The very first thing Stephanie Cairns desires individuals to know is that environmental governance is not only about authorities.
“Redesigning financial techniques to function inside ecological limits requires new and sometimes tough types of deep collaboration between a spread of actors – innovators, producers up and down provide chains, shoppers, civil society and activists, governments in any respect ranges – as a result of no particular person half in these complicated, interlocking techniques can impact these adjustments in isolation,” mentioned Cairns, who has labored on environmental, financial and political initiatives for greater than 30 years.
The round financial system, the following problem of local weather change
Cairns brings this expertise to its new function as Kinross Chair in Environmental Governancethat connects the educational focus of U of G packages with real-world environmental governance initiatives, packages, and practices.
Cairns, not too long ago honored with a Clear 50 Lifetime Achievement Awardhas a long-standing curiosity within the U of G and the Metropolis of Guelph due to their dedication to creating a round financial system through which assets are shared and emissions, carbon footprints and waste are eradicated.
“For me, that is the following large dialog after the local weather change dialog,” she defined, citing practically 95% of supplies within the Canadian financial system are used as soon as and thrown away, together with every part, from quick vogue objects to single-use plastics to constructing supplies.
Earlier than the pandemic, Cairns mentioned, there was momentum for change; COVID-19 has set the motion again and uncovered the fragility of provide chains.
A round financial system is feasible, she mentioned, however requires constant systemic change. “A variety of it’s about complicated innovation.”
Environmental issues require international options
A round financial system additionally prompts discussions about useful resource effectivity, environmental affect and sourcing. The thought is gaining recognition internationally, however is taking longer to catch on in Canada, that sees itself as a resource-rich nationCairns mentioned.
“But a worldwide transition to a extra round financial system will change the character of the merchandise, providers and applied sciences demanded by international markets, with each implications and alternatives for Canada’s useful resource sector,” she mentioned. declared.
It’s the subsequent main environmental theme that’s anticipated to dominate, she mentioned, calling it the “third pillar of local weather change” after vitality use and pure options.
“The urgency of environmental points comes again to individuals in a manner that basically engages a a lot wider viewers,” she mentioned.
Client stress has been one of many drivers of change, as evidenced by the push round plastics and recycling. Nonetheless, Cairns want to see a complete technique versus the historic problem-by-problem method.
“Cease coping with environmental points on the symptom stage and go a lot deeper to the basic root causes,” she mentioned.
The Kinross Chair in Environmental Governance was created in 2010 and is situated inside the School of Social and Utilized Human Sciences. Chairholders have labored to create and strengthen neighborhood partnerships to lift consciousness of rising environmental points.
The place is funded by an endowment from Kinross Gold Corp.
Contact:
Stephanie Cairns
[email protected]
