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DPR – 2004-2005 – Section 1-1

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Section I: Overview

1.1 Message from the Chair and the President

We are pleased to present the Performance Report of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE) for the year ended March 31, 2005. The past year has been notable in the history of the NRTEE. In February 2005, the Prime Minister requested that we produce strategic advice on a series of questions pertaining to Canada's long-term engagement apropos the energy and climate change issue - one of the government's most important priorities. The earmarking of the NRTEE for this role signalled a significant vote of confidence in our capability and credibility. In addition, Finance Canada asked the NRTEE to develop options for a vehicle feebate prior to the next federal budget. The work on feebates will be groundbreaking in Canada. A direct, logical result of our work on Ecological Fiscal Reform (EFR), it will be critical for assisting the government in developing new approaches to using economic instruments to promote sustainable development in Canada. The NRTEE welcomes these new assignments and looks forward to working closely with the government to meet the Prime Minister's requirements. Also in February 2005, the Prime Minister appointed 12 new members to the Round Table, and nominated a new Chair. The new members are of an exceptionally high calibre and will be used to maximum effectiveness, both for develop producing credible advice and for promoting this advice in various sectors and regions across Canada. The NRTEE is structured as a round table in order to facilitate the unfettered exchange of ideas. By offering our members a safe haven for discussion, the NRTEE helps reconcile positions that have traditionally been at odds. The NRTEE is also a coalition builder, reaching out to organizations that share its vision for sustainable development. We believe that affiliation with like-minded partners sparks creativity and generates the momentum needed for success. Finally, the NRTEE acts as an advocate for positive change, not only for raising awareness among Canadians and their governments regarding the challenges of sustainable development but also for promoting viable solutions. We intend to apply these principles to our work in practical ways, as we respond to our new assignments from the government. One of the NRTEE's several recent changes has been to eliminate the traditional reliance on task forces to generate advice and policy recommendations. Instead, we plan to rely on the NRTEE members. Although this approach will streamline our operations, it also poses a potential risk; after all, many stakeholder communities associate the NRTEE with that trademark task force approach. We plan as well to continue to apply the NRTEE's multi-stakeholder approach, but through other avenues. We intend to manage this transition through targeted communications efforts that explain and give credibility to this new approach. Beyond climate change, we at the NRTEE will continue to support and add value to the government's other priorities, such as the New Deal for Cities and Communities. We will contribute to the Government of Canada's performance outcomes in such areas as sustainable economic growth, a clean and healthy environment, and a secure and fair marketplace. Through the Capital Markets & Sustainability program the NRTEE has engaged over 160 influential stakeholders in ten national consultation meetings to explore the relationship between capital markets, financial performance and sustainability in Canada. The NRTEE's Boreal Forest program has also consulted extensively in examining how to balance conservation with economic activity on lands allocated for resource development in Canada's boreal forest through regulatory and fiscal policy reform. Based on these consultations and research, both programs will issue trademark State of the Debate reports in 2005-06 with clear recommendations to assist the government in its decision making. Formal evaluations, together with anecdotal evidence collected over the course of the year, indicate that the Round Table continues to provide useful advice to its various stakeholders. This has been particularly evident at the most senior levels of the federal government, where cabinet ministers have specifically referred to the value of the NRTEE's work in formulating budget plans and other policy initiatives. Although these indications of effectiveness are clear markers of success, we are still charged with finding other reliable, valid approaches for assessing our performance, ones meaningful in the environment in which we operate. This challenge is an ongoing priority. In the past few years, the NRTEE has tended to focus its efforts on producing advice. And our track record has been highly successful in this regard. However, we recognize that this represents only half the equation. As we go forward into the next year, we plan to shift the balance in favour of promoting advice, particularly to stakeholder groups who historically have seemed less aware of our work. The NRTEE has been invigorated this year by the expression of confidence from the Prime Minister, as well by the influx of a number of exceptional new members. We at the Round Table are confident that we will rise to the challenges arising from the massive changes in the organization. We are confident, too, that we will continue to provide the sterling advice on which the NRTEE has built its reputation. Glen Murray Chair Eugene Nyberg Acting President and Chief Executive Officer