The Blue Economy library contains PDFs from other organizations that help inform the dialogue on water and the economy in Canada. Inclusion of these documents does not constitute endorsement by the Blue Economy Initiative or its partner organizations.
Blue Economy Initiative Reports
The Blue Economy: Risks and Opportunities in Addressing the Global Water Crisis
In this article, David Henderson and Nicholas Parker highlight the importance of developing a global “Blue Economy,” a economic paradigm that supports and rewards water sustainability. A number of pioneers have emerged and are already leading the way in the development of new approaches,…
Running Through Our Fingers
Running Through Our Fingers is an attempt by two of Canada’s best environmental economists and an award-winning journalist to revisit economist Andrew Muller’s 1985 analysis of the value of water’s contribution to the Canadian economy. This paper is the first of a series of research papers that…
Ecological Goods and Services
Measuring Water Use in a Green Economy
‘Ecosystem services,’ which also require water to function, should be considered within resource accounting approaches to establish the links between resource efficiency, biodiversity and ecosystem services.
This analysis is the first compilation of decades of research on Canadian boreal water reserves from diverse sources. Canada’s boreal is the most intact forest remaining on earth.
Natural Capital in B.C.’s Lower Mainland
This report examines the extent of natural capital — forests, fields, wetlands and waterways — in B.C.’s Lower Mainland region and estimates non-market economic values for some of the benefits these ecosystems provide.
The Real Wealth of the Mackenzie Region
This study constructs a natural capital account for the Mackenzie watershed, including a total economic valuation of the market and non-market benefits of the watershed’s natural capital.
Ontario’s Wealth, Canada’s Future
This report quantifies the value of the ecosystem services provided by Ontario’s Greenbelt — water filtration, flood control, climate stabilization (i.e., carbon storage), waste treatment, wildlife habitat and recreation.
Green Infrastructure & Efficiency
Banking on Green
This report focuses on the economic impacts caused by polluted urban runoff, also known as “stormwater,” a significantly growing source of water pollution in the United States.
Green Cities, Great Lakes
This investigative report highlights innovative green solutions that could stop billions of litres of raw sewage from fouling the Great Lakes each year.
Clean Water, Green Jobs
This report makes the case that government spending on sustainable water infrastructure can stimulate the economy and create jobs. The plan focuses on repairing and renewing existing water infrastructure, restoring green infrastructure and conserving water and energy.
One Water
This report documents how green infrastructure, when managed at the watershed scale, can ensure sustainable water resources for current and future generations of Ontarians.
Water Works
This report considers the benefits of an investment of $188.4 billion in water infrastructure—the amount the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency indicates would be required to manage stormwater and preserve water quality.
Governance and Policy
This policy primer was developed as a tool for Improved Water Governance for Watersheds.The purpose of the primer is to explain the concept of water security and illustrate how it can be put to use in Canada.
Changing Currents
With development of the natural resource sectors on the rise, this NRTEE report considers whether Canada has enough water to support economic growth while maintaining the health of our country’s ecosystems.
This report, prepared in collaboration with several key organizations, provides a compelling vision and a road map intended to enable Ontario to become a leader in innovative technologies and sustainable water solutions.
With increasing food and energy prices, a growing world population and the potential effects of climate change, water—and how it is managed—is more important than ever.
Charting Our Water Future
In just 20 years demand for water will be 40 per cent higher than it is today, and more than 50 per cent higher in the most rapidly developing countries.
Water-Energy-Food Nexus
The Water-Energy Nexus
This report documents the misunderstood costs and unrealized opportunities that would result from a better understanding of the links between water use and energy, and offers reasonable, easy-to-implement recommendations on how to benefit from this new understanding.
Water Economics
Moving to Action
In January 2012, NRT held a National Water Forum that brought together experts from across Canada to discuss recommendations from an earlier document Charting a Course: Sustainable Water Use by Canada’s Natural Resource Sectors, and to provide advice on how these recommendations could…
Resource Revolution
This comprehensive analysis by McKinsey & Company anticipates global demands on water withdrawals to increase from 4,500 billion cubic metres in 2010 to 6,350 billion cubic metres in 2030, with 65% of this incremental increase attributed to increased agricultural…
Charting a Course
This new report by the National Round Table calls for a “fresh approach to water supply management for natural resource sectors” in Canada. It provides analysis of trends in water use and intensity for Canada’s natural resource sectors and projections to 2030.
Worth Every Penny
This primer provides an overview of conservation-oriented water pricing for decision makers, water utilities and service providers in Canada.
Assessing Water Risk
Out of more than 300 companies studied as part of the report, 191 showed high potential business risks related to freshwater.The newly developed water risk filter system in the report is intended to identify water-related risks at an early point in time so…
Global Risks Sixth Edition
This sixth edition report aims to enhance understanding of how a comprehensive set of global risks are evolving, how their interaction impacts a variety of stakeholders, and what trade-offs are involved in managing them.
Building on conversations from the Inaugural Canadian Water Summit, The Innovolve Group, with the support of Industry Canada, RBC, Transcontinental and Cascades, authored this report to help businesses and policymakers plan for a future where water will play an increasingly important role
Economic Instruments for Water Management in Canada
Going With the Flow?
This report describes some of the key mechanisms available to allocate water in times of scarcity, with a particular focus on markets and market mechanisms.
Economic Value of Protecting the Great Lakes
This report is intended to provide a comprehensive review and synthesis of the literature relating to the economic benefits the Great Lakes provide to society.
Lean Six Sigma for the Blue Economy 