THRONE SPEECH SETS A DISTURBING TONE 

The Ontario government is poised to make sweeping changes to the Ministry of the Environment, including the privatization of services, the transfer of operations to arms-length agencies, and industry self-regulation.  Are these changes intended to provide better environmental protection, or are they part of a larger government agenda? 

First, a government-sponsored report on environmental best practices, Managing the Environment, was released in February.  It recommended a new approach of "shared responsibility" in environmental management. This theme was echoed in the April 19 Throne Speech, where the government talked about dropping some of the traditional roles of the government:

Fiscal responsibility requires that everything government does, it does efficiently, while offering citizens best value at lowest cost. Yet it also demands that government make clear choices about what it cannot and should not do. The principle of "doing better for less" is important, but it only applies to functions government should perform in the first place. 

The Throne Speech outlined a 21 step agenda. Two items, in particular, are important to the environment:

Step 9  Smart Growth
As Ontario’s population and industries continue to grow, so will pressures on infrastructure.  "Smart Growth" is a vision that promotes and manages growth to sustain a strong economy, strong communities and a healthy environment.

The ninth step in the plan, Smart Growth, will help reduce gridlock, encourage the revitalization of abandoned or contaminated land and promote economic growth. Details will be announced April 25.

Step 17  Environmental Health and Protection
By preserving Ontario’s rugged beauty and protecting its rich natural resources, your government will help ensure that future generations inherit a clean, healthy province.   Step 17 is action to protect environmental health and safety. Here the government will be guided by the Managing the Environment report. 

Managing the Environment is a report on best management practices that was commissioned by the government and prepared by Valerie Gibbons, a former Ontario deputy minister.  The full report and background papers is available on the Ministry of the Environment website.

The Conservation Council has released a review of the Gibbons report.  Our report, Protecting the Environment, concludes that there are several worthwhile recommendations in the report, but that there are many other areas of concern.  We have supported immediate action on some aspects, including public consultation, environmental resources and strategic planning.  On the more contentious issues, such as the transfer of government responsibilities to outside agencies, we have recommended further work is needed to prove the environmental value of this approach. 

Managing the Environment proposes five "strategic shifts" in the government's approach to environmental management:

1. a government-wide vision and goals, with implementation shared across different departments
2. continuous improvement in environmental performance and accountability
3. place-based (watershed) planning
4. flexible regulatory and non-regulatory tools and incentives
5. shared responsibility with the regulated community, NGOs, the public, and the scientific/technical community.

In support of this new strategic approach, the report recommends a series of actions, based on a model of centralized policy-making and decentralized implementation.  The recommendations include:

• a provincial environmental vision, with goals and detailed outcomes
• clear legislation and standards
• self-certification
• arms-length operating agencies for the delivery of environmental programs
• a comprehensive monitoring program
• new government planning tools, such as "knowledge management", "risk analysis", and "emerging issues identification" and a strategic policy unit within the Ministry of the Environment
• an External Advisory Council

In our review, the Conservation Council  re-organized the recommendations according to three categories:

Environmental -- those that strengthen the government's role in protecting the environment

Internal Planning -- those that are intended to improve government decision-making.

Transferred Responsibility -- those that will lead to a shift in roles and responsibilities away from the provincial government.

We have recommended that the government proceed with the environmental recommendations, and refer the internal planning and transferred responsibility recommendations to the External Advisory Council for further research and consultation.

In particular, the Council found that the terms of reference, the underlying assumptions, and the scope of the research in Managing the Environment appeared to support a predetermined set of conclusions.  That the Throne Speech places such a strong emphasis on eliminating government functions reinforces this conclusion.
  

Managing the Environment supports a strategic approach to the environment, complete with a vision, goals, and anticipated outcomes.

On the surface, this recommendation is very similar to the approach the Conservation Council has been developing for nearly twenty years, starting with a 1984 project to apply the World Conservation Strategy to Ontario.

The Green Ontario website is currently the only internet site in Ontario that presents a comprehensive and strategic approach to environmental issues. 

The Council is encouraged to see that, in welcoming the Gibbons report, the provincial government has recognized the value of a strategic, government-wide approach to managing environmental issues.  However, we have identified at least two potentially significant differences in their approach to environmental strategic planning:

1. The CCO's  approach to "shared-responsibility" is that everyone needs to do more.  The challenges we face are immense, and it is not a question of shifting responsibility, but of all of us accepting greater responsibility.
2. Our approach to environmental strategies is issue-based, not process-based.  In particular, we recommend formal strategies be developed for the main "drivers" of sustainable development, including green energy and land use planning.

In addition, the Council has recommended:

• establishing the External Advisory Council as an independent and high-level body
• referring the more contentious recommendations to the External Advisory Council for further study and consultation
• integrating environmental goals into Ministry Business Plans
• developing a southern Ontario Land Use Plan as a case study for the new strategic approach
• developing a Green Power or Clean Air fund to demonstrate the use of economic instruments to achieve environmental goals.
    

We've added a factsheet on Green Power in our Provincial Strategy section.

What with climate change, smog, and the high cost of energy, you'd think there'd be a strong interest in energy efficiency and the development of renewable and reliable sources of energy. 

Truth is, we waste a lot of energy, and only a very small percentage of the energy we pollute comes from renewable and non-polluting sources. Ontario Power Generation currently offers 125 megawatts of green energy, which works out to be 0.6% of the total primary electricity demand of nearly 20,000 MW.

The current strategy for green power is market driven.  According to the Ministry of Energy, if consumers exercise their choice for cleaner sources of power, it can encourage technological innovation and cleaner forms of power.

Unfortunately, depending on the source, green power can cost between ten and a hundred percent more than conventional power.  Free choice alone may not be enough to support a meaningful transition to green sources of electricity

We suggest setting targets for green power, or a surcharge on conventional sources earmarked for conservation and green power, as means of improving Ontario's commitment to green power.
  

On April 10, 2001, the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy (CIELAP), the Canadian Environmental Law Association (CELA) and the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund (CEDF) launched a new website PollutionWatch.org. 

Two years in the making, PollutionWatch provides Canadians with environmental information at the click of a button.  Simply type in your postal code and get a list of the top polluting facilities in your community and the types of pollutants being released. 

PollutionWatch integrates data from the 1999 National Pollutant Release Inventory with over 300 databases to provide a detailed environmental report for your province, community and facilities in your area.

PollutionWatch also provides users with easily accessible and easy-to-understand information on chemicals, the potential health risks, and on federal and provincial regulations in Canada.  Lastly, you can TAKE ACTION, by faxing a free letter to facilities in your neighbourhood directly from the website.   

The launch of PollutionWatch was enormously successful.  In addition to the media coverage, over 1.8 million hits were registered on the Website for the first day.