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1999 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development

1999 Report—Chapter 7

Appendix—Study Participants—Background Information

Private Sector

The vision of ASG, based in Sweden, is "to be the Nordic region's leading transport and logistics company." The company develops, markets and produces efficient transportation and logistics services. According to its 1997 Environmental Performance Report, "its overall business objectives include financial targets, satisfied customers and satisfied staff. The environmental work which supports these objectives is conducted in accordance with a strategy called 'Resource-based management'. The concept means that the company's production resources, i.e. priced resources, free natural resources, and ethical values, shall be managed in an integrated way. The introduction of resource-based management is based on two stages, the first of which aims at greater resource efficiency and thereby greater profitability along with reduced environmental impact.... The second stage entails a changeover to renewable raw materials and means of production."

British Petroleum

British Petroleum is one of the world's largest petroleum and petrochemicals groups. Its main activities are exploration and production of crude oil and natural gas; refining, marketing, supply and transportation; and manufacturing and marketing of petrochemicals. It has a growing activity in solar power generation. The company publishes reports on financial and environmental performance and released its first social report in 1997. The company's environmental goal is "no damage to the environment," and it has made a commitment ``to drive down the environmental and health impact of [its] operations by reducing waste, emissions and discharges, and using energy efficiently." Looking to the future, it sees that "making the transition to sustainable development is one of the key challenges facing the world in the new millennium. The part [it plays] in this transition will be a key aspect of [its] social performance in the years ahead.... [Its] challenge ... is to position itself so that all [its] businesses and operations are equipped to play a positive role in bringing about the transition to sustainable development."

Electrolux

With its headquarters in Sweden, Electrolux is one of the world's leading manufacturers of indoor and outdoor household appliances, and of corresponding products for professional users. In its environmental vision, it states, "Protection of the environment is a key to long-term survival for the individual, for corporations and for society, in general. All our activities must be adapted with regard to the limits that nature can accept in the form of resource consumption and pollution. Care for the environment will be a continuous component of our operations, as well as the hallmark of our daily work." Electrolux's strategy is to "lead the development of environmentally sound products and processes [and] work to create demand for environmentally sound products."

William McDonough + Partners

William McDonough founded his architecture firm in 1981, and in 1994 was appointed Dean of the School of Architecture at the University of Virginia. Mr. McDonough is the leading conceptualizing force and client contact on all projects. The firm's approach to architecture "is designed to accommodate complex aesthetic, economic and performance criteria into buildings, which embody ecological intelligence and intergenerational justice: elegant, affordable, safe and sustainable architecture." The firm has won the Business Week/Architectural Record Award for the past two years, and in 1996 won the U.S. Presidential Award for Sustainable Development.

In 1995, William McDonough and Michael Braungart founded McDonough Braungart Design Chemistry. This firm partners with companies on in-depth, multifaceted analysis and synthesis of products and processes to comply with a series of protocols for "sustainable design". With its industrial partners, it is improving comprehensive design, product distribution, and recovery protocols utilizing the McDonough Braungart Design Protocol(E).

Novartis

Novartis is a global leader in the life sciences, and is committed to improving health and well-being through innovative products and services. Its core businesses include healthcare, agribusiness and nutrition. Its Health, Safety and Environment Policy states that "we conduct our activities in harmony with society and nature and without compromising the health and safety of our stakeholders." Novartis is also exploring how it can contribute to sustainable development: "Sustainable Development is a goal we want to approach by continuously improving our internal production performance and by offering innovative products and services that contribute to greater eco-efficiency. We also want to increase our scientific know-how in this field and take steps toward refining measurements so that they reflect our progress towards sustainability.... We believe that our Crop Protection products will play an important role in achieving sustainable agriculture.... Our nutrition business is also exploring ways to increase nutritional yields."

The company has established the Novartis Foundation for Sustainable Development, which is dedicated to helping the world's poorest communities through developmental projects in agriculture, health and social work.

J Sainsbury

J Sainsbury is one of the world's leading retailers, operating three separate store chains and a bank in the United Kingdom and one store chain in the United States. The company's environment policy states, "We recognize that virtually all the activities of an organisation or individual have some impact on the environment. Our aim is to reduce the impact of our own organisation through a programme of continuous improvement." The policy goes on to elaborate nine key components, including quantifying and monitoring all environmental impacts, integrating environmental objectives into business decisions, influencing suppliers, enhancing awareness of customers, staff and others and regularly publishing information on environmental performance.

Public Sector

The aim of the Department of the Environment, Transport and the Regions is "to improve the quality of life by promoting sustainable development at home and abroad, fostering economic prosperity and supporting local democracy." Some of the main policy areas the Department is pursuing are implementing an integrated transport policy to fight congestion and pollution; developing policies to tackle climate change, to improve the quality of air and water and to improve the management of waste; and a review of planning for housing in the light of forward projections of housing needs.

Health Canada

The mission of Health Canada is "to help the people of Canada maintain and improve their health." In its first sustainable development strategy, the Department "begins to explore the relationship between sustainable development and health." The strategic themes include the following:

• Promoting and Supporting Population Health: Opportunities to contribute to sustainable development through a population health approach and through our intention to more fully explore the linkages between population health and sustainable development.
• Identifying and Reducing Health Risks from the Environment: Opportunities to address health risks of environmental origin.
• Strengthening Partnerships on Health, Environment and Sustainable Development: Opportunities for collaboration with other federal departments, provincial and territorial governments, First Nations and Inuit communities and organizations, as well as health professionals, health advocates, consumers and researchers.

The main task of the Ministry of Economic Affairs is to ensure an efficient Dutch economy with a strong, dynamic private sector capable of competing with the rest of Europe. The Ministry's position on environment and economy is that economic growth "must not be allowed to compromise environmental interests, nor should environmental considerations be allowed to restrict economic progress. The Ministry of Economic Affairs is working to achieve sustainable economic growth, combined wherever possible with environmental improvements. It is, for example, encouraging companies to develop and use environmentally friendly technologies, and is concluding agreements with industry to keep harmful emissions to a minimum."

Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries, Denmark

The Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Fisheries was established to provide "for co-ordinated food production, from its origins in the soil or sea and until it ends on the tables of the consumers. The co-ordinated approach is seen as a clear advantage for consumers, the retail sector, the processing industry, farmers and fishermen." The objectives of the Ministry are to:

• ensure that the food produced and marketed is healthy and of high quality;
• ensure a high degree of consumer awareness;
• promote production conditions that preserve the resources of agriculture and fisheries, protect the environment, and encourage animal welfare and good working conditions; and
• promote economically viable production and marketing within the ministry's mandate.

The Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport promotes the health and independence of citizens and their participation in society, thereby contributing to the quality and stability of society. The Ministry promotes special attention for those who are unable to support themselves, either temporarily or permanently. The aim of Dutch health policy is to extend the healthy life expectancy of the population, to avoid untimely death and to improve the quality of life for people with a disease or disability. Prevention is directed toward the early recognition and prevention of disease; the policy is additionally aimed at improving conditions that may give rise to diseases, such as lifestyle, environmental pollution, traffic hazards and poor working conditions.

Ministry of Transport, Building and Housing, Germany

In the building and housing component of the Ministry, sustainable development means that it is necessary to find compromises between the need for dwelling units and workplaces, the desire for leisure and recreational areas and the preservation of natural resources. The Ministry gives priority to the following policies: rely on the existing housing stock and make flexible use of that housing stock, rather than focussing on new housing construction; encourage urban renewal over urban expansion; redevelop industrial wasteland rather than erecting new buildings on greenfield sites; and encourage energy conservation in the existing housing stock over the construction of new minimum energy buildings.

Ministry of the Environment, Ministry of Industry and Trade, Swedish Environmental Protection Agency, Swedish National Energy Administration, Energy Sector

Sweden has been working for the last 25 years on environmental protection and has made significant improvements. For example, industrial emissions have declined, air and water are cleaner, and animal populations are recovering. The Ministry of the Environment submitted a document to Parliament in 1997 entitled "Towards an ecologically sustainable society". An ecologically sustainable society is defined as "a society in which human activity does not damage health, climate or ecosystems. It is a society geared to renewable resources and conserving the resources available so that there will be enough of them for everybody, today and in the future." The Swedish Environmental Protection Agency works with ministries and agencies to establish long-term goals and short-term targets. The Swedish government has a long-term goal of establishing a sustainable energy system. The objective is to increase the use of renewable energy sources and make energy use more efficient. The Ministry of Industry and Trade has established short-term and long-term programs to meet those objectives. These programs include grants for investment in combined heat and power systems using bio-fuels, wind power, and small-scale hydroelectric power, and long-term research and development on more efficient energy technologies. The Swedish National Energy Administration is in the process of implementing these programs.

Natural Resources Canada, Energy Sector

Natural Resources Canada has sustainable development in its legislative mandate. It has a general duty to "have regard to the sustainable development of Canada's natural resources and the integrated management thereof." The mission of its Energy Sector is "A Better Energy Future for Canada." Its aim is "to enhance the economic and environmental well-being of Canada by fostering the sustainable development and use of the nation's energy resources to meet the present and future needs of Canadians. Through our science and technology, policies, programs and international work, we promote better environmental and consumer choices, contribute to job creation and economic growth, facilitate environmental protection and increased public health and safety, and help to ensure secure and reliable energy supply for Canadians."