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Section 2 – NRTEE – DPR – 2002-2003

2002-2003 - NRTEE Departmental Performance Report Previous - Table of Content

Section 2: NRTEE Performance

2.1 Context and Background

Overview

The National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) was established as a publicly funded, independent agency in 1994 to explain and promote principles and practices of sustainable development. The NRTEE is a multistakeholder body composed of a chair and a maximum of 24 members. These members, who are appointed by the Prime Minister, are drawn from all regions of Canada and a variety of sectors, including environmental organizations, business, academe, labour and First Nations. Annex 1 provides a comprehensive listing of the NRTEE  membership for the year ended March 31, 2003. The NRTEE reports to the Prime Minister and its work is supported by a Secretariat in Ottawa. The Secretariat provides analytical, communications and administrative support to the NRTEE members. The chart in Annex 2 illustrates the organizational structure of the NRTEE and its relationship to Parliament.

Mandate

The formal mandate of the NRTEE, as prescribed in the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy Act, is "to play the role of catalyst in identifying, explaining and promoting, in all sectors of Canadian society and in all regions of Canada, principles and practices of sustainable development." The NRTEE focuses on improving public policies by demonstrating the interdependence between the environment and the economy. We provide decision makers in the federal government, the private sector and civil society with the information, insight and analysis they need to build a future for Canadians that is more environmentally and economically sustainable.

The NRTEE's Contribution to Canada's Performance

The NRTEE focuses on important mid- to long-term environmental and economic issues that are not being fully examined by others in the sustainable development field. Our integrated, multistakeholder approach to these issues creates bridges between government, non-governmental organizations and other stakeholder groups. Canada's Performance is an annual report to Parliament that sets out the context for assessing the performance of federal government programs. The NRTEE's work falls under two of the four themes presented in that report: economic opportunities and innovation in Canada, and the Canadian environment. The NRTEE's analyses and recommendations support the federal government's role, as described in Canada's Performance, of 'ensuring that economic growth is sustainable and leads to opportunities for all Canadians." For example, in 2002-2003 we developed a small set of credible and understandable indicators that complement traditional indicators of Canada's economic wealth by tracking whether Canada's current economic activities threaten the way of life of future generations. The federal government's three-pronged environmental strategy is expressed in Canada's Performance as follows:

• increasing the knowledge available for decision making;
• developing innovative strategies that apply knowledge while considering efficiency and long-term competitiveness; and
• creating partnerships to implement lasting solutions.

The NRTEE engages experts from industry, government, non-governmental organizations and other sectors to produce knowledge for decision makers and innovative solutions that, because they are developed by key stakeholders, are likely to last.

Contribution to Specific Government Priorities

During 2002-2003, our work in urban sustainability and brownfield redevelopment supported the federal priority of improving the quality of life and competitiveness of Canada's urban centres. Our eco-efficiency and domestic emissions trading programs increased awareness and understanding of new responses to climate change and energy challenges, while our ongoing Ecological Fiscal Reform program sought to improve understanding of how fiscal policy can be used more broadly to help achieve environmental policy objectives. Our nature conservation program is formulating a strategy to conserve Canada's natural capital for future generations. More information on our work in these areas is available on the NRTEE Web site at www.nrt-trn.ca.

Factors Influencing Our Performance

The NRTEE deals with complex, emerging issues that often straddle more than one level of government and for which there are a full range of policy options. Because most of these issues have only begun to be explored, the information necessary for analysis and the development of solutions may not exist. The NRTEE addresses this challenge by funding independent research on these issues that supports not only our work, but also that of others in the sustainable development field. The issues we address can also be very contentious. The people we engage to examine issues and produce recommendations have opposing views and may never have sat together to discuss the issues, let alone to work out practical solutions. By creating an atmosphere in which all are treated with respect, we are often able to break down barriers to fully examining the issues and jointly designing solutions. The result - broadly supported and well-vetted policy recommendations - is well worth the effort. Securing a dynamic and respected group of stakeholders to sit on our task forces is crucial and always challenging; task force members are often required to make a commitment of one to two years with little or no compensation for their time and expenses. The phenomenon of "consultation burnout" has an impact as well. However, experience has taught us that we can attract diverse, knowledgeable, senior-level stakeholders by examining timely issues using processes that are balanced and neutral. The lack of awareness and understanding of the links between the environment and the economy is also a challenge for the NRTEE. Successful adoption of our solutions and recommendations depends on their being understood within government and civil society. Our appropriation from Parliament of approximately $5.3 million precludes us from mounting a campaign to educate all Canadians on the issues; our communications target key decision makers and opinion leaders in Canadian society. However, we reach all Canadians through the media, public events and our Web site, which contains all of our published materials, including our research and State of the Debate reports.

Our Partners

The NRTEE works with all levels of government; Environment Canada, Finance Canada, the Privy Council Office, Statistics Canada, Industry Canada and Natural Resources Canada are our primary federal partners. We also collaborate with many community partners, from business leaders and environmental groups to academe and First Nations. Annex 5 lists the major participants in our work during 2002-2003.

2.2 Resources Used

In 2002-2003, the NRTEE spent $5.3 million (99 percent) of its appropriation from Parliament. This appropriation, which is less than 0.004 percent of the government's total spending, was comparable to the appropriation for the previous year. The NRTEE's total expenses for the year were $5.7 million - $0.4 million greater than the parliamentary appropriations used during the year. This $0.4 million accounts for the cost of services provided by other government departments at no charge to the NRTEE ($309,000), as well as funding received from Environment Canada ($32,636) and the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada ($50,000) to engage key stakeholders and provide recommendations for a proposed Environment and Sustainable Studies Initiative. Salaries and professional services accounted for $4.0 million (70 percent) of total expenses in 2002-2003, compared with $4.5 million in the previous year. The NRTEE staff complement of 28 full-time equivalents was comparable to that of previous years, as was our use of professional services, primarily for research, analysis and communications. The NRTEE also benefits from the resources of many partners, the vast majority (more than 94 percent) of whom contribute their time and expertise without any financial compensation. Annex 3 contains audited financial statements; additional financial information can be found in Annex 4.

2.3 Performance Accomplishments

Progress Toward the NRTEE's Strategic Outcomes

The NRTEE is implementing a results-based performance measurement system that will objectively and systematically monitor progress toward its strategic outcomes. The NRTEE's four strategic outcomes are set out in our results chain (Figure 1). These outcomes are consistent with our 2003-2004 Report on Plans and Priorities (RPP), rather than with the 2002-2003 RPP (see Annex 8). The results chain illustrates how our resources, activities and outputs contribute to our strategic outcomes, which in turn demonstrate progress toward our ultimate result: that policies and decisions throughout government and Canadian society incorporate a more balanced concern for the environment and the economy. Annex 8 lists 18 performance indicators related to the four strategic outcomes. Performance targets and costing for each outcome will be developed over the coming months as part of the new performance measurement system. Figure 1: NRTEE Results Chain

Strategic outcome 1: New relevant, useful and credible knowledge is produced In 2002-2003, the NRTEE contributed to knowledge in the following five areas:

• brownfield redevelopment;
• conservation of natural heritage;
• urban sustainability;
• ecological fiscal reform; and
• environment and sustainable development indicators.

Our programs typically run for 18 to 30 months, culminating in the publication of a State of the Debate report that presents research findings, analysis and recommendations.

 

Another indicator of the quality and credibility of the NRTEE's work is the frequency with which we're approached to provide advice on a wide range of topics. In 2002-2003, six foreign countries sought information on multistakeholder consultation and governance related to  sustainability.The NRTEE was also called in to help determine strategic directions for domestic programs and organizations, including the Policy Research Initiative, and assisted in the creation of the Prince Edward County Round Table on the Environment and the Economy.

Brownfield Redevelopment: In its December 2001 budget, the Government of Canada instructed the NRTEE to prepare a strategy for redeveloping the nation's brownfields. (A brownfield is an abandoned, vacant, derelict or underutilized commercial or industrial property with actual or perceived contamination and potential for redevelopment.) The NRTEE examined the main barriers to brownfield redevelopment and recommended measures to overcome them. The NRTEE also funded pioneering research on the economic benefits of brownfield redevelopment. The resulting strategy - Cleaning up the Past, Building the Future: A National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy for Canada - provided the federal government, provincial and municipal governments, and the private sector with a realistic yet innovative blueprint for action.

"the quest for new partnerships is very much driving the environmental agenda of the Government of Canada. A good example is our National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy"     Prime Minister Jean Chrétien, Business Action for Sustainable Development Forum, September 1, 2002, Johannesburg, South Africa

In some cases, working partnerships continue beyond the steering committee, task force, working group or workshop. For example, several participants at a two-day NRTEE workshop in fall 2002 went on to form the Integrated Landscape Management Task Force, which held its first workshop last April. Members of the new task force include Wildlife Habitat Canada, ALPAC, the Prospectors and Developers Association of Canada, the Forest Products Association of Canada, the Fundy Model Forest, the Canadian Institute of Resources Law, Environment Canada, Parks Canada, the University of Moncton, and the University of Alberta.Surveys of participants at two workshops revealed that a majority agree that the workshops: allowed them to hear and debate multiple points of view and to explore opportunities and potential areas of collaboration; and provided them with an opportunity to network with one another and learn more about projects already under way. Strategic outcome 3: There is broader awareness and understanding of problems, opportunities and practical solutions The NRTEE sought to increase awareness and understanding in 2002-2003 by: distributing reports, newsletters and electronic briefings to decision makers and opinion leaders across Canada; maintaining a highly successful Web site; participating in national and regional events; hosting multistakeholder events; and cultivating a significant media presence. Direct distribution of knowledge and information: The NRTEE's quarterly newsletter Review was sent to more than 50,000 individuals and organizations, and four e-briefs to a total of 12,000 people. Cleaning up the Past, Building the Future: A National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy for Canada was released and distributed in February 2003. Access to knowledge and information on the Web: We maintain an extensive Web site, including a virtual library containing more than 300 NRTEE publications, at www.nrt-trn.ca. All of our State of the Debate reports, as well as our many research reports and case studies, are available for downloading in both official languages. The rising success of the virtual library is indicated by the more than 100,000 publication downloads this year and an increase in total traffic of approximately 20 percent. More than 10,000 copies of the National Brownfield Redevelopment Strategy report were downloaded from our Web site in February and March 2003 alone. Raising awareness and understanding through participation in national and regional events: Throughout the year, the NRTEE participated in many events across the country, in many cases hosting panels or making keynote addresses. The NRTEE reached groups as diverse as the Canadian Institute for Environmental Law and Policy, Globe 2002, Americana, the Joint Resource Ministers Councils, and the National Policy Research Conference. A listing of events the NRTEE participated in last year can be found in Annex 7.