Evaluation of Policy Instruments for Improving Water Management – February 17, 2011 – Ottawa, Ontario
Meeting Overview
In the report Changing Currents: Water Sustainability and the Future of Canada’s Natural Resource Sectors, the NRTEE noted that there is potential for improving upon the policy instruments that could be used in the management, and specifically the allocation, of Canada’s water resources. The suite of policy instruments ranges from command and control types of regulations to voluntary approaches. The NRTEE recognizes that there is not just one policy instrument that is a ‘silver bullet’ for management of our water resources; but rather a water strategy will like involve multiple policy instruments and approaches that will be complementary, in order to deliver a comprehensive approach to management.
Therefore, the NRTEE is investigating a suite of policy instruments that could be used to optimally allocate water; and ideally would complement, simplify, and improve the current systems of allocating and regulating water use across the country.
The overall guiding research question is:
- What policy instruments are most effective at achieving sustainable water resource management in the country, specific to the water use by the natural resource sectors?
This meeting is intended to:
- To help the NRTEE understand how policy instruments, specifically economic instruments, could be used to sustainably, effectively, and efficiently manage water
- To better understand the potential implications that such instruments may have on the natural resource sectors
- Provide us with information and insights that will enable us to make recommendations to governments in our next report (Fall 2011)
Photos
Agenda
| 9:00 – 9:15 | NRTEE Welcome, housekeeping, and agenda overview | Jill Baker, NRTEE |
| 9:15 – 9:20 | Roundtable introductions | Roundtable |
| 9:20-9:35 | Presentation: Setting the ContextPurpose of the meeting and expectations for the day, information on the Water Program objectives | Jill Baker, NRTEE |
| 9:35 – 10:30 | Presentation: Evaluation of Policy InstrumentsApproach to EvaluationInitial Findings of Analysis | Mary Kilfoil,Gardner Pinfold |
| 10:45 – 12:00 | Discussion of key findings on each of the instruments‐Do you agree or disagree with the analyses? What would you change?
‐ Note strengths, weaknesses/challenges |
Small breakout groups |
| 12:45 – 2:00 | Discussion on instrument choice‐Which instruments work when? | Dave Sawyer/Breakouts |
| 2:00 – 2:45 | The potential role of policy instruments in improving water management | Roundtable |
| 3:00 – 3:45 | Further research and analysis: what else needs to be considered? | Roundtable |
| 3:45 – 4:00 | Closing remarks | Jill Baker |
Participants
Zafar Adeel
Director, Institute for Water, Environment and Health
United Nations University
Paul Allen
Assistant Director, Horizontal Policy and Cabinet Strategies
Natural Resources Canada
Bill Borland
Vice President, Canadian Federal Programs
AMEC Earth & Environmental
David Brooks
Senior Advisor – Fresh Water
Friends of the Earth Canada
Jim Bruce
Consultant; Canadian Policy Representative
Soil and Water Conservation Society
Giulia Brutesco
Manager, Environment and Technology
Canadian Electricity Association
Ian L. Campbell
Associate Director, Policy Research Division
Agriculture and Agri-Food Canada
Roger Cook
Director, Environment
Forest Products Association of Canada
Gilbert Deschamps
Senior Policy Analyst
Assembly of First Nations
Christopher Hilkene
Member
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
Irving Leblanc
A/Director, Housing and Infrastructure
Assembly of First Nations
Ben Lones
Senior Policy Analyst, Policy Development
Environment Canada
Rick Meyers
Vice President, Technical and Northern Affairs
The Mining Association of Canada
Greg Northey
Director of Environmental Policy
Canadian Federation of Agriculture
Priya Patel
Electricity and Economic Policy Analyst
Canadian Electricity Association
Tara Payment
Environment and Regulatory Analyst,
Western Operations
Canadian Association of Petroleum Producers
Matthew Parry
Executive Director, Policy Development
Environment Canada
Robert Slater
Vice Chair
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
Facilitators
Mary Kilfoil
Senior Economist
Gardner Pinfold Consulting Economists Limited
Dave Sawyer
Principal
EnviroEconomics Ltd.
Staff
Jill Baker
Senior Policy Advisor
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
René Drolet
Director of Policy & Research
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
Denise Edwards
Administrative Assistant
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
Sandeep Pandher
Policy Advisor
National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy (NRTEE)
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