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RPP – 2005-2006 – Section 2

NRTEE - 2005-2006 Estimates: Part III - Report on Plans and Priorities

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SECTION II - ANALYSIS OF PROGRAM ACTIVITIES BY STRATEGIC OUTCOME

Strategic Outcome: Federal policy development on environment and economy issues, as well as decisions in other key sectors, are influenced by NRTEE advice. Program Activity: Provide advice to decision makers on environment and economy issues. Financial Resources ($ thousands):

2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
$3,821.0	$3,793.0	$3,793.0

Human Resources (full-time equivalents):

2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
20	20	20

The provision of advice to decision makers is the NRTEE's single program activity (apart from corporate services). As it is synonymous with Priority 1, it was described in Section I of this document in broad terms, including through discussion of how it contributes to the strategic outcome and how performance will be measured. The focus of Section II will therefore be to provide further details of this activity. This section describes the issue areas in which the NRTEE expects to produce advice in the next three years, and it outlines how that advice will be promoted to decision makers. Key Program One: Producing Advice Financial Resources ($ thousands):

2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
$2,483.7	$2,275.8	$2,275.8

The NRTEE produces advice through commissioned research and the convening of stakeholders. Programs culminate in State of the Debate reports with recommendations aimed at government and private sector decision makers. The agency has four programs underway and is in the process of identifying new issues for future programming. Current Programs Ecological Fiscal Reform: This program is demonstrating how governments can use fiscal policy to achieve environmental and economic objectives. For the past 18 months, it has been assessing the role of fiscal policy in promoting long-term reductions in carbon emissions, both as a percentage of economic growth and in absolute terms. The program has carried out case studies in three areas where the use of fiscal policy holds potential for long-term carbon emission reductions: energy efficiency, hydrogen energy and renewable energy. Now nearing completion, the program will release a State of the Debate report on fiscal policy and energy in April 2005. Capital Markets and Sustainability: The NRTEE is facilitating an independent multi-stakeholder debate on responsible investment and corporate responsibility by exploring the links between sustainability and corporate financial performance in Canada. The task force that advises and guides the work has attracted leading Canadian and international executives from business, financial and other organizations to its membership. Research is focusing on a number of interrelated areas, including the role of large institutional investors, disclosure practices and rules, issues of materiality and fiduciary responsibility, the rules and ethics of corporate governance, and intangible value. The Capital Markets and Sustainability program is expected to release its final report and recommendations in the fall of 2005. Recommendations will be geared to government and key capital market players. Conserving Canada's Natural Capital:The Boreal Forest: A time-limited opportunity exists to secure our natural capital in Canada's boreal forest, as industrial development moves northward and many provinces open up previously untouched areas in the boreal for development. The program is examining how to balance conservation and resource development in the boreal forest through a series of case studies and stakeholder consultations. Its final report, expected in the fall of 2005, will recommend a set of regulatory and fiscal policy instruments to help achieve balance. Energy and Climate Change Initiative: On February 16 2005, the Prime Minister requested that the NRTEE develop advice on a long-term strategic energy and climate change policy for Canada that:

• sets the course for the 21st Century economy to 2030-2050;
• positions Canada to compete in a carbon-constrained world, including business and sub-national government opportunities, and options for aligning our policies and incentives to advance Canada to a position of leadership in renewable energy, efficiency and conservation;
• considers options for post-2012 greenhouse gas reduction targets, including second commitment period and 2050-2080 in keeping with objectives aimed at stabilizing concentrations of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere and minimizing temperature increases. In considering options the NRTEE will assess, among others, approaches taken by the United Kingdom and Japan.

This work will build on the recently completed exploratory phase of the NRTEE's Energy and Climate Change Initiative which gathered input from a wide variety of experts and opinion leaders through a series of interviews and three workshops. This new phase of the initiative will be completed in March 2006. Greening of the Budget: The NRTEE has provided budget advice to the Department of Finance for the last few years, and it will continue to do so depending on the relevance of our information to the government's stated priorities for the coming fiscal year. Recommendations will come from the NRTEE's completed and ongoing programs. For the upcoming budget (i.e., 2005), the NRTEE has provided recommendations dealing with long-term carbon emission reductions to the Minister of Finance. New Issue Identification The identification of new issues for possible future examination is an ongoing process at the NRTEE. Many of the issues examined are initially identified by members and scoped by the secretariat. The agency also responds to requests from the federal government for assistance with specific issues. In 2005, the agency will initiate three new programs. In addition, several broad areas are being scoped as the basis for potential new programs:

• municipal solid waste reduction;
• urban freight transport;
• oceans;
• agriculture;
• disaster management and sustainability;
• fresh water; and
• environmental technologies.

Other Initiatives and Stakeholder Events As well as formal multi-stakeholder processes of the kind described above, the NRTEE also engages in one-time conferences and other events that bring together stakeholders and their different perspectives on key issues. In 2005-2006, the NRTEE is planning:

• a resource recovery, recycling and waste management multi-stakeholder conference, in partnership with Natural Resources Canada. Target date: Fall 2005;
• two cities summits, in partnership with the Cities Secretariat of the Privy Council Office. Target dates: Fall 2005 and 2006; and
• a national conference on oceans, in partnership with the Ocean Management Research Network. Target date: Fall 2005.

Expected Results and Performance Indicators The expected result of NRTEE issue exploration is the creation of new knowledge. A key indicator tracked by the agency, through surveys and interviews, is the percentage of targeted decision makers who report that NRTEE information provided them with a new way of viewing and responding to the issues. Key Program Two: Promoting Advice to Decision Makers Financial Resources ($ thousands):

2004-2005	2005-2006	2006-2007
$1,337.3	$1,517.2	$1,517.2

In addition to generating advice for decision makers, the NRTEE vigorously promotes its uptake. The agency works to ensure that federal decision makers, stakeholders in key sectors, the media and the public recognize it as a leader in providing objective views and analysis relating to the "state of the debate" on the environment and the economy in Canada. Through experience, the NRTEE has learned the value of sustaining an active campaign to promote its advice. For a year or more following the release of a State of the Debate report, the agency employs a diversity of strategies to reach target audiences in the federal system, as well as opinion leaders and decision makers throughout Canadian society. Each of these audiences is critical to building sufficient momentum for change. During the next two years, the NRTEE will enter a very active period of promotion with the expected release of three State of the Debate reports, the result of its work on Ecological Fiscal Reform, Capital Markets and Sustainability and Conserving Canada's Natural Capital. The NRTEE will organize briefings with key federal officials, industry groups and non-governmental organizations to discuss the findings from its programs as well as new work in progress. These briefings often take the form of one-on-one sessions, interdepartmental briefings, or speaking engagements at major industry or NGO association conferences. The agency also promotes its findings through quarterly newsletters and e-briefs, and it prepares materials for the media. The NRTEE will continue to invest in improving its website, which remains an important tool for disseminating key information to stakeholders and members of the public. The Virtual Library feature enables people to easily access over 300 NRTEE documents on sustainable development, all of which are available in both official languages. Expected Results and Performance Indicators The expected result of promotional efforts in the short run is that advice reaches its target audiences. Through surveys and interviews, the agency monitors the percentage of targeted mid- and senior-level decision makers who are reached in key sectors.