Environment Canada: Environmental Indicator Reporting

1. Environment Canada Paula Brand Director, Strategic Alignment Division April 8,2008 Environment Canada:Environmental Indicator Reporting

2. Presentation outline • Background / diagnostique • User needs research • Integrating indicators to next generation State of Environment reporting • Key elements • Key indicators • Web-based delivery

3. Reporting as a basis for demonstrating accountability to Canadians • Reporting to Canadians on the state of their environment is a federal role • Canadian Environmental Protection Act (CEPA) provides the legislative basis for State of Environment reporting • Requires the Minister “publish, arrange for the publication of or distribute through an information clearinghouse… a periodic report on the state of the Canadian environment” [44(1)(f)ii]. • Supported by broad Ministerial responsibilities outlined in the Department of Environment Act • the Ministershall, “initiate, recommend and undertake programs, and coordinate programs of the Government of Canada that are designed… to provide to Canadians environmental information in the public interest” [5(a)(iii)]

4. Numerous SoE reporting efforts have had varied results • Iterations of SoE reporting efforts: • 1986, 1991 & 1996: large reports focussed on amassing considerable amounts of scientific information • 1991: Report on Canada’s Progress Towards a National Set of Environmental Indicators • 1993-1996: SoE Fact Sheets • 1992-2001: SoE Indicator Bulletins • 1997-2002: 5 NR Department MOU for Federal SoE reporting • (i.e.: Nutrients in the Canadian Environment, Ecological Assessment of the Boreal Shield) • 1997-2005: Thematic and regional reports • 2001: Tracking key environmental issues • 2003: Environmental Signals: National Environmental Indicator Series • 2005, 2006, 2007: Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators Initiative • Shifting and unsustained reporting efforts over the past 20 years have failed to: • inform Canadians • provide consistent information over time

5. Environmental Reporting in Canada: Reporting in transition • Moving towards using indicators for more integrated sustainable development reporting, performance reporting for decision-makers • From • Comprehensive State of the Environment reports for broad public use • Environmental indicators for public awareness To • Sustainable development indicators, performance reporting, socio-economic modules (e.g., Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators) for policy analysts, managers as a key user group, and for Canadians • Focus on information systems, analysis capacity and user needs

6. Environmental Signals: indicators in 15 issue areas • Freshwater* • Biodiversity • Soil quality • Agricultural landscapes • Forested landscapes • Watersheds • Toxic substances • Municipal solid waste • Air quality* • Climate change* • Acid rain • Stratospheric ozone • Severe weather and disasters • Energy • Transportation

7. Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators • Indicators to measure environmental performance in relation to economic performance and human health that can sure to supplement traditional health and economic measures • Focus on 3 indicators, annual reporting • Air quality • Greenhouse gas emissions • Freshwater quality • Environmental-economic connections • Web-based information system - drill down • Audience: policy analysts and public, can serve a variety of communities, requires a product suite

8. Air and GHG Results

10. CEPA review recommendations address frequency and delivery of SoE reporting • CEPA consultations • Highlighted the need for “easily understandable, reliable and relevant information” . . . to “track results . . . warn of potential new threats and . . . help shape environmental and health protection policies and practices” • Parliamentary Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development • Recommends “that the government publish biennially, in electronic and hard copy formats, a comprehensive state of the environment report to provide timely, accurate and accessible environmental information, integrated with socioeconomic factors, to improve decision-making and support progress towards sustainability” • Standing Senate Committee on Energy, the Environment and Natural Resources • Recommends “that CEPA 1999 be amended to require the Government of Canada to publish a comprehensive State of the Environment Report no less frequently than every ten years”

11. Communicating Canada’s environmental performance story • Previous SoE reporting efforts were communicated from a science perspective making it complicated for Canadians • In the absence of a strong federal story, Canada’s performance story is being told by others: • Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development(OECD) • United Nations Environment Program (UNEP) • Suzuki Foundation

12. Public opinion research provides insight for demand-driven reporting • Clear demand for authoritative, timely, credible, consistent information • Unanimous support for the currently reported issues (air, water, climate change), no consensus on the next priority • Preference for depth of information on priority topics versus coverage of a greater breadth of topics • Information needed for public: real-world impacts, international comparability, what do the statistics mean Focus Group Participants’ Key Questions: ● what are the concrete impacts of these trends? ● is the situation getting better or worse? ● what is being done? ● what can be done to address these issues?

13. What we heard on the importance of international comparison • Very important to see how Canada compares to other countries • Adopting best practices / cooperation • Establishing benchmarks / standards • National pride • Credibility, accountability • Interconnectedness “It’s a global issue” “National pride”

14. Public opinion research identified other common findings • Overwhelming support for trends over time • Desire for more up to date information (< 2 yrs) • Demand for local and place-based information • Target audiences (Canadians, stakeholders) more receptive to web delivery • Information access is by media, web search, Wikipedia • While improvements were suggested, all agreed an initiative like CESI is important Public opinion feedback on current CESI initiative: “very important”, “absolutely important”, “extremely important”, “essential”

15. Technology exists for an effective new approach • Advances in information technologies are revolutionizing the way people interact with information • Customer satisfaction increases significantly when government services are accessed through the web • Parliamentary committee recognized need for a modernized SoE reporting approach • “…should be reinstated in manner suitable to today’s technology that gives access to the data as well as analysis.” • Web is the most effective means to respond to public expectations • More frequent reporting cycles, access to underlying detail, local scale information

16. VISION Next generation SoE reporting • Focus on issues of importance to Canadians and GoC agenda (Climate change, air, water, protected areas) • Demand driven and policy-based • Trend-based information • Easily understood • Dashboard approach • Access to local and regional level information • Customizable and searchable Key Indicators Web-based delivery

17. VISION Inventory And Monitoring Data and Statistics SoE reporting driven from an audience-based perspective Generally Informed Public How are we doing overall? What does it mean to me? Key indicators People with Topic or Issue Interests Is problem X common? How are conditions changing? Core Indicators CESI Managers And Policy Analysts Is Program Z “doing its job?” DPR Policy, Planning And Management Metrics Scientist / Individuals Public National Inventory Report What are current conditions and trends at Area C

18. INDICATORS Inventory And Monitoring Data and Statistics Key indicators: Attributes based on public audience perspective • Attributes of Key Indicators • Easily understood • Health related • Performance toward a target • Trends (are things getting better / worse?) • Comparable internationally Key Indicators Core Indicators • Attributes of Core Indicators • Authoritative measures • Status and trends • Basis for comparison Policy, Planning And Management Metrics • Science Program Reporting • Assessments, technical, science-based • Examples: GHG Inventory, State of the Air, Ecosystem Status & Trends, CCME Water Task Group

19. INDICATORS Key indicators: Criteria for selection • User relevance • Simple, understandable and easy to interpret by target audience • Policy relevance • Monitor key outcomes of environmental policy and legislation, and inform on familiar issues to the public • Analytical validity • Accurate whether based on scientific, community or traditional knowledge. Data are credible and robust and the methodologies have integrity • Measurability • Long term, derived from information collected in a comparable manner from year to year. Information will be available in the future and show reliability over time • Cost effectiveness • Require limited numbers of parameters to be established and simple to monitor, regular monitoring is in place

20. WEB-BASED DELIVERY Web-based delivery: SoE reporting based on a high profile web presence • Shift from lengthy, descriptive reports to a dynamic online information source ensuring access to the most up-to-date information • Window to My Environment with functionality including: • Customizable dashboard to environmental information • User ability to select indicators, functionality and scalability • mapping, searching, viewing: my city, my indicator • Links to information at various scales • local, provincial / territorial information • Address fundamental user needs question • “How are we doing and what can I do?”

21. Web-based Delivery: Mock home page

22. WEB-BASED DELIVERY Web-based delivery: A user mock up

23. CESI renewal provides the basis for next generation SoE reporting • CESI provides the foundation of core indicators • Established consistent base of environmental quality information over last 4 yrs • Public and stakeholder support for CESI-like effort to provide key environmental information • A transparent consultative process used to developed a path forward • User needs – Canadians, stakeholders, internal decision-makers • Diagnostique – best practices, lessons learned, international analysis, historical reviews, workshops, senior level consultations • CESI 2008 report will begin transition to new SoE reporting vision • Providing more trends, access to site level information, better integration of socio-economic information • Enhanced web-based reporting