Federation of Canadian Municipalities

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Fraser Basin Council Sustainability Indicators
Program

• Federation of Canadian Municipalities
• Sustainable Communities Conference - Feb 2, 2006

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Outline

• Fraser Basin Council
• Goals - Why Measure and Report?
• Process
• Target Audiences
• Highlights
• Next Steps
• Lessons Learned / Factors for Success
• Emerging Issues

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Fraser Basin Council

• Non-for-profit NGO to advance sustainability in
  the Fraser Basin.
• Board of Directors (36) includes four orders of
  Canadian government, private sector and civil
  society interests.
• Mandate to advance sustainability - especially in
  complex, inter-jurisdictional issues.
• Mandate to educate on the need for
  sustainability.
• Role to measure and report on progress towards
  sustainability in the Fraser Basin.

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Goals - Why Measure and Report on Sustainability?

• To increase public awareness and understanding
  about sustainability
• To identify critical issues and responses to
  improve progress
• To inform and influence decisions and actions
• To advance sustainability

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Process

• Identify priority sustainability issues and
  preferred indicators through public and
  stakeholder consultation
• Workbook
• Survey (400 respondents)
• Workshops (300 diverse participants in 8
  communities) Collaboration with technical
  advisors
• Identify best available data and technically
  sound indicators through an Advisory Committee
• Government, Nongovernment, Academic, Private
  Sector (both specialists and generalists)
• Analyze overlap and balance public preferences
  with technical recommendations.
• Final decisions by FBC Board of Directors
  (committee meetings and Board dialogue workshops)

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Target Audiences

• Communities and Four Orders of Government
• Non-Government Organizations
• Business Community
• Civil Society
• General Public
• Media
• Educators

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Overview - Report Scope

• Aboriginal Non-Aboriginal Relations
• Agriculture
• Air Quality
• Business Sustainability
• Community Engagement
• Community Sustainability
• Economic Diversification
• Education
• Energy Climate Change

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Overview - Report Scope

• Fish Wildlife
• Flood Hazard Management
• Forests Forestry
• Health
• Housing
• Income Employment
• Population
• Water Quality Quantity
• Plus Five Regional Profiles

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Overview -Sustainability Snapshot 2

• Front Cover / Introduction
• Headline News and Highlights
• About the Fraser River Basin, the Council, the
  Report
• 17 Sustainability Topics (Alphabetical Order)
• Sustainability Connection
• Key Facts and Stats
• Issues and Trends
• Making Sustainability Work
• 5 Regional Profiles

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Highlights - How Are We Doing?

• Less waste disposal per capita
• Higher levels of education and adult training
• Using less energy per capita but total energy use
  and greenhouse gas emissions are on the rise
• Higher life expectancies
• Using less water per capita but total water
  consumption is increasing
• More people in Core Housing Need in 2001
• The Agricultural Land Reserve is shrinking in 4
  out of 5 regions
• Air Quality is worse in many communities in 2002
  versus 2001

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Highlights - Reporting on Actions and Initiatives

• What are we doing to advance sustainability?
• For example
• 30 applications to hold Community-to-Community
  Forums
• 45 recovery teams in BC (species at risk)
• 28 local governments in the Basin are involved in
  Partners for Climate Protection Program (FCM)
• Miscellaneous examples and case studies

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Highlights - Regional Indicators and Reporting

• High degree of interest in regional information
• Sustainability resonates more at a local and
  regional scale
• Different priorities, trends and drivers in
  different regions
• Different opportunities for data and analysis at
  a regional scale
• Information may support more regionally relevant
  actions
• Thompson Region report (June 2005)
• Pending Regional Snapshots for all Regions in
  coming year(s)

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Next Steps - 2006 Sustainability Snapshot

• Include trend updates, alternative indicator data
  where appropriate, and new data where possible.
• For select indicator trends, develop targets and
  a composite index.
• Collect data, design reports, and facilitate
  dialogue and feedback for entire Program in an
  integrated, coordinated way (basin-wide and
  regional Snapshots, web atlas, etc.)
• To be released at the State of the Fraser Basin
  Conference (Nov 16-17 in Vancouver).

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Fraser Basin Atlas
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Factors Leading to Success - Reporting Mechanisms

• It is useful to have multiple reporting formats
  and mechanisms, including but not limited to
• Snapshot Reports (and other report formats)
• Biennial State of the Fraser Basin Conference
• Presentations
• Media coverage
• Web-based Atlas and Reporting

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Factors Leading to Success

• Set Realistic Expectations
• What indicators are and are not
• What can be achieved in the short vs. long term
• Limitations of data and analysis
• Design an Appropriate Process
• Diverse participation and consultation at all
  stages
• Link with communication and action
• Long-term commitment and evolution
• Find the Right Balance
• Social, economic, environmental sustainability
• Technical merit and public interest / acceptance
• Comprehensive yet concise

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Factors Leading to Success

• Process of Developing the Report
• Information gathering utilizes and builds on
  local expertise and resources.
• Dialogue and collaboration help build trust and
  partnerships.
• Report Content and Use
• Educate communities and stakeholders about issues
  / trends.
• Inform planning and decision making processes.
• De-mystify sustainability.
• Help to prioritize resources and actions.
• Provide guidance including suggestions,
  recommendations and actions to advance
  sustainability.
• Public support can lead to political will for
  sustainability.

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Impacts and Outcomes- What Difference Have We
Made?

• No quantitative, verifiable data available yet on
  outcomes.
• Anecdotal evidence of use
• Local government strategic planning and policy
  review
• High school, college and university curriculum
• Outputs
• Significant distribution (12,000 and 10,000
  copies distributed)
• High level of interest among media and educators
• High level of interest provincially, nationally
  and internationally
• Has increased FBC profile and credibility
• FBC undertaking a more formal evaluation on
  indicator use over next 6 months (between 2nd and
  3rd reports)

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From Reporting to Action?

• The value of indicators is in supporting informed
  decision-making and behavioral change to advance
  sustainability
• How do we get from information to action?
• Present the indicator trends and hope the readers
  respond accordingly on an individual, voluntary
  basis.
• Provide simple, non-controversial suggestions.
• Prescribe recommended actions in response to
  particular indicator trends.
• Make explicit links between particular indicator
  trends roles, responsibilities and mandates of
  agencies, organizations and individuals and
  specific planning, policy and decision-making
  processes (I.e. logic models).
• Cautions assigning blame, finger-pointing,
  misinterpretation of trends and causes.

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Sustainability Targets?

• Sustainability targets define a desired state or
  outcome with respect to specific measures.
• Targets can be developed through different
  approaches
• Scientific / technical basis (e.g., known health
  risks if pm10 gt 25 micrograms / cubic metre,
  other toxin levels)
• Policy basis (e.g., diversion of 50 of waste
  from landfills)
• Comparative basis (e.g., compare trends for
  different jurisdictions, or compare trends over
  time)
• Qualitative / subjective basis (e.g., based on
  the interpretation of the project proponent
  and/or advisors (usually visual icons used such
  as happy faces, traffic lights, other gauges, up
  down arrows)
• Combinations of above

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• Office Location
• 1st Floor - 470 Granville Street
• Vancouver, BC
• V6C 1V5 CANADA
• Tel. [phone]
• Fax. [phone]
• www.fraserbasin.bc.ca