Corporate Knights asked the CEOs of the Cleantech 10 what would make Canada a cleantech superpower. This is what some of them said.

Government focus! Improving the regulatory regime for cleantech projects, providing tax and other incentives to cleantech companies, and supporting cleantech company initiatives.
Ross Beaty, Chair and CEO, Magma Energy Corp.

A political will to support sustainable development and renewable energies. The Canadian government should introduce financial measures to encourage individuals and businesses to make greater uses of renewable energies and behave in a more responsible way from a sustainable development standpoint.
Jacques L’Écuyer, President and CEO, 5N Plus

If Canadian business and government pursue clean technology with vigour and a view to long term sustainability and profitability, and refrain from using our abundant natural resources as an easy fallback, we should be readily accepted on the world stage as both a responsible leader and innovator.
Ted Lattimore, CEO, Carmanah Technologies Corporation

There has been a massive shift around the world. And that’s the tragedy because Canada had the opportunity to be the lead, and now it’s catch up time. … It’s easy when the U.S. government starts throwing [green stimulus] money around to get a bunch of people doing [cleantech] leadership projects, but there is just no equivalent in Canada. It would be easy to do but it takes action. But honestly, I’m of two minds. Because the companies are doing fine; we’re doing fine. Does it matter that the government isn’t embracing it? I don’t know. In Canada, there isn’t any value put on being cleaner or more sustainable. People want cheap and that means the incumbent is always going to win. So you go to a place that does value those things.
David Demers, CEO, Westport

Consumers, as well as business and institutional decision makers, understand the significant return on investment in clean technology (e.g. geothermal heat pumps) and we believe that this positive return can be beneficial to any country’s economy. We have proven technology with documented ultra high-energy efficiency that can be translated into predictable cost savings. We need to educate potential users about these benefits so they can feel confident about their geothermal investment decisions.
Tom Huntington, President and CEO, WaterFurnace Renewable Technologies

We need to create the right development environment with proper education programs for the skill-based cleantech resources Canada will need, and productive technology development programs with incentives and funding.
Steven Koles, President and CEO, Hemisphere GPS

Canada’s ability to move into the front ranks in rapidly emerging global cleantech industries would be accelerated by the adoption of clear legislative and regulatory frameworks that incentivize private sector investment in cleantech. There is very little legislation, regulation or public policy that promotes cleantech at the federal level, although there are a number of tools being considered. They include cap and trade or carbon tax systems, Renewable Portfolio Standards, Investment Tax Credits, Feed in Tariffs and a focused fiscal stimulus. Such frameworks are starting to come together in the U.S., which will provide mainstream investors with a better investment landscape and drive cleantech’s transition from a niche investment class in the venture capital world to an increasingly attractive investment class for mainstream capital. Canada shouldat least be moving in parallel.
Bob Gomes, President and CEO, Stantec