Trade and Geopolitical Trends Analysis for the Environmental Sectors
Working with ECO Canada, SRDC conducts a qualitative assessment of how major global economic and geopolitical shifts are reshaping conditions for Canadian industries and their workforce needs, with a special focus on the environmental sectors. Recent developments – including trade wars, evolving geopolitical alignments, and uncertainty surrounding the renewal of the Canada‑United States‑Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) – are influencing sector performance in complex and sometimes counterintuitive ways. Many Canadian industries, including those in primary and resource‑based sectors, begin to experience not only challenges but also adaptive or beneficial opportunities, underscoring the need for deeper evidence‑based analysis.
We conduct a comprehensive review and synthesis of Canadian and international literature, scanning academic studies, policy analyses, industry reports, and labour market and skills research. We supplement this literature review with an analysis of secondary data, primarily from Statistics Canada, to contextualize findings. We draw implications on observed and anticipated shifts in labour and skills demand. Finally, we validate findings with industry stakeholders through key informant interviews.
Project Details
Capability: Policy Research
Policy Area: Adult Learning - Workplace Training, Career Development and LMI
Population: General Population
Start Date: February 2026
Completion Date: March 2026
Sponsors: ECO Canada
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