Green Strings: Principles and conditions for a green recovery from COVID-19 in Canada

This executive summary outlines seven 'green strings'—principles and conditions—that the Canadian government should apply to COVID-19 recovery spending, bailouts, and stimulus to ensure alignment with climate goals and the transition to a low-carbon economy.

• The authors argue that the Canadian government has a duty to impose standards and conditions on recovery spending to ensure it aligns with climate change outcomes, noting that green recovery measures are proven to drive economic growth and job creation.
• The document proposes seven specific 'green strings' for recovery measures: financial support for industry must require a zero-emission transition aligned with net-zero GHG emissions by 2050; strict financial conditions should be applied to increase stability and incentivize low-carbon transitions (including prohibiting shareholder dividends and buybacks); recovery must be worker-focused to enable a just transition; support should prioritize low-carbon sectors and infrastructure; environmental regulations and climate policies must be protected and strengthened; transparency and accountability in federal spending must be ensured; and support must increase equity and well-being.
• Public sentiment in Canada supports this approach, with an Abacus Data survey indicating that a majority of respondents believe the government's response to COVID-19 should not abandon climate change efforts.

APA

Corkal, V., Gass, P., & Cosbey, A. (2020). Green Strings: Principles and conditions for a green recovery from COVID-19 in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-07/green-strings-covid-19-canada-summary-en.pdf

Chicago

Corkal, Vanessa, Philip Gass, and Aaron Cosbey. Green Strings: Principles and conditions for a green recovery from COVID-19 in Canada. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2020. https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-07/green-strings-covid-19-canada-summary-en.pdf.

Wikipedia

{{cite report |last1=Corkal |first1=Vanessa |last2=Gass |first2=Philip |last3=Cosbey |first3=Aaron |title=Green Strings: Principles and conditions for a green recovery from COVID-19 in Canada |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=2020 |url=https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-07/green-strings-covid-19-canada-summary-en.pdf |access-date=17 August 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@techreport{corkal2020green, author = {Corkal, Vanessa and Gass, Philip and Cosbey, Aaron}, title = {{Green Strings: Principles and conditions for a green recovery from COVID-19 in Canada}}, institution = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2020}, url = {https://www.iisd.org/system/files/2020-07/green-strings-covid-19-canada-summary-en.pdf}, urldate = {2026-08-17}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }