measuring sustainable development: canadian experience

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Measuring Sustainable Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Development: Canadian Experience Experience Rowena Orok Rowena Orok Environment Accounts and Statistics Division Environment Accounts and Statistics Division First Meeting of the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task Force for Measuring Sustainable Development September 23, 2009

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Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience. Rowena Orok Environment Accounts and Statistics Division. First Meeting of the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task Force for Measuring Sustainable Development September 23, 2009. Introduction. Overview of the Canadian Context - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

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Page 1: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

Measuring Sustainable Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Development: Canadian

ExperienceExperienceRowena OrokRowena Orok

Environment Accounts and Statistics DivisionEnvironment Accounts and Statistics Division

First Meeting of the Joint UNECE/OECD/Eurostat Task Force

for Measuring Sustainable Development

September 23, 2009

Page 2: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada2

Introduction Introduction

1. Overview of the Canadian Context

2. Capital-Based Accounting in Canada

3. Examples of National Indicators

4. Strengths and Weaknesses of the Current System

5. Future Directions

Page 3: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada3

Canadian Context Canadian Context

Development of a capital-based conceptual framework began in the 1990s

Indicator sets based on the natural capital framework were articulated in 2001 (Smith, Simard and Sharpe)

Sustainable development indicators in Canada: highly fragmented, largely policy-driven

2009: a period of transition for Canada with respect to measuring sustainable development

Page 4: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada4

Capital-Based Accounting (1) Capital-Based Accounting (1)

Environmental Accounting Program*• Natural Resource Stock Accounts

Sub-soil Assets, Timber, Land, Water • Material and Energy Flow Accounts

Energy flow accounts Greenhouse gas emission accounts

• Environmental Protection Accounts Environmental protection expenditures Supply of environmental goods and services

*Canadian System of Environmental and Resource Accounts.

Page 5: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada5

Capital-Based Accounting (2) Capital-Based Accounting (2)

Research efforts to construct a measure of human capital for Canada• Aggregate human capital rose at an annual rate of

1.7% between 1970 and 2007• Impacts of aging Canadian population and higher

educational levels on the growth of human capital• Comparing the value of human capital vs produced

capital and natural capital

Page 6: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

Broader Measure of National WealthBroader Measure of National Wealth

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada6

Page 7: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

Greenhouse Gas Emissions IndicatorGreenhouse Gas Emissions Indicator

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada7

Page 8: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

Air Quality IndicatorAir Quality Indicator

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada8

 

Page 9: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada9

Page 10: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada10

Strengths of the Current SystemStrengths of the Current System

Robust conceptual foundation to guide the measurement and statistical frameworks

Demonstrates the role of the central statistical agency in ensuring rigour in the development and implementation of the statistical framework

Natural capital approach has been used to elaborate the six SD indicators resulting from an extensive round of national consultations held by the federal government in 2003

Page 11: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada11

Weaknesses of the Current SystemWeaknesses of the Current System

Application of the capital approach has been fragmented: fairly significant work on produced capital and some forms of natural capital; some work on human capital; none on social capital

Progress is somewhat dependent on the uptake by policy departments: work on SD indicators in Canada is highly decentralized and largely policy driven

Major challenge: data gaps and limitations

Page 12: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada12

Future DirectionsFuture Directions

Key drivers to progress:• Framework for Developing Environmental Statistics • Canada’s new Federal Sustainable Act and Federal

Sustainable Development Strategy

Increased focus on accountability and performance measures

Further efforts on the measurement of human capital

Social capital: conceptual ambiguities and measurement difficulties

Page 13: Measuring Sustainable Development: Canadian Experience

04/21/23Statistics Canada • Statistique Canada13

Thank You!Thank You!

Rowena OrokRowena OrokActing DirectorActing Director

Environment Accounts and Statistics DivisionEnvironment Accounts and Statistics Division

7-E RH Coats Building7-E RH Coats Building

Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6Tunney’s Pasture, Ottawa, ON K1A 0T6

613-951-4341613-951-4341

[email protected]@statcan.gc.ca