Update: I got promoted.

Thrilled to share I’m now a Senior Associate at @SP_Inst, and the head of our newly created Clean Growth Team in our Policy shop!

Here’s what you can expect from us: https://twitter.com/johngmcnally/status/1322189193230061568

First things first: I am not an economist. The world is full of those, and I recommend you listen to them. I approach economic & growth problems from a different perspective: I want to help Canada get out of its own way and make things that work the way they’re supposed to.

I also care about putting people at the forefront of our work. Growth should be an engine for improving quality of life for as many folks as possible. That means we need to rethink what supporting freedom & well-being for everyone looks like in practice.

That, when paired with my thinking on the challenge Canada faces to reach net-zero emissions by 2050 (see below), means our new team is going to have three big priorities moving forward: …https://misreportedandmisremembered.wordpress.com/2020/08/20/essay-a-reflection-on-the-challenge-ahead/

1 – Helping Canada be bold. Canada has a rare opportunity to lead the way by building the clean tech/solutions the world will need. We need to identify our real opportunities, move ambitiously, and decide what kind of country we want to be by advancing our best interests.

2 – Let’s make green growth fairer. Growth isn’t just about jobs and investment, its about who gets those jobs and how those investments help folks. We’re going to think more about how clean growth intersects with actual people, ensuring equity and affordability become features

3 – Help communities help themselves. To support all communities, we need to invest in solutions they design/advocate for to suit their needs. Part of our work is going to focus on designing tools that enable people and communities to better help themselves get what they need.

In the next six months, we’re looking at the intersection between clean growth & human health, decarbonization & the Future of Work, and how to make sure people have the tools they need to design their own green + inclusive recoveries.

The way I see it: People are generally excellent, smart and capable. Our job is to give them the tools/info they need to ensure they can design what works for them. Getting to net-zero means unlocking everyone’s potential to do what they need to do – this can’t be centralized.

Climate action and clean growth shouldn’t be the bastion of intellectuals. 60% of infrastructure spending comes from municipalities. 98% of CAD businesses are SMEs. Let’s give them the tools they need to do what works for them, and ensure everyone benefits in the process.

We’re going to write the reports we want to read, say what we believe, and advance the issues that matter to us. If this resonates with you and you want to collaborate – DM, email or call me.

Let’s talk about how we can make clean growth more robust, fairer and focused on what matters: people and results.

Fin of thread - but we at SPI just getting started.