Mikaela McQuade

Check out these thoughtful insights from our Director of Policy and Research, Colleen Kaiser, Ph.D., on the context surrounding the Smart Prosperity Institute’s new publication on climate-related transition planning in Canada, as well as key takeaways from this foundational release. 👇

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It was great to be in Victoria for the release of the 2026 B.C. Budget along with my colleague Jairo Yunis. Here are some comments from our press release: “B.C.’s finances have unraveled at a breathtaking speed over recent years as spending growth has far outpaced revenue growth. Households and businesses now face around $4 billion in tax hikes over three years to try to plug the fiscal hole in a further blow to private sector economic activity,” says David Williams, BCBC’s Vice President of Policy. We are profoundly disappointed to see major tax hikes at a time when British Columbians can least afford them. B.C. has seen only 6% growth in private sector employment since 2019, compared to a 40% increase in public sector employment. B.C. has also been losing around 50,000 to 70,000 people annually in out-migration to other provinces. These are levels unseen since the mid-1970s and late-1990s. Today’s tax hikes are likely to reinforce these worrying trends and further dampen private sector economic activity. “The current fiscal plan fails to stabilize the province’s finances” said Jairo Yunis, BCBC’s Director of Policy. “Debt servicing is the fastest growing line item in this year’s budget. Provincial finances remain on track for a fifth consecutive credit rating downgrade that will further increase the cost of debt servicing.” #bcbudget #bcpoli #taxation https://lnkd.in/gdc2Xmcq

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Canada announced new investments around $392M, in adaptation, clean energy, climate resilience, and sustainable land use, while global partners committed billions to nature-based solutions and climate-risk programs. Where Canadian companies and the consultants who advise them can benefit: • Nature-based solutions • Adaptation & resilience projects • Sustainable land initiatives • Clean energy & decarbonization • Carbon markets & climate disclosures At Dr. Vieweg Consulting Inc., we built this course to help move from compliance to credible, investor-ready ESG performance. Companies will learn how to help clients: ✔ Translate GRI, ISSB, SASB, TCFD into practical steps and advisory deliverables ✔ Align ESG actions with business strategy, KPIs, and risk management ✔ Build reliable, audit-ready data systems ✔ Strengthen funding proposals for grants, blended finance, and climate funds ✔ Position clients for success in COP30-related funding streams register now on #Udemy: https://lnkd.in/dx-cRudU

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Energy storage is no longer just a supporting technology; it’s becoming essential for managing Alberta’s growing electricity demand, integrating renewables, and ensuring grid reliability and resilience. At the Energy Storage Alberta—CanREA Summit 2025 on June 3 in Calgary, CanREA will be bringing together industry experts, policymakers such as Minister Nathan Neudorf, AESO leadership, and innovators to answer some essential questions: 🔋 What will the new electricity market and transmission policy look like, and how can energy storage navigate both? 🔋 How can energy storage help supply Alberta’s growing population and industries—including data centres? 🔋 What are the main barriers to building energy storage in Alberta, and how do we break them down? 🔋 What can we learn from the global experience in energy storage? 🔋 What are the latest advancements and innovations in energy storage, and how could they apply to Alberta’s electricity system? I look forward to joining the conversation, sharing ideas and working together to build a clean, reliable, and affordable energy future for Alberta. https://lnkd.in/dnPU3T3B #CanREA #ESA2025 #EnergyStorage #Events

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Proud of the team at Dunsky (Valentin M., Alex Newhook, Ali P., among others) for their hard work contributing to this new report for Electrifying Canada. Our analysis examined provincial electricity demand forecasts to understand how demand is expected to grow across Canada, and the extent to which different demand drivers are reflected in these outlooks. Spoiler alert for the uninitiated: electricity demand is expected to grow substantially, but we found that key drivers of that growth are not always considered consistently across jurisdictions or study types. I invite folks to dig into the report to learn more: https://lnkd.in/e9AudVvp Thanks to our partners at The Transition Accelerator/ L’Accélérateur de transition including Nick Martin, Evan Wilson, Alex Kent, Rami Fakhoury for their collaboration and leadership on this work, and to Robert Hornung for his expertise.

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In a changing world, Canada faces rapidly growing demand for electricity to power our homes and the economy. To build a stonger, more economically independent country, we will have to double the size of the electricity system by 2050. Today, Electricity Canada released "Forging Canada's Electricity Future", our annual state of the electricity industry, which looks at what it's going to take to meet this moment while balancing ambition and affordability. We will need to speed up permitting and approvals, get financing right, bolster supply chains and the labour force, and better integrate Canada's electricity grids. We'll have to do that while also focusing on a resilient system that faces growing threats from extreme weather and malicious actors. I had the pleasure of writing parts of this over the past month. Francis had me and fellow co-authors Julia and Channa on his podcast to talk about the document and the task ahead. Give a listen! You can read the full report here: https://lnkd.in/gTwF8X2P

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As BC advances its CleanBC climate goals, a key challenge looms: aligning bold ambition with real-world capacity. Our latest blog talks about how resource-rich regions like Northeast BC are central to the province's energy future—and why pragmatic policy execution is critical. Learn more: https://hubs.li/Q03qJVm10 #CleanBC #EnergyTransition #ResourceDevelopment #NortheastBC #IndigenousEconomicDevelopment

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I am excited to share that KPMG Canada has established the Major Projects Delivery Office (MPDO)! At the core of the MPDO is KPMG’s Indigenous Advisory Services. In today’s Canadian infrastructure environment, no major project advances without meaningful Indigenous engagement, consultation, partnership, and full economic participation. Indigenous rights, inclusion, and shared prosperity are not peripheral considerations they are fundamental determinants of project certainty and long-term success. KPMG brings deep experience working alongside Indigenous communities, Nations, development corporations, and project proponents. Our Indigenous Advisory team combines on-the-ground relationship experience with leading expertise in commercial and financial structuring to enable durable, equitable participation including equity partnerships and ownership models that advance economic reconciliation. For years, our Infrastructure, Capital Projects and Sustainability practice has been at the forefront of major project advisory across Canada. The MPDO builds on that foundation by delivering integrated, end-to-end support across the full project lifecycle - from strategic setup and governance design through stabilization, recovery, and transformation. By embedding Indigenous advisory at the center of major project strategy and execution, the MPDO helps clients move beyond compliance toward true partnership - strengthening outcomes for communities, proponents, and Canada as a whole. Together, we can help build Canada responsibly, inclusively, and sustainably. https://lnkd.in/eVpe3N66

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Nuclear #energy could help revive Canada’s power sector and fuel a cleaner and more resilient grid for the future. Read EY’s latest article for more. https://ow.ly/CAvt30sT1O2 #EYCanada #ShapeTheFutureWithConfidence

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Canada to launch sustainable investment taxonomy in 2026 https://lnkd.in/det3dpRD Canadian Climate Institute / Institut climatique du Canada Business Future Pathways Jonathan Arnold François-Philippe Champagne #sustainablefinance #taxonomy #sustainableinvestment #greenfinance #sustainability

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In public sector procurement, sustainability isn’t optional—and neither is accountability. Bill 72 and the Buy Canada Act raise the bar. They call on procurement and distribution partners to deliver more than compliance—they demand conviction. Where we source, who we support, and how we distribute directly shape economic resilience, environmental outcomes, and public trust. At MCL, we’re intentional about reducing our eco footprint while hitting every mark that matters: Canadian value, responsible sourcing, transparent supply chains, and measurable impact. No shortcuts. No box-checking. Just disciplined execution aligned to public interest. Leadership in procurement means standing behind every decision—knowing it holds up to policy, scrutiny, and purpose. That’s the responsibility we accept. That’s the standard we deliver. #BuyCanada #Bill72 #PublicSectorProcurement #ComplianceWithConviction #SustainableSupplyChains

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Canada has strong disaster response programs—from Quebec’s RIUSC to Ontario’s Corps and Nova Scotia’s Guard—but they remain siloed. We need a Pan-Canadian Disaster Readiness Framework that unites these efforts through shared standards, real-time visibility, interoperable training, and modern technology. Together, we can build a smarter, faster, and more resilient Canada.

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CSSB releases new resource: Guide on Adopting a Climate-first Approach in Sustainability Reporting Read our new guide, which offers direction on how to adopt a climate-first approach in sustainability reporting under Canadian Sustainability Disclosure Standard (CSDS) 1, General Requirements for Disclosure of Sustainability-related Financial Information, and CSDS 2, Climate-related Disclosures. Learn more: https://lnkd.in/ejGef4tb #CSDS #ClimateDisclosure #SustainabilityReporting

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🇨🇦The Carney government’s first budget marks a real pivot: away from short-term affordability measures and toward investment-led growth. It’s bold with $230B in new expenditures, $115B in infrastructure, and new bets on AI, critical minerals, and clean energy. The goal: rebuild Canada’s productive capacity and competitiveness. 👉But the challenge isn’t ambition, it’s delivery. Regulatory bottlenecks, labour shortages, and limited intergovernmental coordination could all stall the “build, baby, build” vision before it starts. The new fiscal anchor (balancing the operating budget by 2028-29) reframes what “responsible” spending means. It’s a recognition that growth, not restraint, is now the bigger test. 💡TLDR: this budget feels less like a spending plan and more like a test of national delivery capacity. We’ve never had a shortage of plans. What Canada needs now is the machinery — public, private, and political — to make them real. #Budget2025 #cdnpoli

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Yesterday, Ontario announced the Panel for Utility Leadership and Service Excellence (PULSE), a strategic advisory group. The PULSE will provide recommendations on investment frameworks, operational best practices, and regulatory reform planning needed to deliver a reliable, resilient and future-ready electricity distribution system across Ontario. The group is expected to deliver final recommendations to the Minister of Energy and Mines in early 2026. Their work will include: -Recommending operational and customer service improvements across the system -Identifying strategies to address rising financing gaps to fund electricity infrastructure -Addressing barriers to attracting investments into municipally owned LDCs -Reviewing ownership, governance and investment models that balance municipal interests, financial stability and system efficiency https://lnkd.in/g8yG9-P8 #ontario #onpoli #electricity #electricityplanning #energytransition

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Last week, Canadian Climate Institute / Institut climatique du Canada analysis showed that policies shared between federal and provincial/territorial governments are poised to have the biggest effect on emissions reductions. Industrial carbon pricing / Large Emitter Trading Systems are first on that list. But all of that depends on sound design. Here's new analysis from Ross Linden-Fraser on design choices in various provincial systems that are undermining industrial carbon pricing. https://lnkd.in/g6u-cFP5

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Nuclear #energy could help revive Canada’s power sector and fuel a cleaner and more resilient grid for the future. Read EY’s latest article for more. https://ow.ly/6iNE30sSVM6 #EYCanada #ShapeTheFutureWithConfidence

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"Fixing and strengthening industrial carbon pricing has the potential to unleash billions of dollars of low-carbon aligned investment, creating jobs and futureproofing our industries for decades to come,” Gray argues. With the April 1, 2026, deadline for the Alberta-Ottawa memorandum of understanding fast approaching, leading climate policy experts are calling on Prime Minister Mark Carney to restore the strength and integrity of Canada’s industrial carbon pricing system to increase competitiveness and reduce greenhouse gas emissions.  https://lnkd.in/e_8Z2ZDp

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We are honoured to have supported the Ontario Energy Association (OEA) and Local Distribution Companies (LDCs) across the province in the development of the foundational report: Grid Modernization: Delivering Ontario’s Economic and Environmental Opportunity. This work closely aligns with the vision set out in Ontario’s Energy for Generations Integrated Energy Plan (IEP)—the province’s first comprehensive roadmap for a secure, affordable, reliable, and clean energy future. Our Deloitte team brought industry expertise and global perspective to this project. The report defines grid modernization in Ontario’s context and outlines its latest drivers, opportunities, challenges, and potential regulatory shifts needed for advancement. Congratulations to the OEA and all sector partners on this important milestone. Together, we are working to build a stronger energy future for Ontario. #GridModernization #OntarioEnergy #EnergyTransition #Deloitte #OEA #LDCs #EnergyForGenerations #EconomicGrowth Duncan Rotherham; Jalaj Sharma; Line Duranleau, CHRP; Mamadou Dia; Bojan Grabovac;Gavin McTavish; Laura Higgins; Shachar (Shak) Parran;Adriaan Davidse; Christian Grant; Craig Rizzo; Struan Buchanan; Thomas Schlaak; Anujesh Dwivedi

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