The Government of Canada will report regularly on the results achieved in addressing the top environmental concerns of Canadians.

The federal government is committed to accountability and reporting, answering in part the concern that Canadians consistently express over environmental issues. Canadians value clean air, clean water, and the bountiful natural assets for which the country is widely known. We are proud that Canada is steward of about 20% of the world’s remaining natural areas, 9% of the world’s renewable fresh water, and 25% of the world’s wetlands. We are also aware that protecting and maintaining the health of ecosystems require continuous attention, both in Canada and around the world.

This report provides an overview of the status and trends of some key environmental issues of concern to Canadians. It is not intended to be comprehensive; rather, its aim is to illustrate the state of our environmental knowledge as well as the state of the environment. Past reporting on trends in the state of the environment has taught us of the need to track indicators of the overall state or health of our ecosystems. Such indicators will become the "canary in the coal mine," early warning signals for emerging environmental problems, as well as signposts for our path towards environmental sustainability.

For purposes of this overview, five key areas are examined: Air, Water, Nature, Climate Change, and Severe Weather. The report looks at what we know about the issues in these areas, as well as what we need to know in order to take more effective action. Each snapshot also reports on actions taken to date and provides sources for more information. Future reporting will address other environmental issues of concern, such as waste recycling and ozone layer depletion.

For some environmental issues, the most recent data available are several years old, or are available only for parts of Canada. There are gaps in the scientific monitoring that generates the data, as well as gaps in our knowledge and understanding of the working of ecosystems.

In order to address these problems and improve our knowledge, the federal government is investing in improved management of our environmental information and knowledge. Efforts in this regard will be strengthened by working in partnerships with others, such as the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy. The Round Table is currently preparing a national process that will lead to a recommended set of sustainable development indicators for Canada.

A second important initiative is the creation of a national Task Force mandated to review the state of Canada’s environmental information and make recommendations on how knowledge of environmental issues and trends can be improved. This includes identifying the monitoring needs, analytical and management tools, and technology required to make the links among the array of social, economic, and environmental information available. The national Task Force will also examine ways of making this information more accessible to Canadians, enabling them to improve their stewardship of the environment, and serving as a basis for sound public policies.

A major step to further connect with Canadians and assist them in making environmentally responsible decisions is the planned development of a comprehensive, interconnected, and accessible environmental information system that all Canadians can readily use—the Canadian Information System for the Environment. The national Task Force will make recommendations on its design. Through renewed attention to environmental knowledge, better ways will emerge for organizing and presenting the information on the state of the environment and for making this information readily accessible to Canadians.