IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event

In a speech to the Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce, IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan discusses the intersection of trade, sustainability, innovation, and climate change. He warns that protectionism and the potential end of NAFTA would increase costs and emissions, while highlighting the growth of the global green goods and services market. Vaughan emphasizes the importance of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the 'Winnipeg PEG' model for community-based sustainability reporting, which IISD aims to replicate globally. He also notes the rise of climate-related financial risk disclosure and the necessity of integrating environmental and economic goals to ensure long-term competitiveness.

• The global market for green goods and services is valued at just under USD 900 billion and is projected to surpass USD 1.7 trillion by 2025.
• Investment in renewable energy has outpaced investments in conventional energy sources, with cumulative investment in the current decade reaching USD 2.2 trillion, despite fossil fuel subsidies totaling USD 450 billion annually.
• The 'Winnipeg PEG' urban sustainability platform is recognized as a global leader in community-based reporting; IISD is replicating this model in five Canadian communities and plans to expand to Southeast Asia, Central America, and the Caribbean in 2018.
• Trade protectionism and the potential collapse of NAFTA would likely lead to higher costs for consumers and shippers, increased air pollution from idling trucks at borders, and overall losses in GDP and jobs.
• The Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are increasingly being adopted by global businesses, with 62 per cent of companies mentioning them in reporting, though they have historically had a lower profile in Canada.
• Financial markets are treating climate change as a primary risk factor, leading major firms such as Blackrock, Goldman's, Vanguard, and Walmart to move toward enhanced climate disclosure.

APA

Vaughan, S. (2018). IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event. International Institute for Sustainable Development. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-winnipeg-chamber-commerce-fun

Chicago

Vaughan, Scott. IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event. International Institute for Sustainable Development, 2018. https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-winnipeg-chamber-commerce-fun.

Wikipedia

{{cite press release |last1=Vaughan |first1=Scott |title=IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event |publisher=International Institute for Sustainable Development |date=18 May 2018 |url=https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-winnipeg-chamber-commerce-fun |access-date=23 October 2026 |via=Climate Insights Directory}}

BibTeX

@misc{vaughan2018iisd, author = {Vaughan, Scott}, title = {{IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event}}, publisher = {International Institute for Sustainable Development}, year = {2018}, month = may, url = {https://www.iisd.org/articles/policy-analysis/iisd-speech-president-and-ceo-scott-vaughan-winnipeg-chamber-commerce-fun}, urldate = {2026-10-23}, note = {Indexed by Climate Insights Directory} }