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ZINC Research was founded on the principle of the “triple
bottom-line.” In today’s world, companies and initiatives
need to have a firm grasp on the social, environmental and
economic aspects of their development, operation and vision
for the future.
Ultimately, most critical decisions are based on economics
- may they be financial, efficiency or matters of distribution
and equity. While we are well versed in economic theory, valuation
and grounded in the fundamentals of solid research, it is
our grasp of this knowledge in tandem with our experience
in attitudinal research and the ability to clearly synthesize
and communicate actionable findings that sets us apart. Organizations
seeking change – investment, policy, opinion or strategy –
need to grasp how seemingly intangible shifts in behaviour
can be linked to the “bottom line.” Our interdisciplinary
approach has been deployed successfully from economic impacts
analyses, public consultations, feasibility studies, benefit/cost
analyses to market potential assessments.
ZINC’s Managing Director, Brian F. Singh is a qualified Economist
and has a solid track record in the conducting applied economic
research, with a specialization in the environmental field.
Brian has conducted numerous assessments of environmental
projects and the market potential of various consumer products.
He was recently retained as the Lead Economist (2002-2004,
in partnership with SNC-Lavalin) for the UNDP-GEF Dnipro Basin
Environment Program to prepare the economic components of
each countries’ (Ukraine, Russia and Belarus) respective Strategic
Action Plan and Pre-Feasibility Analysis (see: www.dnipro-gef.net).
(Note: This project entailed extensive consultations with
respective government teams, stakeholders associated with
targeted sites for remediation, and NGOs). This project was
awarded Canadian Consulting Engineer’s 2005 Award of Excellence
in the International Project Category, and yielded a UNIDO
Publication. Brian has also worked in the areas of waste management
(including recycling programs), greenhouse gases, tire recycling,
water and sewage treatment, strategies to reduce environmental
degradation resulting from electricity generation, and new
methods to measure sustainable development.
We welcome you to contact us and find out how our unique
combined skills of economic evaluation and marketing research
can help you assess and grow your ideas.
Our economic evaluation experience:
Publications:
- “Identification, assessment and prioritization of Pollution
Hot Spots.” UNIDO Publication (Methodology, Investment Portfolio
Section), 2004.
- Urban Rule: Charting the New Role of Canadian Cities (B.Cameron,
S.Mackay & B.F. Singh. Feb.2003, and June 2004) (Report
assessed public opinion of a host of environmental, policy
and infrastructure issues).
Other Professional Publications & Reports (Public
Reports & Contributing Author/Researcher):
- "Coordination and Synthesis of a Socio-Economic
Assessment of Ontario Waste Management Initiatives."
The Ontario Ministry of the Environment and Energy (1991)
- "Environmental Costs and the Demand and Supply Plan."
Ontario Hydro. (1991)
- "Analysis of Demand/Supply Mitigation Measures."
Ontario Hydro. (1991)
- "Supplementary Economic Accounts for the Yukon Territory."
The Bureau of Statistics Executive Council Office, Yukon
Territorial Government. (1990)
Key Environmental Projects (1989 to 1994):
- Ontario Hydro Demand/Supply Plan: Evaluation
of financial and environmental benefits of enhanced mitigation
measures. Cost/benefit and policy analysis of the implementation
of various measures (e.g.: cogeneration, reforestation,
alternative generating technology) to reduce environmental
degradation and human health effects, which results from
electricity generation in Ontario, Canada. Lead researcher
and author of final report.
- Ontario Waste Management Initiatives Program:
Co-authored publicly-released report that evaluated waste
management/diversion practices and established criteria
for assessing diversion policies that resulted in the enactment
of Bill 143 (Waste Management Act) and lead to enhanced
municipal recycling programs across Ontario.
- GTA 3Rs Analysis, in Support of Interim Waste
Authority's Landfill Site Selection Process: Technical
adviser to analysis of waste composition and diversion,
markets for secondary materials, municipal finance and social
impact components; developed strategy to analyze impacts
of various policies of 3Rs activities and waste management
initiatives within the Greater Toronto Area; and a survey
of 3Rs attitudes and adoption. Work undertaken in 1993 is
still pertinent in light of on going waste management issues.
- Blue Box Financing Strategy: Evaluation
of various tax and licensing fee options for Blue Box materials;
primary author of position paper.
- Initiatives Paper 5: 3Rs Incentives and
Municipal Waste Management System Financing: Development
of framework for analyzing compostables waste management
sub-system; also development, design and implementation
of computer models to analyze financing and waste management
issues associated with home and municipal composting, "Blue
Box" (curbside) recycling, household hazardous waste
and landfill.
- Accounting for Sustainable Development within
the System of Territorial Accounts in the Yukon Territory:
Analysis of methods and economics of developing supplementary
economic accounts - to account for the environment, resource
depletion, subsistence activities, and unpaid work in the
home - within the system of Territorial Accounts for the
Government of the Yukon Territory, Canada.
- Municipal & Industrial Sewage Abatement (MISA)
(Effluent Monitoring) Program: Inventory and economic
evaluation of Best Available Pollution Control Technologies
(BACT) for a number of industrial sectors in Ontario.
- Grey Water Ministry Committee: Input
into the development and implementation of the Grey Water
Regulation. Conducted associated benefit/cost analysis of
regulation.
- Chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs), Halons and Other Ozone
Depleting Substances Reduction Program: Working
with industry stakeholders, developed strategy to eliminate
the use of CFCs in refrigerants, ozone-depleting solvents
and sterilants that attained 100% compliance by 1999.
- Regulation of Halons in Fire Control Devices:
Principal researcher/author of regulatory impact assessment.
- Acid Rain and Oxidants Precursors Control - Strategies
beyond 1994: Evaluation and modification of computer
models for the analysis of NOx/SO2/VOC abatement strategies.
- Environmental Provisions in the North American
Free Trade Agreement: Representing Ontario’s interest,
lobbied Federal government to revise environmental provisions
in the Agreement that resulted in stricter environmental
standards to ensure companies that relocate adhere to “Best
Practices” in all jurisdictions.
- Legal Analysis and Economic Assessment of the
Environmental Implications of the North American Free Trade
Agreement: Developed criteria for scenario analysis
and framework of evaluation for economic assessment.
- Environment-Economy Linkages and Sustainable Development
in Ontario: Developed criteria for scenario analysis
and a framework of evaluation for economic assessment; evaluation
of the "LINK" computer model (which integrated
an environmental component into an input/output model).
- Modification of the Ministry of the Environment's
Waste Management Policy Model to Provide an Evaluation Framework
for Policy Instruments for Waste Management in the Greater
Toronto Area: Developed framework for evaluation,
and advisor on theoretical and analytical issues pertaining
to waste management modelling.
- Environmental Assessments: Socio-Economic
review of candidate site for Durham Region landfill site
search, Township of Asphodel's application for a Certificate
of Approval for a waste disposal site, and Domtar's mill
residue project, Ontario.
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