widespread labour shortages in Canada has been slow to emerge - if it exists at all.

Read more in this issue of Human Capital Law and Policy.

Is the world in the midst of a rapidly accelerating migration away from fossil fuels, toward a much greater reliance on carbon-free sources of energy? If one takes seriously the speeches of Environment Ministers or the content found on the web sites of many well-known environmental advocacy organizations, the temptation is to answer "yes." The reality, however, is more complex.

Find out how, in this edition of Environment and Energy Bulletin.

Is the world in the midst of a rapidly accelerating migration away from fossil fuels, toward a much greater reliance on carbon-free sources of energy? If one takes seriously the speeches of Environment Ministers or the content found on the web sites of many well-known environmental advocacy organizations, the temptation is to answer "yes." The reality, however, is more complex.

Find out how, in this edition of Environment and Energy Bulletin.





By Jock Finlayson

Submissions


British Columbia is a global leader in implementing concrete action to manage and mitigate the impacts of climate change. No other province or state in North America has done more, particularly in the area of carbon pricing. With a largely carbon-free electricity sector and an existing carbon tax set at $30 per tonne of CO2e, BC has already harvested much of the "low-hanging fruit" in terms of reducing GHG emissions. As a result the province has few low-cost GHG abatement options available at the present time. Read the Business Council's full submission and recommendations to the provincial government as they move into the next stage of climate policy development.

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Is the Price Right? A Comparison of Carbon Pricing

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BC Net Interprovincial Migration Trending Higher