This virtual event is open to BSIA faculty, fellows, postdoctoral fellows and students
As we settle into the “new normal” of professional and personal lives led in social isolation, it is important to turn our attention to how we might preserve the gains made in building out global and national environmental policy regimes in the face of unprecedented economic, social and political upheaval. Before the pandemic hit, many of us were engaged in research aimed at advancing environmental protection on a range of international and domestic policy fronts. Now, as we see governments at all levels mobilizing vast resources and expending precious political will to halt the pandemic and save lives, we wonder how public authorities will be able to follow through on environmental policy commitments made before COVID-19 made its appearance, let alone pursue the new programming we know is needed to fully address ecological challenges.
Each Zoom Policy Discussion in the new series will focus on a particular aspect of the environmental agenda and address three questions: what was the state of policy play on the issue before the pandemic hit; what impacts is the COVID-19 crisis having on policy dynamics; and what strategies might be suggested for pushing policy forward in an altered, post-COVID-19 world?
The Series will kick off with reflections on Global and Canadian Climate Policy, and will be led by the Co-Leads of the Environment & Resources Cluster, Prof. Neil Craik, School of Environment, Enterprise & Development, University of Waterloo and Prof. Debora VanNijnatten, Political Science and North American Studies, Wilfrid Laurier University.
Zoom Policy Discussions will take place every two weeks, at 2-3 pm on Tuesday afternoons, beginning on April 28th.
To receive the link to the virtual event, please email events@balsillieschool.ca.