Beyond the speeches: scholars offer analysis on trade wars, rising populism, and the evolving role of the U.S. and EU within the international arena

As global leaders gather in Davos amid escalating tensions over trade, territorial sovereignty, NATO and the future of the rules-based international order, 91亚色 experts are available to provide historical context, policy analysis and grounded insight into what these developments mean for Canada and the world.

The role of the EU in trade, alliances and global governance

is a professor of public policy and sustainability at the Schulich School of Business and director of the BBA/iBBA programs. He is available speak on:

• the European Union鈥檚 capacity to respond collectively to U.S. tariff threats
• the EU鈥檚 role as a counterweight in global trade and investment disputes
• Canada鈥檚 prospects for trade diversification and deeper alignment with Europe
• why policy responses differ across jurisdictions facing similar geopolitical shocks

Eberlein鈥檚 research focuses on business-government relations and comparative public policy, with particular expertise on Canada and the European Union.

American expansionism, military history and a challenged world order

As a professor of U.S. and global history, is available to offer insight on:

• the historical roots of U.S. strategic interest in the Arctic and North American security
• historical precedents for U.S. territorial expansion and imperial rhetoric
• the erosion of Pax Americana and what history suggests about transitions between global orders

Cothran is the author of Remembering the Modoc War: Redemptive Violence and the Making of American Innocence, which received the 2015 Robert M. Utley Prize for the best book in military history from the Western History Association, and The Edwin Fox: How an Ordinary Sailing Ship Connected the World in the Age of Globalization, 1850-1914. He has written for The New 91亚色 Times and Aeon and Indian Country Today, among other publications.

Globalization, populism and the strain on liberal democracy

Professor emeritus and senior scholar in the department of politics Daniel Drache is available to comment on:聽

• the rise of populism and its effects on liberal democratic institutions
• the international political economy and global governance institutions, including the WTO
• NAFTA, free trade, tariffs and North American economic integration
• borders as policy tools in an era of economic nationalism

Drache is a research fellow at the Robarts Centre for Canadian Studies and the co-author of Has Populism Won? The Assault on Liberal Democracy, which examines how and why global populism has taken root across different national contexts. He has also written numerous articles mapping and tracking populism for The Conversation.

Immigration, mass deportation and the politics of exclusion

is an associate professor in the department of Equity Studies and a visiting scientist at the Harvard T.H. Chan School for Public Health. She is available to provide insight on:

• colonial legacies, semi-sovereignty and how great powers exploit unresolved decolonization processes in strategically significant territories like Greenland
• immigration policy, undocumented migrants and mass deportation rhetoric
• how domestic immigration policy intersects with global instability and geopolitics
• the impacts of immigration crackdowns on marginalized and racialized communities

Su is a leading expert on forced migration. Her writing has been published widely in academic journals and major media outlets, including The Washington Post and The Los Angeles Times.

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TORONTO, July 22, 2025 鈥� Earth Overshoot Day (July 24) is more than a week early this year resulting from humanity鈥檚 growing ecological footprint amid trade wars and tariffs, which play a potential role in the ecological footprint of Canada and many others, says , director of the  in 91亚色鈥檚 Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change.

Trade can enable 鈥� and mask 鈥� the extent to which countries depend upon others for food and natural resources, says Miller, who is available to speak with media about Earth Overshoot Day and what it means for Ontario and the rest of Canada, and the world.

Researchers at 91亚色 and the University of Iceland measured the 鈥渂iocapacity鈥� of all countries鈥� lands and waters, and how much of it was traded to support the ecological footprint of people in other countries. For example, Canadian forests, more than some 350 times the City of Toronto, were used to support the net imports of softwood lumber by the United States in recent years.

Trade patterns have changed over the years with some countries, such as Canada, exporting far more than they consume or in the case of Italy, importing more than they export, and these patterns could be changing further in this country as interprovincial trading ramps up.

The effect on each country鈥檚 ecological footprint can be seen in the most recent data from , including estimates for how well Canada fares. Canada uses a significantly larger ecological footprint for production than consumption.

鈥淗umanity is using more resources than the Earth can regenerate in a year, and it has been doing so for the last half a century,鈥� says Miller. 鈥淭he amount we produce, consume and trade continues to increase as we use more resources.鈥�

Close to one third of what the world produces today is not consumed domestically, but instead exported elsewhere, more than double what it was in 1961. Since this time, this amount has grown with only temporary small decreases following world financial crises and the pandemic.

Miller leads a team of researchers and graduate students to produce the  for the , a Canadian not-for-profit organization.

The latest dataset tracks ecological footprint and biocapacity at national and global levels, as well as individually, for 244 countries and territories on a national and trade basis, from 1961 to 2024. It also breaks it down by component, measuring production, imports and exports 鈥� trade 鈥� and consumption (imports minus exports).

There is a reliable timeline of data for 191 of those countries that allows researchers to see trends over time.

鈥淯sing this data allows us to generate the footprint for the national accounts but they also allow us to analyse trends in production and also trade, which has been in the news a lot lately,鈥� says Kiona Lo, senior data analyst, International Ecological Footprint Learning Lab (IEFLL).

Ecological Footprint is the area of land and water people use to grow food and harvest renewable materials to sustain them, in addition to the area occupied by settlements and infrastructure and the area of forests needed to sequester human-generated carbon emissions. Biocapacity is a measure of the ecological potential of an area and includes fishing grounds, built-up land, such as buildings, houses, roads and other infrastructure, cropland, grazing land, and forest biocapacity (the forests鈥� capacity to supply forest products or to absorb carbon).

鈥淟ooking ahead 25 years, the year 2050 is significant as that鈥檚 when most of the countries in the world have committed to reaching net zero emissions. To achieve net zero emissions, and end overshoot, each country will need to have its ecological footprint within its biocapacity. That means by 2050 the amount of carbon emissions produced by burning fossil fuels, for example, should be no greater that what can be sequestered by the lands and waters of the planet,鈥� says Miller.

Although the data shows consumption has slowed worldwide, it has still reached the highest ecological footprint since data keeping began.

鈥淚t raises the question of what level of reduction in ecological footprint is needed to achieve that worldwide. It鈥檚 a 2.1 per cent annual reduction in the world鈥檚 ecological footprint for the next 25 years. If we don鈥檛 change the current trajectory, it will be a significant challenge to reach the net zero emissions goal.鈥�

Currently, the biocapacity of almost 1.8 Earths would be needed to sustain humanity鈥檚 ecological footprint.

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A defining feature of the ongoing federal election campaign has been the of the environment and climate change as top-of-mind issues due to threats by the United States against Canadian sovereignty, security and trade.

But how Canada responds to U.S. President Donald Trump鈥檚 actions will also have profound implications for its future greenhouse gas emissions and its economy.

The current federal election is very different from those held in 2015, 2019 and 2021. In those elections, the environment and climate were central issues. , more than 60 per cent of Canadian voters chose parties (Liberal, NDP, Bloc Qu茅b茅cois and Green) that advocated for strong climate action, including some form of carbon pricing.

The increasing evidence of the consequences of a changing climate had placed the environment and climate change in the minds of Canadians for nearly two decades. The political landscape since then.

The role of inflation

Although Trump鈥檚 second presidency is often cited as the trigger point for a decline of the environment as a top-of-mind concern for Canadians, the a year earlier, in the fall of 2023.

Despite the record wildfire season that summer, the , triggered in large part by the COVID-19 pandemic and Russia鈥檚 invasion of Ukraine, moved economic concerns to the forefront of the public鈥檚 mind. Government stimulus programs needed to counter the impacts of the pandemic contributed to inflationary pressures, prompting the to hike interest rates in response, adding to Canadians鈥� economic distress.

Amid high inflation and high interest rates, the Liberal government鈥檚 climate strategies 鈥� especially consumer carbon pricing 鈥� became an easy political target, particularly for a with little apparent concern for the climate challenge.

But even though climate change is no longer top of mind for Canadians, it remains a significant and caused by human activity. And perhaps surprisingly, despite the criticism levelled at the consumer carbon tax, between of non-Conservative leaning voters (those intending to cast their ballots for Liberal, NDP, Bloc and Green candidates) continue to support the concept of carbon pricing.

Focus on fossil fuels

Despite this, many and leaders have responded to Trump鈥檚 actions by focusing on natural resource exports, especially fossil fuels and , to bolster the Canadian economy.

This has been accompanied by environmental review and approval processes for resource extraction and export projects like pipelines, and to expand their subsidization by taxpayers.

Discussions about the climate implications of these initiatives have been noticeably absent. So have conversations about the long-term economic viability and desirability of expanding Canada鈥檚 dependency on resource commodity exports to increasingly uncertain global markets.

On fossil fuels, the and others are predicting that global consumption will peak within the next decade. This will reflect the falling costs of renewable energy, improving energy productivity and the by mid-century.

The peak will likely happen before any new major export infrastructure can be built in Canada, regardless of what review and approval requirements they might be subjected to.

In a world of declining fossil fuel consumption, Canada 鈥� increasingly reliant on high-cost and high-carbon production like and fracked and liquified 鈥� seems more likely to be among the earliest producers to fall than among the last standing. Public investments in new export infrastructure look like dubious propositions in this scenario.

International markets for critical minerals are likely to remain in as the in renewable energy and energy storage accelerates to on costly and difficult-to-access materials.

Mining operations also continue to have substantial environmental impacts with significant implications

Backwards approach

All of this means there must be continued of projects in terms of their implications for climate change, environmental sustainability and reconciliation, as well as their economic viability and potential for taxpayers 鈥� not a further streamlining of review processes.

Falling back on fossil fuels in response to Trump is a fundamentally backwards approach. It ignores the implications of the climate challenge. As recently noted by at least one Canadian , it also overlooks the need to not just diversify Canada鈥檚 markets, but to diversify Canadian products as well.

Canada must design and implement strategies that transform its industries from producers of low-value raw materials into producers of higher-value products and services for a world that must decarbonize and advance sustainability.

As a recently pointed out, climate change remains a real threat to Canadians and their communities. It鈥檚 not going away regardless of what might say.

As they campaign to lead the country, the situation requires more substantive responses from Canada鈥檚 would-be prime ministers than Canadians are getting right now.

By Professor Mark Winfield, Faculty of Environmental and Urban Change, 91亚色

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Professor Emeritus Alan Young, a lawyer and legal scholar known for leading the challenge of Canada's prostitution laws before the country's top court, has died at age 69. Osgoode Dean Trevor Farrow says his death is "a profound loss" for the legal profession. Young was a central figure in a landmark Supreme Court case that struck down Canada's prostitution laws as unconstitutional in 2013 and forced the federal government to revise the legislation, reports The Canadian Press. He was also known for representing people with AIDS, cancer and multiple sclerosis who were charged for using medical marijuana, leading to federal regulations permitting its use. Young co-founded and directed 91亚色鈥檚 Innocence Project, investigating wrongful convictions and imprisonment. Canadian Lawyer magazine listed聽Young聽among the 25 most influential people in the legal profession over several years. In retirement, he became a playwright. ", Alan was a trailblazer who made huge contributions not only to Osgoode, but to the law and legal profession in Canada," says Farrow. Adam Parachin, a professor at Osgoode and one of Young's former students, says he was "blessed to have known" him. "Alan was brilliant and a 'one of a kind' character. His sharp wit made criminal law an early favourite of mine at Osgoode," Parachin says in a statement.

Professor Jennifer Mills talks about diet culture and the public discourse surrounding celebrities' bodies in light of the recent Wicked movie and press tour, and online discussions about how thin the two lead actors appear to be. Mills,聽who researches body image and eating disorders, says that diet culture today is being repackaged by narratives from the health and wellness industry as drugs that can cause weight loss are prescribed by doctors. "This may trick folks into thinking that these aren't diet culture messages or a diet culture product, but in reality, it is," says Mills to The Globe and Mail. In other words, she adds.

Professor and Dean Sarah Bay-Cheng weighs in on an apology issued by the Town of 91亚色 Historical Society after greeting cards featuring art made with AI were sold at its recent holiday market. Talking to CBC, Bay-Cheng points out there are also . "The images that are being used to train large language models as the basis of different AI have been scooping up a lot of images that have been created by individual and independent artists and posted online without attribution, without compensation," says Bay-Cheng.

Professor Yvonne Su speaks to the Los Angeles Times for a feature on Canada turning against immigrants. For the first time in a quarter-century, a majority of Canadians are saying there is too much immigration, with hate crimes on the rise along with rhetoric blaming newcomers for the country's economic problems. Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's government recently slashed the annual total allowed into the country. "," says Su. "Then we decided there were too many? We used them." Su has tracked a rise in anti-immigrant sentiment online, where videos of Canadians making racist statements have proliferated, as well as in the real world, where reports of hate crimes more than doubled between 2019 to 2023.

In an op-ed for The Conversation, Professor Ilan Kapoor writes about Canada's response to President Donald Trump's recent threats to impose a 25 per cent tariff on Canada and Mexico and Trump calling Trudeau "Governor" and Canada a state. "Trump's latest taunts to Trudeau, in fact, prove that in the months and years ahead," writes Kapoor and co-author in their psychoanalysis of Trump and his politics.

The Walls Have Eyes by Petra Molnar, a lawyer and anthropologist who co-runs the Refugee Law Lab at 91亚色, was selected by CBC Books for the . Based on years of researching borderlands across the world, lawyer and anthropologist Molnar examines how technology is being deployed by governments on the world's most vulnerable with little regulation.

Research by Professor Christine Till is referenced in a New 91亚色 Times' article about water fluoridation coming under scrutiny. Robert F. Kennedy Jr.'s skepticism about fluoride has become a focal point in the debate about whether he's suitable to run the nation's health department. In Till's highly publicized 2019 paper, researchers compared the IQ test scores of 512 young children in Canada to their mother's urinary fluoride levels during pregnancy, a proxy for fluoride intake. For every increase of one milligram per liter in urinary fluoride, they saw a 4.49 point drop in IQ in boys. The researchers found no relationship with IQ in girls. Till, along with other researchers, says there鈥檚 enough evidence at this point to suggest that .

Professor Stephanie Ben-Ishai talks to The Globe and Mail about a looming reduction in the maximum allowable annual percentage rate (APR) for loans in Canada, effective Jan. 1, that creditors can legally charge. Experts are urging Ottawa to expand the kinds of borrowing costs covered by the cap, warning the lower limit will likely spur high-cost lenders to turn to ancillary charges. There are questions about whether this is enough or the best way to regulate the high-cost credit market. Ben-Ishai says for example, could incentivize lenders to better assess the debt burden their clients are actually able to carry.

Professor Emeritus Paul Delaney talks to Toronto Star about the Geminid meteor shower which will peak Friday night and Saturday morning, bringing bright shooting star-like streaks to the sky in one of the best displays of the year. Delaney explains what a meteor shower is, how the Geminid shower differs, and .

Professor Sheetala Bhat writes about a recent violent confrontation at a Hindu temple in Brampton, Ont. between pro-Khalistan protesters and Hindu nationalists that has created further tensions between India and Canada since the slaying of a Canadian Sikh activist in British Columbia. "Several Canadian media outlets reported on the Brampton clash, but most did not highlight the role of far-right Hindu nationalists and the use of a controversial slogan chanted at the temple," writes Bhat. https://theconversation.com/how-indias-hindu-nationalist-rhetoric-played-a-role-in-the-violence-at-a-canadian-temple-243633

Do you have a new research study or an academic achievement to share? Contact media@yorku.ca with details. For daily 91亚色 in the News highlights, follow on X.

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TORONTO, Monday, Oct. 1, 2018聽鈥� After months of sometimes tense negotiations, Canada, the United States, and Mexico have announced a tentative new trade deal. 聽The agreement, the (formerly NAFTA), is an updated trade agreement that includes changes on investment and the investor-state dispute settlement (ISDS) cars and car parts, the dairy industry, supply management and more.

The following experts are available for interviews:

, Professor Emeritus of Economics and International Business, Director of the Certificate in International Trade and Investment at the Schulich School of Business, is an expert in international trade, investment, trade agreements, exchange rates and monetary policy.

, Associate Professor at Osgoode Hall Law School, is an expert in international trade, investment law, NAFTA and trade treaties.

聽is a Professor of Strategy and the Scotiabank Chair in International Business and Entrepreneurship at the Schulich School of Business聽at 91亚色.

Professor of Management at the Schulich School of Business, Newmont Chair in Business Strategy, has consulted for the Canadian International Development Agency (on Canadian auto industry) and has previously acted as a volunteer advisor to the United States Foreign Policy on advising the Nebraska State Governor鈥檚 Office on China trade.

91亚色聽champions new ways of thinking that drive teaching and research excellence. Our students receive the education they need to create big ideas that make an impact on the world. Meaningful and sometimes unexpected careers result from cross-disciplinary programming, innovative course design and diverse experiential learning opportunities. 91亚色 students and graduates push limits, achieve goals and find solutions to the world鈥檚 most pressing social challenges, empowered by a strong community that opens minds. 91亚色 U is an internationally recognized research university 鈥� our 11 faculties and 25 research centres have partnerships with 200+ leading universities worldwide. Located in Toronto, 91亚色 is the third largest university in Canada, with a strong community of 53,000 students, 7,000 faculty and administrative staff, and more than 300,000 alumni.

91亚色 U's fully bilingual Glendon Campus is home to Southern Ontario's Centre of Excellence for French Language and Bilingual Postsecondary Education.

Media Contact:

Anjum Nayyar, 91亚色 Media Relations, 416-736-2100 ext. 44543,聽anayyar@yorku.ca

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