Opening Statement to the Committee on the Environment and Sustainable Development
Chapter 27 - Ozone Layer Protection: The Unfinished Journey (December 1997 Report of the Auditor General)
Brian Emmett, Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Ozone layer depletion is affecting both human and environmental health
around the world. Because of its northern location, Canada is one of the
countries most at risk from the harmful effects of ozone depletion.
Ozone depletion has been linked to increased skin cancers, eye cataracts, and other human health problems. More than 60,000 Canadians are estimated to have developed skin cancer in 1997; 3,200 will have melanoma and, of these, 660 are expected to die.
In dealing with ozone-depleting substances in the early 1980's, the government was faced with a number of new challenges: the precautionary principle, the need for a global approach, and the need to build bridges to Lesser Developed Countries (LDCs). The result was the 1987 signing of the Montreal Protocol on Ozone Depleting Substances (ODS), in which Canada played a key role.
1997 was the tenth anniversary of the Montreal Protocol. How well have we been doing? This was what we set out to determine.
Generally speaking, we found that Canada had chosen an appropriate approach to address the problem. Ozone depletion is a global problem and Canada, along with more than 160 other countries, has been pursuing a global problem with a global solution.
Domestically, Canada has successfully phased out its manufacture and import of CFCs and most are no longer a significant part of our economy. The federal government has implemented the regulatory regime agreed to under the Montreal Protocol and Canada has met or exceeded all of its international commitments.
However, our audit found a lack of leadership within the federal government with respect to the management, replacement or elimination of ozone-depleting substances. We also found inconsistent inspection practices by Environment Canada to ensure compliance by companies subject to regulations for ozone-depleting substances under the Canadian Environmental Protection Act.
We noted that the federal and provincial governments should be doing more to advise Canadians of the health risks associated with ODS and to develop co-ordinated strategies to minimize the destruction of the ozone layer.
For example, recent surveys indicate that 50 percent of Canadians still do not use sunblock or otherwise protect themselves in the sun and there is no formal strategy on the part of Health Canada to encourage behavioral changes in this area.
The problem of ozone layer depletion is still a real one. Government officials from developed countries, including Canada, report a loss of momentum in ozone layer protection, due in part to the perception that the problem has been solved. If this persists, the ozone layer will continue to disintegrate and the harmful affects of radiation will continue to increase.
Not until 1997 did developing countries became obliged to adhere to many of the control measures already in place in developed countries. Several have indicated that they will be unable to do so; some are already in default. The ultimate success of the Montreal Protocol will be determined by ODS practices in developing countries.
It will mean directing available resources to those activities that maximize benefits to ozone layer recovery. The federal and provincial governments will need to work together to ensure that they have consistent and complementary regulations. Finishing the job will also require Health Canada to emphasize the necessity of covering up adequately by using sunblock and other health protection measures.
In summary, to finish the job the federal government must resist a sense of complacency. In my view, ozone depletion remains a high-priority problem that directly affects our health. We have made great progress, but now is not the time to rest on our laurels. The journey is still unfinished.
Thank you, Mr. Chairman.