Engineering a ‘green recovery’ is a terrible idea | The Globe and Mail
June 1, 2020 | In the coming weeks, the federal government is expected to begin crafting a stimulus package to lift Canada out of the economic crisis brought about by the COVID-19 pandemic. Based on which cabinet ministers have been assigned to the project, it seems clear the Liberals want to incorporate their climate goals into the package, addressing climate change and economic recovery at the same time. Is a stimulus package the best way to deal with a pandemic recession?
Opinion: Support Canadians now, but not at the expense of our future | The National Post
May 21, 2020 | In light of the pandemic, governments have moved quickly to support hard-hit workers and businesses. This provision of economic “relief” is different from conventional “stimulus” common during normal recessions. Whereas stimulus policies are all about getting people back to work and businesses back to normal levels of operation, the current relief policies are about replacing people’s incomes while they are safely isolating at home.
Chris Ragan on Climate Change and Carbon Pricing | Culture at Crossroads
April 16, 2020 | With climate change being one of the most contentious issues in the 2019 federal election, it has become evident that Canadians are concerned with reducing the national carbon footprint. Despite this, policy responses to this issue have not been united. In this podcast, Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan elaborates on the nuances of environmental policy, and how it serves both the economy and the climate.
Christopher Ragan on climate change and how public policy can help reduce carbon emissions | McGill Reporter
March 9, 2020 | Christopher Ragan, the director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and former chair of Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission, sat down with the McGill Reporter to discuss the ways in which policy can impact climate change. In this interview, Ragan comments on resistance to decarbonization, current government initiatives, and the divestment movement.
Will Endless Economic Growth End Us? | The Agenda
February 24, 2020 | What are the consequences of endless economic expansion?
Informing the debate | McGill News
With the final report of Canada’s Ecofiscal Commission out and its clear support for carbon pricing – most notably, a 40-cent tax hike on a litre of gas over the next decade – making headlines, Christopher Ragan, commission chairman, can’t help thinking about how the now concluded six-year project got its start. Like most origin stories, it began at a low point – at least for Ragan.
Meeting Canada's Greenhouse Gas Targets | TVO
January 27, 2020 | McGill University economist Chris Ragan, Chair of Canada's Ecofiscal Commission, and Director of the Max Bell School, explains the think tank's final report exploring Canada's options for reducing its greenhouse gas emissions.
Chris Ragan on carbon pricing | Power and Politics
November 27, 2019 | Max Bell School Director Chris Ragan discusses the Ecofiscal Commission's final report on how Canada can meet its 2030 emissions goals with a carbon pricing policy.
Watch the video here.
Here’s why you should like the federal carbon tax | The Star
November 27, 2019 | In this opinion piece, it is argued how an escalating carbon price over the years accompanied by rebates, as shown by Chris Ragan, is the most transparent and the least costly for the economy and taxpayers.
Read the full article here.
Hiking carbon tax to $210 cheapest way to hit climate targets: commission | CTV News
November 27, 2019 | Chris Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School says quadrupling Canada's carbon price by 2030 is the easiest and most cost-effective way for the country to meet its climate targets.
Read the full article here.
Why Carbon Pricing Remains the Smartest Policy Tool | Policy Options
November 27, 2019 | Director of the Max Bell School Chris Ragan on why the time is right for a serious conversation about how best to bridge the gap between Canada’s current emissions and our 2030 target.
Read the full article here.
Canada needs carbon tax of $210 a tonne by 2030 to meet Paris targets, report says | National Post
November 27, 2019 | The Ecofiscal Commission says Canada will either have to raise carbon prices to $210 per tonne or adopt more expensive policies funded by higher income taxes to meet its 2030 targets.
Read the full article here.
Canada should quadruple carbon tax to meet 2030 targets, commission says | The Globe and Mail
November 27, 2019 | The Ecofiscal Commission's latest report says that if Canada were to meet its 2030 targets to cut greenhouse gas emissions through carbon pricing, it must more than quadruple its carbon tax and rebate the revenues to consumers.
Read the full article here.
Canada’s wisest policy: stealing policies from other countries | The Globe and Mail
August 12, 2019 | In this piece, Christopher Ragan, Director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy, argues that economists know the more we lean on carbon pricing, the better off our economy will be. He draws on the experience of Sweden's carbon tax and the U.S efforts to reduce acid rain by taxing sulfur-dioxide producing plants.
Climate change puts health at risk and economists have the right prescription | The Conversation
June 24, 2019 | Climate change affects many aspects of people's lives. As it is a common source of worry to doctors and economists alike, the proposed solutions to climate change are numerous. Chris Ragan, director of the Max Bell School of Public Policy and Courtney Howard, clinical associate professor at the Cumming School of Medicine (University of Calgary) argue that carbon pricing is the right solution.
