Sustainable Development: Evolution of the Canadian Approach Chad Nelson Environment Canada, 10 Wellington Street, Gatineau, Quebec, Canada, K1A OH3; Chad.Nelson@ec.gc.ca

Canada is on a journey toward sustainable develop- ment. From early steps in the 1900s to betterprotect and manage our water resources, through to today’s interna- tional negotiations to address complex global challenges, such as loss of biodiversity, poverty, and climate change, the journey continues.

CONSERVATION AND ENVIRONMENTAL POUClES Environmental conservation in Canada reaches as

far back as 1885 with the creation of the country’s National Park System, when 26 square kilometers around hot mineral springs near Banff Station, Alberta, Canada, were set aside for public use. Created in 1911, Parks Canada is the oldest, continuous national park service in the world. The National Parks Act, enacted in 1930, also provided a legislative framework for the setting aside of lands for historical purposes. In 1971, Canada became the second country (France was the first) to recognize the importance of the environment by establishing a separate ministry-Environment Canada-to help conserve and protect the environ- ment for future generations.

The United Nations Conference on the Human Envi- ronment, which was held in Stockholm, Sweden, in 1972, represented the beginning of concerted global efforts to deal with environmental problems. Central ele- ments to sustainable development emerged, including the interdependence of human beings and the natural environment; the links between economic and social development and environmental protection; and the need for a global vision and common principles. Of par- ticular note was Principle 21 (the “Canadian Principle”), which was put forward by Canada and which stated that “States have, in accordance with the charter of the Unit- ed Nations and the principles of international law, the sovereign right to exploit their own resources pursuant to their own environmental policies, and the responsibil- ity to ensure that activities within their jurisdiction or control do not cause damage to the environment of other States or of areas beyond the limits of national jurisdiction. ”

The Plan of Action and Declaration of Principles from Stockholm led to the establishment of the United Nations Environment Program (UNEP), the creation of other environmental organizations, and enhanced environmental legislation worldwide.

CANADA’S INTERNATIONAL ROLE IN SUSTAINABLE DMLOPMEM In Canada, a growing awareness of the need for

long-term anticipatory environmental strategies for achieving sustainable development evolved out of a series of public hearings held in major cities across the country in 1986 by the World Commission on Environ- ment and Development, also called the Brundtland Commission. The Commission’s 1987 report [l l popu- larized the term “sustainable development,” defined as “...development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.” The Commission showed the inextricable linkages between environmental and development issues, and the subsequent need for inte- grated and long-term responses across the globe.

In 1987, Canada hosted an international conference that resulted in the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer. The agreement set tar- gets for phasing out both the production and con- sumption of ozone-depleting chemicals, as well as other measures to protect the ozone layer.

The following year, the City of Toronto, Ontario, was the site of another landmark international confer- ence of scientists and policy makers, The Changing Atmosphere: Implications for Global Security. Spon- sored by the Canadian government, with support from the United Nations, the World Meteorological Organi- zation, and other international organizations, the con- ference addressed problems of local, regional, and global atmospheric pollution, including acid rain, stratospheric ozone depletion, and increasing temper- atures.

In 1992, Canada participated in the United Nations Conference on Environment and Development. Its Sec- retary-General was Canadian Maurice Strong, who had

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also chaired the Stockholm conference in 1972 and was the first Executive Director of UNEP. At the conference, held in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, Canada and more than 175 other nations committed to a comprehensive plan of action for socially, economically, and environmentally sustainable development-a plan known as Agenda 21.

At the same time, Canada also signed two conven- tions: the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, seeking to reduce emissions of green- house gases and their harmful impact on the planet’s climate system; and the Convention on Biological Diversity, aiming to conserve the diversity of the planet’s biological resources.

ESTABLISHMENT OF CANADIAN SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATIONS Canada’s commitment to sustainable development

was formalized with the 1988 establishment of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE). An independent agency, mandated by the Parliament of Canada and reporting directly to the Prime Minister, its role is to identify, explain, and promote-in all sectors of Canadian society, and in all regions of Canada-the principles and practices of sus- tainable development. Its members, which include individuals from government, business, science, envi- ronmental groups, academia, labor unions, and indige- nous peoples, meet four times a year to determine pri- orities for action, review current work, initiate new programs, and promote a better understanding of the concept of sustainable development. (For more infor- mation about the NRTEE’s work, visit its Web site, list- ed as Reference t21.)

A second group, the International Institute for Sus- tainable Development (IISD) was established in 1990 in Winnipeg, Manitoba, with a mission to promote sus- tainable development in decision-making, internation- ally and within Canada. The Institute’s audiences and clients are businesses, governments, communities, and individuals, and its scope incorporates business, cli- mate change, energy, economic policy, trade and investment, communities and livelihoods, natural resources, measurement and assessment, knowledge networks, and more. (For more information about the IISD, visit its Web site, listed as Reference [31.)

DOMESTIC ACTION FOR SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT The same year that IISD was founded, Canada

launched its Green Plan for a healthy environment, an important milestone in the country’s transition to sustain- able development. The 5-year plan tackled a wide range of issues with $3 billion allocated in new funding.

Based on an extensive national consultation process, the Green Plan included initiatives and programs addressing the protection of the ozone layer and research on global warming, sustainable forest manage- ment, the protection of Arctic ecosystems, the creation of additional parks and protected spaces, the cleanup of toxic sites and bodies of water, and help for developing countries in their sustainable development efforts. Across the country, communities received funding for such proj- ects as water conservation, wildlife habitat restoration, and waste reduction and recycling.

Rather than a “react and cure” environmental agen- da, the Green Plan represented a new way of thinking. It incorporated the existing environmental agenda into a framework for sustainable development.

In 1994, the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency was established to oversee a national process that ensured Federal project decision-making took into account environmental considerations in the context of sustainable development. The following year, through amendments to the Auditor General Act, the govern- ment established the Commissioner of the Environ- ment and Sustainable Development within the Office of the Auditor General. The amendments to the Audi- tor General Act also required that Ministers prepare Sustainable Development Strategies that outline their departments’ objectives and plans of action to further sustainable development, and that they update these strategies at least once every three years.

The government also released A Guide to Green Government, which provides guidance to Federal departments in preparing sustainable development strategies, and firmly states its belief that Canada’s eco- nomic health depends on its environmental health. The Guide outlines the government’s commitment to adopting policy in which economic and environmental agendas converge.

Sustainable Development Strategies In response to 1995 amendments to the Auditor

General Act, 28 departments and agencies produced their first Sustainable Development Strategies within the following two years. These strategies were updated in 2001, and are to be renewed again this month. The strategies represent departments’ efforts to systemati- cally consider their impacts on sustainable develop- ment. These strategies have guided policy and pro- gram changes made to enhance their groups’ contribu- tions to achieving sustainable development.

Some of the common themes that have emerged in Sustainable Development Strategies include: strength- ening and improving access to knowledge in support of integrated decision-making; building sustainable communities; exploring the links between health and sustainable development; increasing productivity through eco-efficiency; providing leadership in areas such as greening of operations; and, raising the level of awareness of sustainable development. One focus for the departments has been improving the ways they work together to address sustainable development issues that cut across individual group mandates, and recognizing the need for better collaboration across policy portfolios.

THE PATH FORWARD The pursuit of sustainable development requires

coordination among government agencies, and between government, civil society, and the private sec- tor. However, it also requires that this be carried out between sovereign countries in concert with Principle 21-to not damage the environment of other states. The World Summit on Sustainable Development, held in Johannesburg, South Africa, in 2002, was another

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important step along this path. The Summit contin- ued to place sustainable development on the global agenda and reinforced the need for meaningful dia- log and action, particularly on issues of importance to both economically-developed and developing countries.

Canada continues to learn and improve. There will be better coordination between federal departments as we implement the third round of strategies. Action will also be devoted to preparing a coherent federal vision of sustainable development to serve as the foundation for a federal strategy. Linked to these efforts will be effective reporting on progress, including pursuit of commitments our country made at the World Summit on Sustainable Development.

Globally, Canada’s international cooperation pro- gram remains the primary avenue through which the country can advance sustainable development within the developing world. Canada plans to enhance its ability to help its partners address specific global chal- lenges, including climate change, environmental degradation, and poverty.

The transition to a more sustainable society in the 21st Century will not be achieved by one department or one level of government alone. Moving toward a more sustainable society will require the commitment of decision-makers at all levels in pursuit of our collec- tive long-term security and quality of life.

For more information on Canada’s approach and actions in support of sustainable development, consult the Government of Canada’s Sustainable Development Information System listed in Reference 141.

LITERANRE CITED World Commission on Environment and Develop- ment, “Our Common Future,” Brundtland Commis- sion Report, Oxford University Press, Oxford, U.K., 1987. National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, http://www.nrtee-trnee.ca. International Institute for Sustainable Develop- ment, http://www.iisd.org. Government of Canada, Sustainable Development Information System, http://www.sdinfo.gc.ca.

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