Michael Paterson, a senior research scientist with IISD Experimental Lakes Area, said the days when scientific research was widely accepted based on data are on the wane. "Sadly, when you look at what is going on in the world, that's not the case," Paterson said. "Support for science is diminishing everywhere. If we don't speak out, leaders forget."
“Our analysis suggests that host countries will increasingly be at risk of reduced socioeconomic benefits from mining as existing new technologies are further rolled out in the near and medium terms,” says report lead author and IISD development economist Aaron Cosbey.
"In an increasingly isolationist world, with governmental polices around the globe turning inward, we cannot forget that nations must work together if we are to effectively tackle our most pressing environmental crises. Climate change, pollutants, chemicals—none of these respect national borders as they travel freely between our countries, wreaking whatever havoc they may."
"UK prime minister Theresa May visited Riyadh in early April with the intent of “deepening a true strategic partnership” and “helping to wean Saudi Arabia off oil dependency”. That’s rich. In the North Sea oil fields, Britain is propping up a dying industry. Multi-billion tax breaks, supplemented in the 2017 budget, are given at the expense of diversifying the economy towards lower-carbon energy sources."
"To understand how consumers react to tariff reforms, the International Institute for Sustainable Development, a policy research institute based out of Canada, undertook a survey in which respondents were questioned about their knowledge of existing electricity subsidies and their scale, their thoughts on tariff reforms and willingness to pay for a more reliable supply."
Jason Potts, a senior associate with the International Institute for Sustainable Development located in Montreal, said the question of "are these things actually working?" remains a difficult one to answer. "We're attempting to answer this question. My message to the world is we need more impact research, and more data. Better data," he said.
"Under Canadian law the polluter is supposed to pay, but if there is no polluter [because] they've gone then taxpayers have to pick up the bill for doing the cleanup," said Scott Vaughan, president of the International Institute for Sustainable Development and former federal commissioner of the environment.