CANSEE

By design or by disaster, the global economy must be fundamentally transformed, as we come to terms with the biophysical limits of our finite planet, as well as the inequalities and instabilities that are being reinforced in the name of growth. The limitations and rigidity of our current political-economic systems could not have become more apparent than during the recent COVID-19 pandemic. Just as critical, a climate-uncertain future necessitates rapid transition to low-carbon economies, while bracing for the potential of widespread, and largely unjust, environmental change. Our 14th Biennial Conference will dive into the complexities of these surmounting pressures, with the intention of inspiring novel research, high-impact policy, and tractable community action, informed by the most seminal work in the field of ecological economics.

For example, Canadians are directly impacted by our changing climate, and are calling for immediate government action. From sea to sea to sea, Canada is warming much faster than other nations, leading to melting Arctic ice, floods, heat domes, drought, and wildfiresā€”displacing hundreds of thousands of citizens. Moreover, with our per capita footprint being one of the highest in the world, and being the fourth largest producer of fossil fuels, Canadians’ collective moral responsibility to reduce GHG emissions is considerable. Meanwhile, transitions towards renewable energy, as well as a green economy, are both economically and politically feasible. 

At the same time, inequities abound in Canada, where the colonial past and present, racism, patriarchy, migrant labour, and worsening income distribution, limit and distort many people’s lives. Canada is also one of the world’s most diverse countries, and active Indigenous resurgence is progressively influencing politics, along with the nationā€™s understanding of itself. Canada must take the lead on both a technological and cultural change to preserve wellbeing and equality, while also decreasing emissions, all in short order. The work of CANSEE scholars and practitioners is at the centre of this transition.

Check out our diverse conference programme, and help contribute to this movement of cross-sectoral, transformative systems change.

Get ready for #CANSEE2023

Ā 

In these opening remarks, York University Professor Emeritus Peter Victor will offer a special tribute to the late Herman Daly, whose outsized legacy in ecological economics deserves recognition and celebration. Before his passing, Dr. Victor completed an extensive biography for Dr. Daly, which offers an in-depth account of one of the leading thinkers and most widely read writers on economics, environment, and sustainability.

Keynote Panels

CANSEEā€™s 14th Biennial conference will be framed around four keynote panels, which explore the past, present, and future of global sustainability challenges and action

Presentation Formats and Schedule

Our conference programming includes something for everyone, such as rigorous scholarship, policy debate, social activism, creative brainstorming, personal reflection, and hands-on crafting.

Conference Themes

CANSEEĀ  encourages the translation of research into practical action for global transition. As such, our conference is oriented around six values-based themes for systems change, as follows:

Empathetic strategies for economic development that prioritise the wellbeing of all people, including systemically marginalised groups (e.g. BIPOC, LGBTQ2S+, women), and acknowledge the value of non-market relationships.

Genuine approaches to research and action that strengthen traditional Indigenous knowledge, ideas, cultures, economies, and sovereignty.

Creative responses to global change (such as health pandemics and climate warming), which connect communities, neighbourhoods, and municipalities, drawing upon local assets, resources, expertise, and enthusiasm.

Compelling proposals for policies, programmes, and technologies that could reduce both GHG emissions and embodied carbon, inclusive of sustainable finance, renewable energy, carbon sequestration, and regenerative design.

Rigorous models, indicators, programmes, and lifestyle measures by which to reduce the global ecological footprint of top consuming nations, including their direct and indirect impacts on fragile ecosystems.

Thoughtful review of local, national, and international approaches to achieving critical targets for sustainable, equitable, just, and prosperous transitions (for example, as framed by the UN Sustainable Development Goals).


A Special Thanks to our Partners!