Sustainability Indicators and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

1. Sustainability Indicators and the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network (CSIN) 2010 Conference March 2010

2. Purpose • To outline a possible approach to sustainable development governance that would: • Better reflect international best practices; • Address issues noted in internal management reviews, research findings and input from the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD); and, • Strengthen the science-policy connection through the strategic use of indicator information. • A federal sustainable development strategy has the potential to be a step forward in transparency and public accounting on sustainability, in part because of its connection to indicators.

3. Overview • Best Practices for Governance and Sustainability • Existing Federal Practices • Background: Federal Sustainable Development Act (FSDA) • Characteristics of Governance Structure • Indicators and the FSDS • Bridging the Science-Policy Divide Through Indicators

4. Best Practices for Governance in Sustainability • The following elements are viewed as important to success of national or federal SD governance structures and strategies: • Legislative underpinning; • Top-level leadership and accountability; • Relevant and comprehensive strategy; • Connection to the fundamental planning & budgetary processes; and, • Consultation with stakeholders, including other jurisdictions.

5. Existing Federal Practices • From 1995 to June 2008, the Auditor General Act required Ministers to table departmental Sustainable Development Strategies every three years • No overarching Federal strategy. • The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development (CESD) conducted 11 highly critical audits of this approach; last report tabled in Parliament November 2008: • Lack of clearly defined federal priorities, a common vision and ‘meaningful’ targets; • Poorly defined federal accountabilities and lack of senior level leadership; • Departmental compartmentalization discouraging horizontal collaboration; • Lack of a means to measure and report on federal progress as a whole; and, • Strategies were not the ‘drivers of change’ they were intended to be. “The challenge currently faced by each department is like assembling a large jigsaw puzzle without the picture on the box.” -- CESD, 2002

6. Background – Federal Sustainable Development Act (FSDA) • Purpose • s.3 “…to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that will make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament.” • Requirements • Federal Strategy that contains goals, targets and implementation strategies. • Consultations on draft strategy prior to finalization • Federal strategy this year, to be updated every three years • Departmental strategies in 2011, to be updated every three years. • Reporting to Canadians and Parliament every three years

7. Characteristics of Governance Structure • Now have: • Legal foundation in the FSDA that covers all of government; • Requirement for results chain (goals, targets and strategies); • Opportunity to link sustainable development planning and reporting to core government planning processes; • Greater transparency through consultation requirements; and, • Basis for continuous improvement laid through comprehensive reporting and indicator use.

8. Indicators and the FSDS • The requirements of the Act suggest that for each element of the FSDS there will need to be indicators

9. Strengthening the Policy-Science connection through indicators • “Plan-do-check-improve” cycle could be established. • Established goals and targets, and related indicator information could provide the tracking needed to improve SD policy-making and programs over time. • Reporting would ensure transparency, accountability, and provide policy makers with access to information to support decision-making. • Updated strategies every three years could set the stage for further progress over time as we learn from experience and build on best practices.

10. Thank You • For further information please contact: Greg Wilburn Sustainable Development Office Environment Canada 10 Wellington Street, 25th Floor Gatineau, QC, K1A 0H3 greg.wilburn@ec.gc.ca

11. Workbook QuestionBreakout Session 2: FSDS 1)Linking Indicators with Policy Decisions Environmental indicators provide a simple way to convey complex information on the environment, and may be used as a basis for integrating environmental concerns into the policy process. However, research indicates that there can be disconnects between science and the policy process. Environmental indicator information is not always presented in a policy context and is often not made available in an effective format. Environmental research and reporting can be isolated from the policy process. In your experience, how have you been able to bridge the gap between indicators and program and policy decisions? What are the challenges and how do we overcome them? How has indicator data been presented and interpreted such that it is used at all levels of decision-making?