Sustainable Development
Sustainable Development Strategy, 1997-2001
Safeguarding our Assets, Securing our Future
Sustainable Development and Natural Resources
Making Better Decisions
The World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission) in its 1987
report, "Our Common Future", described sustainable development as:
"Development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the
ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
Canadians are coming to understand that the national environmental agenda can no longer
be separated from the national economic agenda. Sustainable development, therefore,
demands that we integrate social, economic and environmental considerations into
decision-making in a way that enhances productivity and prosperity without compromising
the integrity of the environment.
Sustainable development provides a framework for managing economic development and
human growth while maintaining the life support systems of the planet. None of these
objectives can be achieved in isolation. Canadians' health and economic prospects depend
on the health of the environment. At the same time, human development and social needs
must be met; the elimination of poverty and development of sound economies strengthen our
ability to protect the environment.
1, which came into force in January 1995,
established sustainable development as a responsibility of the department. The challenge
is to make that legislated requirement a reality - moving from concept to action,
identifying and developing practical methods to implement sustainable development.
This section examines some of the key concepts and issues related to applying
sustainable development to natural resources.
Natural Resources and Sustainable Development
Canada's minerals and metals, energy resources, forests and landmass epitomize the
sustainable development challenge. They provide important economic, environmental and
social benefits to all Canadians (Table 1).
Today, 38 per cent of our exports and the livelihood of 0.75 million Canadians and 500
communities, from coast to coast to coast, depend on our energy, mineral and forest
resources. Yet, Canada's natural resources are equally important environmental assets.
Canada's landmass harbours almost 10 per cent of the world's fresh water, 10 per cent of
the world's forests and an estimated 300,000 species of wildlife. Canadians have a strong
attachment to the lakes, forests, mountains, oceans and open spaces that form our physical
and psychological landscape. How we manage these resources today will determine our
quality of life, both now and in the future.
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Go to: The Economics of Sustainable Development
Renewable and non-renewable resources
The concept of sustainable development is perhaps more easily understood in the case of
renewable resources such as forests, fisheries or some forms of energy such as wind, solar
and hydro. Development of a renewable resource is sustainable if it remains within the
capacity of the resource to renew itself and maintains the overall health of the ecosystem
on which the resource depends.
In the case of forests, this has traditionally meant harvesting timber at a level that
does not exceed the annual growth of the forest, taking into account losses from natural
causes such as fires, insects and disease (Figure 1).
In this way, the "interest" is harvested while leaving the natural
"capital" intact. However, sustainable development is far more complex. It
requires that we manage forests to sustain a broad range of different values and products
that forests provide. These include not only timber, but ensuring viable habitat for
wildlife, protecting the quality of soil and water, maintaining the ecological functions
of forest ecosystems, and providing for other uses of the forest such as parks, recreation
and wilderness.
This notion of harvesting only the growth without depleting the capital is more
difficult to apply in the case of non-renewable resources such as minerals, oil, gas and
coal. Concerns are often expressed about the rate of consumption of non-renewable
resources and their long-term availability for future generations. Applying the concept of
sustainable development takes on different dimensions when dealing with non-renewable
resources.
In the case of energy, sustainable development does not necessarily imply the
preservation of one particular form of energy or another. Figure 2
shows how Canada's energy supply has changed over time, moving from a reliance on wood, to
coal, to today's reliance on oil and gas, hydro electricity, nuclear power and other
sources. The challenge of sustainable development is not to provide future generations
with ample reserves of any one form of energy, but with a secure, safe, efficient and
increasingly environmentally clean mix of energy options.
Similarly, the concern is often expressed that the world may use up its remaining
reserves of precious mineral resources such as copper, zinc or nickel. However, known
mineral reserves are only a fraction of the earth's mineral inventory. The quantity of
known reserves at any given time is a function of both the demand and price for a given
mineral, as well as the costs and technology associated with its extraction and processing
(Figure 3). In addition, the development of alternative materials can
reduce the future value and demand for certain minerals. Increasingly many minerals and
metals, such as nickel and copper, are being recycled and reused, thereby reducing the
need for new extraction. These recycled minerals and metals, along with known and
undiscovered mineral deposits, form the natural capital we pass onto future generations.
Sustainable development does not imply preserving existing resources for the future,
nor does it imply that the planet's resources are limitless, to be used at ever increasing
rates. All resource extraction and use has an impact on the environment. Sustainable
development requires that we limit resource development to a level that remains within the
capacity of natural ecosystems, reduce the environmental impacts of resource development
and use, continually develop cleaner and more environmentally efficient alternatives,
recycle and re-use resources to reduce the need for new extraction, and reduce our
consumption of products that deplete the planet's environment and resources.
Sustainable development challenges come to life
These concepts of sustainable development present a very real challenge for Canadians.
We rely on resources for a high standard of living and quality of life but, at the same
time, want to ensure that they are used efficiently and that our natural environment is
protected. Sustainable development does not come down to a simple either/or equation. It
does, however, demand a greater scientific understanding of our environment.
There are few "easy" answers. Some recent high-profile examples across Canada
illustrate the complex decisions we face. These situations are not readily resolved and
often result in considerable public debate, or, in some cases, protests and legal
challenges.
The massive nickel, copper and cobalt deposit discovered at Voisey's Bay,
Newfoundland characterizes the challenge facing a community when confronted with
balancing the need for job creation, economic growth, wildlife protection and traditional
lifestyle preservation. One of the largest known nickel reserves in the world, the $4.3
billion Inco mine site at Voisey's Bay has the potential to increase the province's
personal income levels by 3 per cent and its GDP by 11 per cent. The mine and refinery
will create 3,700 jobs during construction and could provide an eventual 2,000 jobs during
operation, thereby reducing unemployment by 2-3 per cent in a province with chronic high
unemployment. A further $2 billion may be spent before the proposed mine/mill and
smelter/refinery projects are fully operational, creating spin-off economic opportunities
throughout the province.
On the other side of the equation are the social and environmental considerations
related to the mine's development. Seven Aboriginal communities in Labrador want to
conclude land claims and other agreements prior to the development proceeding. These
negotiations address questions such as future land and surface rights, economic benefits
and environmental safeguards. There are fears that acid drainage from mine tailings may
destroy several local lakes and some fisheries habitat. Concerns have also been raised
that caribou herds which range throughout Labrador and Quebec will be adversely affected
by the mine's development. At the time of writing, an environmental assessment was
underway to address these potential problems.
The decision on logging in Clayoquot Sound in British Columbia presents another
illustration of the varied interests involved in sustainable development. The 260,000
hectare region harbours the largest intact watershed on Vancouver Island. It contains 29
rare plant species and areas of old-growth temperate rain forest, with trees up to 1,000
years old, that are important habitat for wildlife and a mainstay for forestry and tourism
- both important contributors to the local economy. The area has a long history of
residence, cultural and resource use by First Nations. The provincial government has opted
to protect 34 per cent of the area and to implement more restricted logging on the
remaining lands, based on the advice of an international scientific panel. The panel
included Nuu-Chah-Nulth elders and experts in their traditional knowledge. Forestry
companies in the region will try alternative logging practices, which will increase their
costs but better protect aesthetic, tourism and environmental values. The implementation
team's plan is to involve the Nuu-Chah-Nulth elders in forest management activities. To
satisfy all parties, the compromises arrived at must be economically and environmentally
viable, and socially acceptable.
Canada's nuclear industry represents another example of the complexity of
sustainable development. Nuclear energy offers some significant economic and environmental
benefits. For example, nuclear power does not produce carbon dioxide (CO2)
, which contributes to global warming, or other air pollutants.
Since 1971, nuclear power in Canada has avoided the release of more than one billion
tonnes of CO2. If all of Canada's nuclear power were
replaced with power from fossil fuels, Canada's CO2
emissions from electricity generation would double and total greenhouse gas emissions
would be 15 per cent higher. The nuclear power sector also makes a major contribution to
the economy; it is a $6 billion a year industry, employing 30,000 people directly, and
10,000 in indirect jobs in supplies and services.
Nonetheless, nuclear power faces economic, social and environmental challenges.
Recently, it was announced that seven of the 19 nuclear reactors in Ontario will be taken
out of service temporarily as part of a comprehensive plan by Ontario Hydro to revise its
management practices and focus its resources on restoring the operation of its reactors to
world-class standards. This decision has raised questions about the management of Hydro's
nuclear plants and the ability of nuclear power to compete in the deregulated electricity
market which is to be introduced in Ontario in the year 2000.
As well, while the nuclear industry is closely regulated by the Atomic Energy Control
Board (AECB) to protect the health and safety of the public, Canadians remain concerned
about the safety of nuclear power plants. Unlike other energy sources, all wastes
associated with nuclear power plants are designed to be captured and contained on site.
However, the public continues to be apprehensive about the environmental and health
impacts of radioactive waste, particularly used nuclear fuel.
A permanent solution to waste disposal is key to the long-term viability of the
industry. Atomic Energy of Canada Limited (AECL) has developed a concept for the deep
underground disposal of spent nuclear fuel. An environmental assessment panel is reviewing
this proposal and its report is expected to be completed in 1998.
Sustainable development issues: the public view
In establishing our sustainable development priorities, Canadians must decide - as a
society - just what it is we want from our natural resources and what we are willing to do
to ensure their sustainability. The following are what we believe to be the public's key
issues and concerns regarding the sustainable development of natural resources. The issues
are described in more detail in Appendix A.
Maintaining a healthy environment:
Canadians increasingly understand the relationship between the environment and human
health, and recognize that ecosystems that support life must be safeguarded.
Creating jobs and building stable communities:
Canadians want to maintain the contribution of the resource sectors to the economy,
employment and livelihood of 500 communities.
Balancing demands for land use:
Communities are struggling to reconcile often competing demands on the land base for
development, wilderness, recreation or urbanization. In some areas, Aboriginal title to
the land is still being determined.
Changing consumption:
The buying public must adopt more sustainable patterns of consumption (i.e. reducing
consumption, recycling and reusing products).
Meeting our global responsibilities:
As a steward of a significant part of the earth's environment and resources, Canada has a
responsibility to develop its natural resources in a sustainable manner.
Climate change:
Emissions of greenhouse gases, largely from the burning of fossil fuels, are having an
impact on the world's climate (see The Climate Change Challenge).
Conserving biodiversity:
Maintaining diversity in our natural environment helps keep the planet's ecological
systems strong and healthy enough to withstand stresses and changes from human
intervention and nature.
Assuring a role for Aboriginal people:
The sustainable development of Canada's resources is closely linked to issues including
Aboriginal self-government, land claims, Aboriginal and treaty rights in traditional
territories, and the responsibility of the Crown for Indian lands.
Leaving a legacy for the future:
Canadians want the assurance that the country's physical beauty is being safeguarded,
their continued access to natural areas is assured, and that they will leave a legacy to
their children and grand-children.
Playing a part in sustainable development:
Communities want to be directly involved in decision-making about development, and want
greater cooperation among different government agencies.
Go to: The Climate Change Challenge
