| In 1992, Canada committed to developing a national sustainable development strategy (NSDS). Canada has chosen a decentralized approach to NSDS in which each federal department creates its own sustainable development strategy (SDS). Federal legislation and environmental initiatives provide additional environmental protection. These three components - SDS, environmental legislation and initiatives - represent Canada's environmental sustainability planning system (CESPS). This report uses an innovative methodology based on best practices to evaluate the CESPS to assess its strengths and weaknesses and provide recommendations for improvement. Best practices were derived from the literature and include: (1) comprehensive goals with measurable targets, (2) effective strategy, (3) integration, (4) monitoring, (5) leadership and accountability, (6) adaptive management, (7) stakeholder collaboration, and (8) legal framework. The results indicate that Canada's current sustainability structure has significant weaknesses that should be addressed.;Subject Terms: environmental management, environmental monitoring, environmental policy, sustainable development, environmental protection, strategic planning -- environmental aspect;Keywords: national sustainable development strategy, best practices, environmental policy, Canada, process evaluation, sustainable development... |
