The Canadian Society for Ecological Economics (CANSEE) held its 2013 biennial conference from October 31-November 2, 2013 at York University. The theme of the conference was "Sustaining the Commons: Ideas and Actions for a Green Economy." The "commons" is homage to the late Elinor Ostrom, an ecological economist and Nobel Laureate who pioneered work on the economics of common-pool resources. These resources include the atmosphere, pools of fossil fuels, aquifers, biodiversity, fisheries, and other natural assets. Issues related to the measurement, management, and uses of these resources underlie many Canadian policy challenges. These issues also underlie the international development of the field of "ecological economics" which integrates knowledge, tools, and techniques from various social sciences, the humanities, and the natural sciences. The conference provided a rich program that examined the potential and limitations of "green" growth in the economy and discussed issues on how to reconcile environmental thought and policy with global financial instability, as well as methods and challenges of measuring Canadian environmental and economic performance and sustainability.

Researcher: Peter Victor (PI), Ellie Perkins and Christina Hoicka (Co-PIs)

Project Theme: Resource Management