Scott Vaughan is the International Chief Advisor to the China Council for International Cooperation on Environment and Development (CCICED) and an IISD Senior Fellow. Until early 2019, he was president and CEO of IISD and chair of the IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) board. Before his work at IISD, Scott served as Canada’s federal Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development; director of the Department of Sustainable Development, Organization of American States (OAS); Visiting Scholar, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace; head of Economics and Trade, NAFTA Environment Commission; and counsellor, World Trade Organization (WTO).
At UN Environment, he initiated the UNEP Financial Initiative (UNEP FI), headed the UNEP Environment and Trade work, and worked in the office of the UNEP executive director. Scott has also worked in economic and corporate affairs in the head office at RBC Financial Group and in the office of the Canadian federal Minister of the Environment. Current affiliations include associate with the Loyola Sustainability Research Centre, associate editor of the Chinese Journal of Urban and Environment Studies and member of the advisory committee of the Global Development Center, Boston University. He is a graduate of Mount Allison University, Dalhousie University, the University of Edinburgh and the London School of Economics.
All Publications
- Building Back Better Is the Right Thing to Do. It Also Makes Good Economic Sense.
Blog - May 5, 2020
Canada must focus on building back better in order to set us on a path toward net-zero emissions and even greater economic growth. - Could the COVID-19 Pandemic Give the 2020 Environmental Agenda a Much-Needed Boost?
Blog - April 2, 2020
COVID-19 has changed everything. But if we take the right steps and trust science, there's potential for a lot of good to happen. - Trade Can be a Driver of Climate Action
Blog - January 29, 2019
CETA, the landmark trade agreement between the EU and Canada, holds established best practices for trade-accelerated climate action, Bernice Lee and Scott Vaughan argue as the business, civil society and policy communities gather in Brussels to consider how to merge trade and climate action. - Belief in Climate Change in the Age of Trump
Blog - December 13, 2018
Will more evidence affect climate action, or are we entering a new Dark Age characterized by willful ignorance? Scott Vaughan reflects as COP24 struggles to make the necessary progress. - What's Stalling the G20's Move to Clean Energy?
Blog - November 27, 2018
Next year will mark a decade since G20 leaders met in Pittsburgh and promised to identify and eliminate subsidies to fossil fuels. In that time, trillions of dollars in government budgets have been spent to subsidize fossil fuel production and consumption. - From Canada’s Lakes to the World: IISD Experimental Lakes Area Annual Report 2017-2018
Report - November 19, 2018
In this year's IISD-ELA annual report, we explore the impact that our research has had on the world’s fresh water over the last 50 years, what the future holds, and how we are celebrating our half century. - WTO Survival Uncertain as Ministers Meet in Canada
Blog - October 26, 2018
The WTO faces its most critical test—a reaction to the October 2018 Joint Communiqué as international trade evolves faster than the WTO can move. - Comprehensive Wealth in Canada 2018 – Measuring What Matters in the Long Term
Report - October 26, 2018
Comprehensive wealth measures the country’s produced, natural, human, financial and social capital. - Nordhaus Nobel Recognizes What We've Long Known: Carbon pricing works
Blog - October 15, 2018
In 1984, Nordhaus concluded climate change is real, its impacts are global and comparable to economic depression, and it's likely to occur in sudden jolts. - USMCA Versus NAFTA on the Environment
Blog - October 3, 2018
The old NAFTA set the bar in linking trade and environment. How does its successor compare? - NAFTA Agriculture Clash Distracts From More Important Conversation: Sustainability
Blog - September 24, 2018
Following the NAFTA negotiations has been like riding a roller coaster, holding your breath because you don’t know what shock might be coming... - Estimating Employment Effects of the Circular Economy
Briefing Note - September 19, 2018
This note summarizes some of the definitions of the term "circular economy" and the baselines that have been used for projections on job impacts and growth. - Canada's Trade Troubles Make a Perfect Opportunity
Blog - August 2, 2018
NAFTA uncertainty, global shakeups prompt Canadian trade to do the unthinkable: evolve. - China's War on Pollution—and What Comes Next
Blog - July 6, 2018
Insights on China's climate leadership following the 10th meeting of Eco Forum Global. - Global Value Chain Policy Series: Environment
Report - June 30, 2018
This paper, part of the Global Value Chain Policy Series, examines questions that arise at the intersection of environmental sustainability and global value chains. - IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at Winnipeg Chamber of Commerce Fun, Profit and Saving the Earth event
Speech - May 18, 2018
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan spoke to nearly 400 business leaders about how transitioning to a green economy can help Winnipeg weather climate change. - Five Steps We Must Take to Protect Refugees in the Future
Blog - March 16, 2018
This year, a new reality, based on a new international paradigm regarding refugees futures, must emerge. Here are five steps that need to be set in motion to make this happen. - Paris to Paris: Raising climate finance without raising global temperature
Blog - December 9, 2017
What does climate (and broader sustainability) leadership mean today, as we close out a year of ever-increasing emissions and one of the top three hottest years on record? - Indigenous Protected Areas, a Way to Meet Human and Environmental Challenges?
Commentary - December 4, 2017
This commentary examines Indigenous Protected Areas (IPAs) and their growing importance in recognizing the rights of indigenous societies and safeguarding biological diversity. - IISD Experimental Lakes Area 2016-2017 Annual Report
Report - October 23, 2017
In this year's annual report, we explore how IISD Experimental Lakes Area is innovating in the arena of freshwater science, to improve its own research, but also limnology across the world. - Adaptation Urgent as Climate Change Impacts Proliferate
Blog - September 22, 2017
In the 1990s and into the early 2000s, there was debate about whether there was a need to talk about climate change adaptation. - Together, Canada, China and the EU Can Fill Trump's Climate Leadership Void
Blog - September 15, 2017
A critical summit offers the chance for 34 major world economies to raise their collective climate efforts—without the aid of the U.S. - Response to the United States Trade Representative’s Stated Objectives on NAFTA Negotiations: An environmental perspective
Commentary - August 14, 2017
On July 17, 2017, the United States Trade Representative (USTR) published its Summary of Objectives for the NAFTA renegotiation. Taking a sustainable development perspective, this response examines the USTR objectives and how they directly or indirectly relate to sustainable growth through international trade and investment. - IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at the World Circular Economy Forum 2017, Helsinki
Speech - June 6, 2017
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan speech from the World Circular Economy Forum 2017 on June 6, 2017 in Helsinki. - Cost of Pollution: Extreme Weather
Video - June 2, 2017
Did you know that the cost of climate change-related heat waves in Canada is estimated to have been $1.6 billion in 2015? - Cost of Pollution: Contaminated Sites
Video - June 2, 2017
Did you know that average annual cost of managing contaminated sites under federal jurisdiction in Canada was $283 million between 2005/06 and 2014/15? - Cost of Pollution: Persistent Organic Pollutants
Video - June 2, 2017
Did you know that the cost of persistent organic pollutants to Canada is estimated to be in the billions, but we still don't know for sure? - Cost of Pollution: Smog
Video - June 2, 2017
Did you know that smog cost Canada $36 billion in 2015? - NAFTA’s Environmental Record: History, outcomes, impacts and options
Commentary - June 1, 2017
IISD has asked various experts from across Canada, the United States and Mexico to give their perspectives on NAFTA and the pending negotiations. This commentary, written by IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan, is the introductary piece in this series. - Building Global Governance for 'Climate Refugees'
Policy Brief - May 24, 2017
IISD President-CEO Scott Vaughan and IISD Board Member Lloyd Axworthy, along with several representatives from various environmental NGOs, contributed to this G20 Insights policy brief on recognizing that forced displacement due to climate change is increasing. - IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at the UN Economic and Social Council, 2017 Integrated Segment, New York
Speech - May 8, 2017
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan speaking at the UN ESOSOC 2017 Integration Segment on May 8, 2017 in New York. - IISD Statement to the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade
Speech - May 1, 2018
Our President and CEO Scott Vaughan presented to the House of Commons Standing Committee on International Trade on May 1, 2018, regarding a Canada-MERCOSUR free trade agreement. Read what he had to say. - IISD Speech: IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region, Geneva
Speech - April 25, 2017
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan speaking at the Regional Forum on Sustainable Development for the UNECE Region in Geneva on April 25, 2017. - Green Shift to Sustainability: Co-Benefits & Impacts of Energy Transformation on Resource Industries, Trade, Growth and Taxes
Policy Brief - April 25, 2017
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan, along with several representatives from various environmental NGOs, contributed to this G20 Insights policy brief on the benefits and impacts of energy transformation. - Canada Advancing Global Efforts on Mercury Management
Briefing Note - April 5, 2017
This brief summarizes the state of knowledge on mercury management in Canada based on recent reports, as well as decades of research at the IISD-Experimental Lake Area (IISD-ELA). - IISD Speech: President and CEO Scott Vaughan at PAGE Ministerial Conference, Berlin
Speech - March 27, 2017
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan speaks at the PAGE Ministerial Conference in Berlin, Germany on March 27, 2017. - Comprehensive Wealth in Canada: IISD's report launch
Video - February 22, 2017
On December 1, 2016, IISD publicly released a report on measuring Comprehensive Wealth, an innovative approach, never before undertaken in Canada, to measuring wealth that looks beyond merely GDP. - Carbon Without Borders: Can trade policy support ambitious climate action?
Blog - February 16, 2017
The multilateral trade and climate regimes both face unprecedented uncertainty and strain. How should countries advance the urgent need for climate action without resorting to protectionism? - Raisons pour lesquelles nous devrions nous inquiéter à propos de la richesse du Canada
Blog - February 7, 2017
In a French-language blog post, Scott Vaughan and Robert Smith explain why we need to reconsider how we measure wealth in Canada. - Freshwater Stewardship in Canada
Blog - January 13, 2017
Scott Vaughan explains how IISD is bridging the gap between freshwater science and policy, and how it plans to celebrate Canada's 150th Anniversary. - A New Generation of Trade and Industrial Policy
Commentary - January 13, 2017
IISD President-CEO Scott Vaughan presents ideas for a new generation of trade and industrial policy. - Jobs and the Low-Carbon Energy Transition: Perspectives from Cumberland County
Commentary - January 10, 2017
This commentary begins in Cumberland County, in Northwestern Nova Scotia, Canada, where new jobs are emerging in the renewable energy sector. It argues that the shifts underway in Cumberland County are representative of a larger transition, as job losses in the fossil fuel industry are replaced by growth in renewable energy. - Comprehensive Wealth in Canada—Measuring what matters in the long run
Report - November 30, 2016
This report seeks to introduce the concept of comprehensive wealth to Canadians and outline why it should be considered an essential complement to the other measures such as gross domestic product. - China's Low-Carbon Revolution
Blog - November 25, 2016
Since the US election, many are speculating about the ascendancy of Beijing as a global leader both on trade and climate policy. In reality, however, China had been moving forward on a comprehensive climate mitigation and adaptation pathway well before the US election. - Opening Our Doors: IISD Experimental Lakes Area 2015-2016 Annual Report
Report - October 18, 2016
2015-2016 was the year that IISD Experimental Lakes Area (IISD-ELA) truly opened its doors to the world. - How Canada Can Be a Global Leader on the Sustainable Development Goals
Blog - October 5, 2016
In an opinion piece originally published in The Hill Times, Julia Sánchez (CCIC) and Scott Vaughan argue that other countries are voluntarily reporting on progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, while Canada has no clear plan. - Building Transboundary Water Security
Commentary - May 31, 2016
This article highlights a new generation of transboundary agreements that aim to integrate wider freshwater benefits, notably ecosystem functions. It also points to the need for holistic approaches to freshwater management moving forward, as countries turn towards implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals. - Costing, Mapping, Financing and Mobilizing Knowledge: IISD and the Sustainable Development Goals
Commentary - May 23, 2016
Ultimately, the only measure of success of the Sustainable Development Goals will be their implementation within countries. IISD is thus focusing on the architecture of SDG implementation across four key areas: costing, mapping, financing and mobilizing knowledge. This article briefly highlights work that relates to each of these areas. - Dr. Mostafa Tolba: Architect of the Montreal Protocol, IPCC and Biodiversity Convention
Essay - March 30, 2016
A tribute to the life of Dr. Mostafa Tolba, who sadly passed away on March 28, 2016. Dr. Mostafa Tolba led the United Nations Environment Programme (UNEP) for almost 20 years, and played a pivotal role in setting the global environmental agenda. - Deaths in Honduras Underline the Grave Risks Facing Indigenous Leaders
Blog - March 15, 2016
Environmental activists and indigenous leaders face deadly risks in many countries, as recent murders in Honduras demonstrate. - A New Year of Subsidy Reform
Blog - January 26, 2016
2016 begins with two historic global achievements in place to reform subsidies that harm the poor and damage the environment. - IISD Experimental Lakes Area Annual Report 2014-2015
Paper - January 6, 2015
The 2014-15 IISD Experimental Lakes Area annual report includes highlights from some members of staff and the board, as well as some stats from our first year and images of our 58 beautiful lakes and their watersheds. - Seven Priorities for the New Canadian Federal Government: The Environmental and Sustainability Agenda
Commentary - October 20, 2015
A long list of priorities awaits the new Canadian government, topped by federal climate mitigation policies in the lead-up to the Paris climate... - Chapter: Trade and Sustainable Development from Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities
Commentary - September 28, 2015
Sustainable development is one of the most difficult policy challenges of our time. It is also closely linked to the global trading system. In this chapter from IRPP's Redesigning Canadian Trade Policies for New Global Realities, IISD President Scott Vaughan describes how environmental concerns have become part of international trade policy over the past two decades, and discusses some of the implications for Canada. - Inclusivity and Integration: The new Sustainable Development Goals and a second chance for Bretton Woods
Commentary - September 24, 2015
The Sustainable Development Goals have been dubbed “the Bretton Woods moment for our generation.” This paper explores some of the ideas and actors that shaped the earlier vision of the first Bretton Woods system, which laid the economic foundation and institutions of the post-Second World War period. - Regional Sustainable Development: Lessons in integrated policies (speech)
Speech - September 15, 2015
IISD President and CEO Scott Vaughan spoke at the International Symposium on the Yangtze River Economic Zone and the Construction of Three Gorges... - Climate Investment, Low-Carbon Innovation and Green Industrial Policy
Commentary - July 9, 2015
IISD President-CEO Scott Vaughan offers up a timely commentary on climate investment, low-carbon innovation and green industrial policy, ahead of COP21 in Paris. - The State and Fate of Tropical Rainforests
Commentary - June 11, 2015
IISD President-CEO pens a commentary review of Claude Martin’s latest book On the Edge: The State and Fate of the World’s Tropical Rainforests and discusses what the future may hold for our tropical rainforests. - CEM and ECPA Side Event: Fossil Fuel Subsidy Reform and Investments in Clean and Affordable Energy
Video - May 26, 2015
Recent developments in fossil fuel subsidy reform and discussion of how to sustain the progress made, should oil prices rise again.Discussion of... - Montréal et la nouvelle économie verte (discours)
Speech - February 10, 2015
Le président-directeur général de l’IISD, Scott Vaughan, discute de l’importance de Montréal (Canada) en tant que centre pour la nouvelle économie... - Accountability and the Post-2015 Agenda (Speech)
Speech - May 12, 2014
IISD President Scott Vaughan's speech at the President of the 68th Session of the United Nation’s General Assembly’s Interactive Dialogue “Elements... - Sustainable Consumption and Production (SCP): Targets and Indicators and the SDGs
Paper - May 2, 2014
The United Nations and its Member States are currently crafting a post-2015 development agenda to build on the Millennium Development Goals... - The Challenge of Extreme Events and their Impacts (Speech)
Speech - April 25, 2014
IISD President Scott Vaughan's keynote speech at the Canadian Climate Forum's Symposium on Extreme Weather and Adaptation held in Ottawa, ON on... - Aboriginal Issues and Canada's Oil and Gas Sector (Speech)
Paper - February 28, 2014
In this speech to the McGill Institute for the Study of Canada's (MISC) 2014 Annual Conference: "Petrocultures 2014: Oil, Energy, and Canada's... - Remarks to the Canadian-American Business Council (Speech)
Paper - November 21, 2013
Scott Vaughan addresses the convergence of regulatory approaches between Washington and Ottawa, the price implications of different mitigation... - Speech to the Joint Public Advisory Meeting: NAFTA at 20
Paper - November 21, 2013
In this speech to the Commission for Environmental Cooperation's (CEC's) Joint Public Advisory Committee, IISD President Scott Vaughan discusses... - Safeguarding the Arctic
Commentary - November 6, 2013
IISD President Scott Vaughan comments on the relationship between sustainable development and emerging sovereignty issues in the Arctic.He suggests... - A New Era for the Experimental Lakes
Commentary - September 7, 2013
In this op-ed published in the Ottawa Citizen, IISD President Scott Vaughan discussed the history and relevance of Canada's Experimental Lakes Area... - Promise by U.S. and China to phase-out HFCs a welcome step to reduce climate pollutants
Commentary - June 11, 2013
On June 8, 2013, United States President Barack Obama and Chinese President Xi Jinping pledged to cut production of hydrochlorofluorocarbons (HFCs)... - Scott Vaughan, IISD President and CEO, keynote address at Ontario Climate Consortium's First Climate Change Research Symposium in Toronto, May 13, 2013 (Speech Notes)
Paper - May 14, 2013
President and CEO Scott Vaughan's keynote address to the inaugural symposium of the Ontario Climate Consortium, 2013.