Leadership often means challenging people to embrace change in order to build a better future. As the world grapples with climate change and other mounting environmental challenges, the global economy is changing. Before long, the world’s strongest economies will be those that find new ways to generate wealth and jobs with less environmental impact.

Choosing between a strong economy and a healthy planet is a false choice. Evidence is all around us that we have the know-how to marry our environmental and economic values.

We are a diverse group of leaders from business, labour, Indigenous, youth, and environmental backgrounds. We have come together to inspire Canadians to be masters of our destiny and take the steps needed to build an economy that grows stronger, even as we lighten our environmental footprint.

Together, we share a vision for a stronger, cleaner economy that builds a better future for all Canadians. 

The Canada we aspire to will be defined by

• healthy, vibrant, and green communities;
• innovative, clean businesses that generate the jobs of the future;
• smart public policies that catalyze economic and environmental performance; and
• better, affordable choices for people to live sustainably.

We can build this Canada. Together, we can seize this opportunity by accelerating clean innovation across the economy, boosting energy and resource efficiency, pricing pollution and waste, investing in advanced infrastructure and skills, and conserving and valuing nature. 

These changes will enable Canada to raise its environmental and economic performance on pace with the world’s leading nations over the next decade.

We believe Canadians are ready for a transition from polarization to collaboration, from risk to opportunity, from division to inclusion, and from impossibility to possibility. If we embrace this new reality, we can grow the next generation of good jobs, attract new investment, increase our exports of cleaner resources and technologies, meet our climate commitments, and position Canada to succeed in a changing global economy.

We pledge to move this Smart Prosperity initiative from concept to action by

• committing to lead by example, and put the principles of Smart Prosperity to work in our own actions and those of our organizations;
• convening leaders from business and civil society to collaborate in seeking innovative solutions for cleaner growth;
• providing strategic advice and expertise to the Smart Prosperity action plan based on proven best practices and analysis; and
• advocating for Smart Prosperity actions with leaders in government, business, and civil society, and engaging all of Canada to assist in accelerating this transition to greater prosperity.

We pledge to harness new thinking to accelerate Canada’s transition to a stronger, cleaner, more innovative economy in the decade ahead. Our goal for Smart Prosperity is to spark a new conversation and spur far-sighted action to build a better future for all Canadians.

We can’t do it alone. Please join us.