Sometimes two birds require two stones

The author contends that green stimulus is a useful tool for economic recovery but cannot replace the regulatory and pricing mechanisms necessary for deep emissions reductions. While infrastructure projects can create jobs and increase resilience, the specific nature of the COVID-19 recession—which hit service and education sectors harder than construction—means traditional 'shovel-ready' green projects may not address the root of the current economic crisis. The document emphasizes that climate action often provides economic and health benefits regardless of the economic cycle and warns against the notion that climate policy is only justifiable when linked to a crisis.

• Green stimulus is not a comprehensive solution for either economic or environmental challenges, and it cannot replace the need for a combination of regulations and carbon pricing to achieve deep emissions reductions.
• The COVID-19 recession differs from previous ones because job losses were concentrated in services and education rather than construction and manufacturing, meaning traditional green stimulus like building retrofits may not directly assist the most affected workers.
• Certain climate actions provide economic, productivity, and health benefits that justify the investment regardless of whether the economy is in a recession.
• Subsidies are noted as having high costs and limited effectiveness because they often fund actions that businesses or individuals would have taken without government intervention.

APA

Canadian Climate Institute (2020). Sometimes two birds require two stones. https://climateinstitute.ca/sometimes-two-birds-require-two-stones/

Chicago

Canadian Climate Institute. Sometimes two birds require two stones. 2020. https://climateinstitute.ca/sometimes-two-birds-require-two-stones/.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |author=Canadian Climate Institute |title=Sometimes two birds require two stones |date=13 May 2020 |url=https://climateinstitute.ca/sometimes-two-birds-require-two-stones/ |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{canadianclimateinstitute2020sometimes, author = {{Canadian Climate Institute}}, title = {{Sometimes two birds require two stones}}, publisher = {Canadian Climate Institute}, year = {2020}, month = may, url = {https://climateinstitute.ca/sometimes-two-birds-require-two-stones/}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }