Winfield, Mark
Assistant Professor and Coordinator of MES/JD Joint Program
BA (Science & Technology Studies), MA PhD (Political Science) Toronto
Email: marksw@yorku.ca
Areas of Academic Interest
- Environmental Policy
- Environmental Law
- Sustainable Energy
- Urban Sustainability
- Climate Change Policy
My current research and teaching activities are focused in three areas:
- Environmental Policy and governance
- Sustainable energy
- Sustainability of urban communities
Environmental policy and governance
My research in this area has been focused on institutional design and policy instrument choice in environmental and energy policy. My most recent work has been focussed on energy efficiency and climate change policy, as well as 'smart' regulation initiatives at the federal and provincial levels in Canada. My past environmental policy work has included the role of information technology and public access to information in environmental policy, institutional design for drinking water protection (for the Walkerton Inquiry), toxic substances pollution prevention, ecological fiscal reform, globalization, trade and the environment and the regulation of biotechnology. Over the coming years I hope to build on FES's parterships with Osgoode Hall Law School, Schulich School of Business, and other research units at York in these areas.
Sustainable Energy
My second major area of focus is the sustainability of energy systems. Over the past four years, I have focused particularly on electricity policy issues in Ontario, examining the potential contributions of energy efficiency and low-impact renewable energy sources to the province’s electricity system. My work has included extensive comparative analyses of Canadian energy policy in these areas relative to leading jurisdictions in the United States and European Union. I bring an extensive network of contacts in the energy field to FES.
Urban sustainability
The third major area of focus for my research has been on the sustainability of urban communities in Ontario, particularly within the Greater Golden Horseshoe region. This focus has been driven, in part by the impact of urban development patterns on transportation-related emissions of greenhouse gases and other pollutants in the region. My work has included case studies on the local implementation of ‘smart growth’ policies by Ontario municipalities and monitoring and analysis of provincial policy related to urban sustainability. I look forward to work with the Cities Institute at York.
Other positions/affiliations
Select prizes and awards
- Metcalf Foundation, Leaders in the Field Fellowship (2007)
Select publications
Chapters in books
Winfield, M., “Policy Instruments in Canadian Environmental Policy,” in R. Boardman and D. VanNijnatten eds, Canadian Environmental Policy (3rd Edition) (Oxford University Press, for publication 2009).
Winfield, M., “Polls, Politics and Sustainability,” in G. Toner and J. Meadowcroft eds., Facing Forward – Looking Back: Charting Sustainable Development in Canada 1987-2007-2027 (McGill-Queens University Press, for publication 2009).
Winfield, M., “Lessons from the Green Side: The Environmental Policy Experience” in R. McRae and E.Abergel, eds., Towards A Sustainable Food System (forthcoming)
Winfield M., “Canadian Energy Policy,” in S. Bernstein, Jutta Brunnee, David G. Duff, and Andrew J. Green, eds., A Globally Integrated Climate Policy for Canada (Toronto: University of Toronto Press, 2008)
Winfield, M., and Macdonald, D., “Federalism and the Environment” in H. Bakvis and G. Skogstad, eds., Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness and Legitimacy 2nd Edition, (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2007) 266-288.
Winfield M., “Pollutant Release and Transfer Inventories in North America,” in D. Markell and J. Knox, eds., Greening NAFTA: The North American Commission for Environmental Cooperation (Stanford: Stanford University Press, 2003) 38-46.
Winfield, M., “Environmental Policy and Federalism,” in H. Bakvis and G. Skogstad, eds., Canadian Federalism: Performance, Effectiveness and Legitimacy (Toronto: Oxford University Press, 2001) 124-137.
Books, monographs, and research reports
Winfield, M., and T. Koveshnikova “The Impact of the Ontario Energy Board’s Total Resource Cost Test on Electricity Conservation and Demand Management Initiatives by Local Distribution Companies (forthcoming).
Winfield, M., Gibson, R.B., Markvart, T., Gaudreau K., Taylor, J., An Analysis of the Ontario Power Authority’s Consideration of Environmental Sustainability in Electricity System Planning (Toronto and Waterloo: Faculties of Environmental Studies, York University and University of Waterloo, August 2008) for the Green Energy Coalition.
Winfield, M., Blue-Green Province: The Environment and the Political Economy of Ontario (In progress - Advance contract signed with University of British Columbia Press, June 2005).
Articles in refereed journals
Winfield M., and Gilbert R., “Point–Counterpoint: To Incinerator or Not to Incinerate” Alternatives Journal 33:2/3 (2007)
Winfield, M., “Alternative service delivery in the natural resources sector: An examination of Ontario’s forestry compliance self-inspection system,” Canadian Public Administration Vol.48, No. 4., Winter 2005 552-574.
Winfield, M., Whorley, D., and Kaufman, S., “Public Safety in Private Hands: A Study of Ontario’s Technical Standards and Safety Authority,” Canadian Public Administration, Vol. 45, No.1, Spring 2002 24-51.
Current courses
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