News Release

Minister Ambrose Announces Greater Action and Accountability on Sustainable Environment

OTTAWA, December 14, 2006 - The Honourable Rona Ambrose, Minister of the Environment, tabled in the House of Commons and the Senate the sustainable development strategies of 28 federal departments and agencies.

Minister Ambrose tabled the customary Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-2009 in Parliament this week. However, she warned that simply improving on governments' inaction of the past must not be the measure by which Canadians build sustainability for the future.

In 2005, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development said that the failure to develop a National Sustainable Development Strategy "will leave Canadians and parliamentarians without a clear idea of the government's overall plan for sustainable development, how it will get there, and what progress it has made."

"While this latest round of strategies represents a step forward from the previous government's work, our government agrees with the Commissioner that more needs to be done to improve sustainable development reporting," said Minister Ambrose. "This government is committed to action and greater accountability, and to showing Canadians real results for our environment."

To ensure that Canada becomes a leader in sustainable development, the minister said she will start looking at a range of options, including legislation around national sustainable development, reviewing global best practices as Canada makes further progress toward putting sustainability at the heart of the government's activities.

"We understand that protecting and sustaining our natural environment is central to our quality of life, our prosperity, and the health and well-being of Canadians," the minister said. "And we believe that environmental, economic and social integration in an accountable government and in society at large is really the foundation for longer-term sustainable development."

Canada's Auditor General Act was amended in December 1995, creating the position of Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and imposing a new onus on federal departments and agencies to prepare and table a "sustainable development strategy" (SDS) in the House of Commons every three years.

Related Documents:

• Environment Canada's Sustainable Development Strategy 2007-2009 [Information collection]

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