Another Great Year for the YRTE!

The Youth Round Table on the Environment (YRTE) is pleased to present the Annual Report after the successful 2002-2003 session. Over the past year members have worked as a dynamic group of young people focused on tackling environmental issues of importance to both Environment Canada and to Canadian youth.

The 2002-2003 YRTE worked with a wide range of representatives from Environment Canada, and with other stakeholder groups from across Canada. The group consulted with Environment Canada departments and agencies; participated in conferences, workshops and other events; and served as youth advisors to the Honourable David Anderson, Minister of the Environment. Developing partnerships has allowed the YRTE to increase youth access in Canada. Through participation in events at home and abroad the YRTE continues to gain prominence as a leading organization for youth involvement in government.

During the 2002-2003 session the YRTE met face-to-face three different times in two regions of Canada. In October the YRTE met in Cantley, Québec; in February the YRTE met in Halifax, Nova Scotia; and in June the YRTE met again in Cantley, Québec. Throughout the year regular communication was facilitated through conference calls and an online discussion forum.

The YRTE would not be possible without the support of many individuals and organizations, to whom we wish to express our appreciation. Thank you for sharing our view that the creativity, energy and passion of Canadian youth makes us a particularly important group of stakeholders to consult. In particular, Jean-Luc Labelle, Environment Canada's Youth Outreach Advisor and YRTE Coordinator, has contributed invaluable time, dedication and vision to the group.

The YRTE exists to provide an avenue for youth to meaningfully participate in Canadian environmental policy through consultations with Environment Canada. The YRTE commits itself to bringing knowledge, expertise, enthusiasm and youthful perspectives to Canadian environmental issues. Operating via consensus, the YRTE strives to positively contribute to Environment Canada’s mandate of improving environmental quality for all Canadians.

The YRTE has the following spirit and intentions:

• We are a dynamic group with a mandate that will evolve to reflect our operations
• We are not separate from, we are a part of the land and environment
• We strive for consensus
• We strive to represent Canadian diversity

The YRTE operates with the following objectives:

• To increase youth involvement in Environment Canada program and policy development processes
• To increase youth access to the Environment Minister
• To increase youth interaction within Environment Canada staff
• To support the ongoing relationship between Canadian youth and government
• To create networking opportunities for youth and youth organizations
• To provide YRTE members the opportunity to have input into Environment Canada’s priority issues

Members of the 2002-2003 Youth Round Table on the Environment decided to focus their efforts on five main areas of action and concern.

• Responsible Consumption
• Climate Change
• Environmental Justice
• Responsible Land and Resource Stewardship
• Environmental Learning

Working groups were formed within the Round Table with the purpose of developing specific strategies to best address these issues. Members worked on various projects collectively as well as independently within their respective regions. The main goal of focusing on these topics was to bring attention to their environmental importance within Canada and abroad from a youth perspective.

 visit our "Working Groups" report page