Sustainable%20Development%20in%20Atlantic%20Canada%20About%20ACOA,%20visit:%20http://www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/e/index.shtml%20About%20business%20programs,%20visit%20CBSCs:%20http://canadabusiness.gc.ca/gol/cbec/site.nsf

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Sustainable Development in Atlantic CanadaAbout
ACOA, visithttp//www.acoa-apeca.gc.ca/e/index.s
htmlAbout business programs, visit
CBSCshttp//canadabusiness.gc.ca/gol/cbec/site.n
sf

• Presentation by Yvonne Devine, ACOA
• November 18, 2005

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Overview
1. Sustainable Development
2. 2003 Consultations
3. Update
4. Whats next?
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Three Pillars of SD
Economy
Environment
Society
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SDS Consultations - 2003

• Federal departments and agencies preparing
  three-year sustainable development strategies
  since 1997. (SDS I 1998-2000, SDS II
  2001-2003, SDS III 2004-2006)
• In preparation for SDS III - what did Atlantic
  Canadians feel were the major issues and
  challenges facing the region.
• Partners ACOA, Environment Canada, Industry
  Canada, NRCan, PWGSC
• Four Consultation sessions held
• St. Johns, Halifax, Moncton, Charlottetown
• 109 participants in total
• 11 priorities identified as important issues and
  challenges to sustainable development in the
  region.

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Issues Challenges - Atlantic Canada 2003
Define Sus. Comm.
Education
Best Practices
Energy
Economy
Gov. Interaction
Skills
11 priorities
Infrastructure
Incentives
R D
R D
Community Empowerment
Perception
Economy
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1. Define Sustainable Community

• A sustainable community is one that
• Acknowledges economic, environmental and social
  issues are interrelated.
• Recognizes sensitive interface between the
  natural and built environments.
• Understands begins to shift away from polluting
  and wasteful practices.
• Considers environmental, economic and social
  impacts.
• Understands its natural, cultural, historical and
  human assets.
• Fosters multi-stakeholder collaboration.
• Promotes resource conservation and pollution
  prevention.
• Focuses on improving community health and
  quality of life.
• Acts to create value-added products and services
  in the local economy.

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2. Education

• Access to Education better access to skills
  development opportunities, both youth and adult
  levels improving
• Literacy rate (five million adult Canadians
  (approximately 22 per cent of the population)
  remains a huge issue
• Wider range of programs and broad range of career
  opportunities technical, industrial and trades
  programs for youth within communities community
  and specialized colleges thriving.
• Skills pertaining to sustainable development
  degree programs in environmental studies,
  environmental engineering and environmental
  health increasing
• Increased awareness of SD school programs and
  community initiatives through campaigns, TV ads,
  etc.

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3. Recruitment and Retention of Skilled Labor

• Successful youth efforts
• active direct approach to inform about local
  bus. startup employment opportunities.
• provide apprenticeship mentorship opportunities
  
• local govs. provide info. about housing,
  services, etc.
• work with the education sys. on
  entrepreneurship-related curriculum
• Seed capital Program, The Centre for
  Entrepreneurship Education and Dev., Young
  Entrepreneur Dev. Initiative (YEDI) - Junior
  Chamber International
• Successful immigration activities
• multi-stakeholder committee - welcoming
  committees.

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4. Infrastructural Improvement

• Infrastructure Canada Program
• Broadband high speed internet is now more
  widely available in the region.
• Energy - Wind energy gaining popularity hydro
  energy being explored again natural gas access
  extended.
• HR infrastructure -Atlantic Canada has excellent
  universities, colleges and institutes to
  accommodate students.
• HRSDCs Skills Development Employment Benefit
• helps the unemployed learn new skills.

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5. Promote Research and Development

• ACOAs Atlantic Innovation Fund
• Canada Foundation for Innovation (CFI)
• National Research Council grants
• Sustainable Development Technology Canada
• Scientific Research and Experimental Development
  (SRED) Tax Incentive Program
• The NRC Industrial Research Assistance Program
  (NRC-IRAP)
• Canada Research Chairs
• Communications Research Centre Canada (CRC)
• Genome Canada
• Natural Sciences and Engineering Research
• Council of Canada (NSERC)
• Networks of Centres of Excellence
• Precarn
• Social Sciences and Humanities Research
• Council of Canada (SSHRC)

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6. Community Empowerment

• The Green Municipal Funds program
• Infrastructure Canada Program
• Community Futures Program
• The Natural Step to Sustainable Communities
• CMHC Community Planning Tools Program
• Green Communities Canada (GCC) http//www.gca.ca
• The Partners for Climate Protection (PCP) program
• The Centre for Sustainable Community Development

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7. Improve perception of Atlantic Canada

• Council of Atlantic Premiers Building on
  Progress Atlantic Action Plan 200508
  (http//www.cap-cpma.ca/)
• Vision
• Encourage a climate in which Atlantic Canadians
  can fully participate and compete in the global
  economy, benefit from similar levels of quality
  public services as other Canadians, and continue
  to enjoy the quality of life and environment that
  is unique to the region.
• The four provinces in Atlantic Canada cover
  505,000 square km (195,000 sq mi) of land or 5
  of the area of Canada. Working together just
  makes sense

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8. Opportunities for government interaction
partnerships

• CIPEC Atlantic
• Team Atlantic Environment
• Environmental Industries Associations
• Environmental Technology Working Group
• National Round Table on the Environment and the
  Economy
• Canadian Environmental Network (CEN)

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9. Incentives for sustainable Choices

• NRCan programs.
• Canadian Industry Program for Energy Conservation
  (CIPEC)
• Commercial Building Incentive Program (CBIP)
• Commercial Transportation Energy Efficiency and
  Fuels Initiative
• EnerGuide for Existing Buildings (EEB) Retrofit
  Incentives
• Energy efficient equipment
• Renewable Energy Deployment Initiative (REDI)
• ENERGY STAR qualified products
• Home energy efficiency retrofit grants
• Industrial Building Incentive Program (IBIP)
• New housing

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9. Incentives for sustainable Choices - more

• Environment Canada
• Atlantic Coastal Action Program (ACAP)
• Community Interaction Funding Program
• EcoAction Community Funding Program
• Endangered Species Recovery Fund
• Environmental Damages Fund
• Habitat Stewardship Program
• Interdepartmental Recovery Fund
• Technology Early Action Measures (TEAM)

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10. Enhance long-term thinking in economic
management

• Ongoing process
• Budget 2005
• Cross-Canada Workshops on Smart Regulations
• Competitiveness and Environmental Sustainability
  Framework (CESF)
• Benefits of energy efficiency and waste reduction
• Atlantic Premiers Commitment
• Increased awareness of climate change and
  environment issues
• More grassroots initiatives

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11. Make use of best practices

• Many federal/provincial/municipal groups are
  partnering on SD initiatives
• Best practices abound in Canada and around the
  world.
• Web sites carry more information than you can
  read in a lifetime.
• Pick the best and leave the rest!
• Share.

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Whats next
SDS IV due December 2006
Strategic Priorities
Federal Agenda
Discussions
Feedback
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Where to from here?

• Are all these issues and challenges still
  relevant?
• Are there new issues and challenges?
• Are there success stories to tell?