The Canadian Association for the Club of Rome (CACOR) was incorporated in 1974 by six leading academics and business people as one of the first of now more than 30 national associations affiliated with the internationally-respected Club of Rome.  It is autonomous, independent, and non-partisan.

The Club of Rome’s initial research was conducted at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, using systems analysis to study the planetary implications of unbridled exponential growth.  The resulting report, The Limits to Growth, was published in 1972.  It sold millions of copies worldwide, creating controversy and impetus for the global sustainability movement.  The report was republished on the 50th anniversary of its publication.

CACOR was created largely as a result of the engagement of Prime Minister Pierre Elliott Trudeau with the thinking of the founders of the Club of Rome, Aurelio Peccei, an Italian industrialist, and Alexander King, the Scottish Head of Science at the OECD.  They shared a profound concern for the long-term future of humanity and the planet, which they termed the problématique – the modern ‘predicament of mankind’.

For over 50 years, CACOR has continued to follow a systems approach to policy and programs: multi-disciplinary, rational, holistic, driven by data, and based on long-range thinking.  In 2021, it used an exploratory simulation model built by one of its members to find pathways to reduce Canada’s greenhouse gas emissions.  (See the Pathways Formal Report.)

We welcome as members or associates all who share our commitment to a humane and sustainable future.  Today our membership spans the country and every discipline from Anthropology to Zoology, including esteemed scientists, engineers, civil servants, civil society representatives, educators, and entrepreneurs.  Our vision is that Canada becomes a nation that effectively restores and sustains its ecosystems, the basis of life on our one and only planet, and serves as a model to others.

A member can expect and experience friendship, dedication, goodwill, multiple opportunities and ideas, openness and accountability, and inclusion in ethical decisions and actions.  I am proud to be a member.

Sheila Murray, Dean (retired)
School of Continuing Education
Algonquin College, Ottawa