Publications

It feels like back to the future – or like being on an endless treadmill – as governments in Canada take steps yet again to “reform” environmental assessment legislation while also pursuing a myriad of other changes to other environmental and energy regulatory processes. The pretext is political messaging about a lack of public confidence in “the system” for managing environmental issues. In our view, this is largely a manufactured crisis of words over substance. Neither Canada nor BC is on the verge of environmental Armageddon or decay, no matter how loudly some groups argue otherwise. Yet both in both Canada and BC, policy-makers seem to be intent on “fixing” a system that is not broken. Canada initiated a review of the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act 2012 in June 2016, along with reviews of the Fisheries Act and Navigation Protection Act. These reviews are ending after 24 months of significant effort on the part of many stakeholders. But British Columbia has now decided to add to the uncertainty and rising costs facing industry by launching several environment-related reviews within its own jurisdiction. This includes a planned “revitalization” of the province’s environmental assessment (EA) process. From the business community’s perspective, the changes proposed in the federal government’s environmental/impact assessment processes are not improvements. Time will tell if the outcomes of the BC review are positive or negative.

How can Canada and British Columbia improve productivity?

An analysis of the progress made advancing women in the workforce and areas where there is more to do to enable the full participation of women, particularly in light of shifting demographics and labour markets.

How will digitalization of the economy impact the labour market?

Manufacturing is a growth story for the B.C. economy over the last 10 years and is punching above its weight in terms of our export portfolio, generating new income for the provincial economy. The latest Policy Perspectives, details economic facts, figures and trends, as well as sectoral breakdowns and cross provincial comparisons, relevant to BC’s $50 billion resource and non-resource manufacturing activities. It also provides some cautionary advice relative to key competitive headwinds facing this element of our economy - which makes up 7% of provincial GDP and over 170,000 jobs.

On the lookout for the hottest in job trends? We've got the latest on the updated Labour Market Outlook, 2017 - 2027 Edition by WorkBC.

In an environment of heightened uncertainty about NAFTA and steep tax cuts south of the border that have made the United States a more attractive place to invest capital, Finance Minister Bill Morneau’s 2018 Budget focuses on expanding social supports, addressing gender issues, improving life for Indigenous Peoples, and dialing up innovation.

Many B.C. businesses will be scrambling to adjust to significantly higher payroll costs.

The 2015 Paris accord is the latest installment of multilateral agreements aimed at addressing the rising concentrations of greenhouse gas emissions (GHGs) in the earth’s atmosphere. Paris flows from the 1992 United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change.

Amid an improving external backdrop, BC’s economic expansion remains on a healthy course with little on the horizon to suggest this will change over the next couple of years.

WorkSafeBC has set its assessment rates for 2018, and the news is generally positive for employers in the province.

You are in the midst of the Fourth Industrial Revolution. So, what is it — and in what ways may it transform life as we know it?

The British Columbia economy remains on a healthy growth track, supported by rising exports, substantial increases in consumer spending, and high levels of activity in the housing sector.

In the case of environmental indicators and performance measures, factors such as geography, population, and economic structure matter a lot. These are mostly ignored and assumed to be the same across all advanced economy jurisdictions in published analyses concerning environmental progress of Canada and its provinces/territoriesn, making comparisons of true performance difficult.

To build a more prosperous and innovative economy, new businesses have to be created and some existing firms must grow.

This report, prepared for the Business Council by Kerry Jothen, CEO of Human Capital Strategies, considers BC’s future – what its economic vision should be and what kind of human capital will be needed in the next two decades. It considers how public policy and other factors can support success and prosperity in this arena. This includes a high-level review of current relevant policies and programs – what needs to be changed, enhanced and expanded, and what new actions need to be considered.

BC and Alberta have especially strong economic connections and exhibit a high degree of economic interdependence.

After more than 16 years in opposition, the NDP government introduced its first budget earlier this week. More accurately, Finance Minister Carole James unveiled a Budget Update, with the more comprehensive budget and fleshed out fiscal plan to come next February.