Richard Florizone, Ph.D.

This past year, the federal government unveiled their new spending plan for $101.4 billion to support Canadians through COVID-19 and stimulate the post-pandemic economic recovery. As Chair of the “Task Force for a Resilient Recovery” Richard influenced about a quarter of that money, unlocking countless jobs and opportunities for Canadians aspiring to help us fulfill our climate change goals. This outcome came in an intense four-month effort that brought together 15 independent task force members, 11 expert advisers, five funders, eight research organizations, and 36 team members. This team produced a communications campaign and a comprehensive independent report with urgent advice on how Canada could build back better from COVID-19. The Task Force’s recommendations helped drive over 25 billion in new federal investments committed to advance clean technology, energy efficiency building retrofits, renewable energy, zero-emissions transportation, and nature; investments that will help jump-start Canada’s progress in meeting our goal of net-zero emissions by 2050 – and boost our economy at the same time.