Annual Report 2009-2010 – About Us
Emerging from the famous Brundtland Report, Our Common Future, the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) has become a model for convening diverse and competing interests around one table to create consensus ideas and viable suggestions for sustainable development.
The NRTEE focuses on sustaining Canada’s prosperity without borrowing resources from future generations or compromising their ability to live securely.
The NRTEE is in the unique position of being an independent policy advisory agency that advises the federal government on sustainable development solutions. We raise awareness among Canadians and their governments about the challenges of sustainable development. We advocate for positive change. We strive to promote credible and impartial policy solutions that are in the best interest of all Canadians based on research, stakeholder engagement, and consideration by Round Table members.
We accomplish that mission by fostering sound, well-researched reports on priority issues and by offering advice to governments on how best to reconcile and integrate the often divergent challenges of economic prosperity and environmental conservation.
The NRTEE brings together a group of distinguished sustainability leaders active in businesses, universities, environmentalism, labour, public policy, and community life from across Canada. Our members are appointed by the federal government for a mandate of up to three years. They meet in a round table format that offers a safe haven for discussion and encourages the unfettered exchange of ideas leading to consensus. This is how we reconcile positions that have traditionally been at odds.
We also reach out to expert organizations, industries, and individuals to assist us in conducting our work on behalf of Canadians. These partners help spark our creativity, challenge our thinking, and generate the momentum needed for success.
The NRTEE Act underlines the independent nature of the Round Table and its work. The NRTEE reports, at this time, to the Government of Canada and Parliament through the Minister of the Environment.
The NRTEE maintains a secretariat, which commissions and analyzes the research required by its members in their work. The secretariat furnishes research, administrative, promotional, and communications support for NRTEE activities and operations.