Advancing Sustainable Development in Canada –
Policy issues and research needs – December 2003

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Sustainable Development is an increasingly recognized fundamental principle guiding government decisions. Based on concepts of inter-generational and intra-generational equity, it aims to ensure that the present does not excessively foreclose options for the future. The federal government needs to better understand the ramifications of a sustainable development approach in many areas.

The policy research initiative is proud to present the publication: “Advancing Sustainable Development in Canada: Policy Issues and Research Needs”. Written by the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) and published by the Policy Research Initiative, this document identifies priority areas for research in SD policy for the coming years.

The report is the result of a close collaboration between the PRI, the IISD, and a number of federal government departments that provided critical comments at various stages of its development. The report was reviewed at a roundtable of Assistant Deputy Ministers and Canadian SD experts last spring.

Sustainable Development is a large area of policy and policy research. Almost every decision government makes can arguably be seen as involving sustainable development considerations. Because SD is so vast and all-encompassing, it is imperative to focus limited research resources on well-defined issues. The report from the IISD identifies seven key areas in greatest need of policy research:

• How to implement integrated freshwater management?
• How to bring about changes in the way cities are planned and designed?
• Identification of new tools and policies for managing eco-region sustainability.
• The need to design signals and incentives that induce sustainable behavior among citizens and corporations.
• How to reduce the ecological burden of unsustainable lifestyles?
• Understanding the impact of globalization on Canada's environment and society.
• Canada's international engagement for SD.