We help shape sound public policies that enable all Canadians to thrive in the face of climate change and advance a net-zero future.

Our vision is ambitious but achievable: Canadians acting together on climate solutions to foster resilient communities, prosperous economies, and more just societies—sustainable for generations to come.

Our work is characterized by the following values:

• Evidence-based: We root our analysis, recommendations, and opinions in the best available evidence developed through robust, credible, and authoritative research. We are non-partisan, guided by science and knowledge not ideology. 
• Solutions-oriented: We don’t simply identify the challenges and barriers to climate progress; we focus our work on advancing actionable, and effective solutions. We achieve this not only through our robust research process but also through meaningful engagement with stakeholders and rights holders. 
• Pragmatically optimistic: While we do not shy away from confronting the difficult realities of climate change, we believe that solutions are possible and that Canada will play a role in advancing them. 
• Transparent: We show our work, state our assumptions, and ensure that the rationale as well as the data behind our conclusions is clearly stated and accessible to both expert and lay audiences. 
• Collegial: We believe that partnership and collaboration is critical to our success and to the challenge of climate change. We seek both to contribute to and to help create a broad network of climate expertise across the country, and we not only welcome but solicit feedback from our peers to improve our work and are pleased to reciprocate. 
• Committed to diversity, inclusivity, equity, and justice: We acknowledge that systemic injustices put certain people and communities at greater risk of physical, social, and economic impacts from climate change and climate policy. Understanding that these communities have a considerable stake in the development of effective climate change policy and its outcomes, we are committed to organizational and research practices that reflect a commitment to justice, equity, diversity, inclusion, and Indigenous reconciliation. 

Our approach

The Institute’s approach to informing and shaping fair and effective climate change policy in Canada is based on connecting directly with governments and other policy leaders. We generate research and advice that key decision makers can use to make informed policy decisions and that stakeholders and rights holders engaged in policy processes can use to provide meaningful input. Our overarching goal is to drive policy action commensurate with the climate challenge.

We believe that for our advice to be resonant and durable, our research should engage stakeholders and rights holders on all sides of each research question. The Institute engages a broad cross-section of individuals, groups and organizations in research project scoping, in discussion of research findings, and in presentation of results and recommendations. We do not judge our success in engagement by the satisfaction of these actors with our findings but by how thoroughly and fairly we are able to convey the implications of our results. 

Further, we believe that for our recommendations to be practical and actionable by governments, it is important for the public discussion to be as informed as possible. In aid of this, the Institute engages in knowledge sharing and thought leadership across its three priority research areas: carbon mitigation, climate change adaptation and clean growth.