Canada can’t seem to catch a break these days. First came the secular downturn in commodity demand and prices starting in 2008 which caught an aging, oblivious population unaware. Next came a national obsession with self-destructive debt to pour into non-productive real estate that has stolen savings and investment from our future. And now our largest trading partner is aimed at reducing its use of our exports (dairy, lumber, oil too), while lowering its corporate tax rate to entice tax revenues from our side of the boarder to them. What to do?
Why, get wise of course. Start embracing the future, instead of clinging to the past. Transform your tax incentives to move away from non-productive activities toward innovation and investment in smart goods and services that the whole world desperately wants like net zero buildings, green energy and water systems, hydroponic farming and biodegradable plastics, to name just a few. The transition will take some work and cause some growing pains, but the opportunity here is enormous. Yes, we can get a lot smarter.
Sustainability expert Jim Harris from Strategic Advantage explains why sustainability and digital transformation are not just one and the same, but also highly profitable. However, when it comes to buildings, fuel, and energy efficiency, we’re just scratching the surface of what can be achieved. Here is a direct video link.