measuring sustainable development: canadian experience
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Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience. Rowena Orok Environment Accounts and Statistics Division. First Meeting of the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task Force for Measuring Sustainable Development September 23, 2009. Introduction. Overview of the Canadian Context - PowerPoint PPT PresentationTRANSCRIPT
Measuring Sustainable Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Development: Canadian
ExperienceExperienceRowena OrokRowena Orok
Environment Accounts and Statistics DivisionEnvironment Accounts and Statistics Division
First Meeting of the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task Force
for Measuring Sustainable Development
September 23, 2009
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Introduction Introduction
1. Overview of the Canadian Context
2. Capital-Based Accounting in Canada
3. Examples of National Indicators
4. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current System
5. Future Directions
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Canadian Context Canadian Context
Development of a capital-based conceptual framework began in the 1990s
Indicator sets based on the natural capital framework were articulated in 2001 (Smith, Simard and Sharpe)
Sustainable development indicators in Canada: highly fragmented, largely policy-driven
2009: a period of transition for Canada with respect to measuring sustainable development
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Capital-Based Accounting (1) Capital-Based Accounting (1)
Environmental Accounting Program*• Natural Resource Stock Accounts
Sub-soil Assets, Timber, Land, Water • Material and Energy Flow Accounts
Energy flow accounts Greenhouse gas emission accounts
• Environmental Protection Accounts Environmental protection expenditures Supply of environmental goods and services
*Canadian System of Environmental and Resource Accounts.
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Capital-Based Accounting (2) Capital-Based Accounting (2)
Research efforts to construct a measure of human capital for Canada• Aggregate human capital rose at an annual rate of
1.7% between 1970 and 2007• Impacts of aging Canadian population and higher
educational levels on the growth of human capital• Comparing the value of human capital vs produced
capital and natural capital
Broader Measure of National WealthBroader Measure of National Wealth
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Greenhouse Gas Emissions IndicatorGreenhouse Gas Emissions Indicator
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Air Quality IndicatorAir Quality Indicator
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Strengths of the Current SystemStrengths of the Current System
Robust conceptual foundation to guide the measurement and statistical frameworks
Demonstrates the role of the central statistical agency in ensuring rigour in the development and implementation of the statistical framework
Natural capital approach has been used to elaborate the six SD indicators resulting from an extensive round of national consultations held by the federal government in 2003
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Weaknesses of the Current SystemWeaknesses of the Current System
Application of the capital approach has been fragmented: fairly significant work on produced capital and some forms of natural capital; some work on human capital; none on social capital
Progress is somewhat dependent on the uptake by policy departments: work on SD indicators in Canada is highly decentralized and largely policy driven
Major challenge: data gaps and limitations
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Future DirectionsFuture Directions
Key drivers to progress:• Framework for Developing Environmental Statistics • Canada’s new Federal Sustainable Act and Federal
Sustainable Development Strategy
Increased focus on accountability and performance measures
Further efforts on the measurement of human capital
Social capital: conceptual ambiguities and measurement difficulties
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Thank You!Thank You!
Rowena OrokRowena OrokActing DirectorActing Director
Environment Accounts and Statistics DivisionEnvironment Accounts and Statistics Division
7-E RH Coats Building7-E RH Coats Building
Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6
613-951-4341613-951-4341
[email protected]@statcan.gc.ca