For immediate releaseOTTAWA, April 2, 2004 -- The Honourable Stephen Owen, Minister of Public Works and Government Services, today announced the creation of the Minister's Advisory Panel on Sustainability (MAPS) comprised of experts from across Canada. The panel will act as a sounding board for actions proposed by the Department of Public Works and Government Services Canada on the environmental, social and economic aspects of sustainability. The panel will also provide recommendations aimed at challenging the department to strengthen its sustainability commitments and to adopt innovative measures for moving its sustainable agenda forward. "Sustainability involves capturing the mutually re-enforcing powers of economic strength, social justice and environmental integrity to provide medium and long-term benefits," said Minister Owen. "This advisory panel will harness the expertise of the private and public sectors as well as civil society to amplify the department's role as a national and international leader in sustainable practices."The advisory panel on sustainability is made of experts from the academic, private and NGO sectors. David Runnalls, president of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (Winnipeg); John Robinson, professor in the Sustainable Development Research Initiative and the Department of Geography (University of British Columbia); Thomas Martin Ernst, member of the Environmental Youth Alliance (Victoria); and Elizabeth May, executive director of the Sierra Club of Canada (Ottawa).The Government of Canada's goal is to become a model of environmental excellence in its own operations. Public Works and Government Services Canada has contributed to this commitment by taking the lead on key initiatives in areas such as recycling, waste management, water quality, energy efficiency, sustainable building design and the reduction of greenhouse gas emissions. In February 2004, the department tabled its third Sustainable Development Strategy which will become a key element in departmental planning."As Canada's largest building owner and landlord, PWGSC has already reduced its greenhouse gas emissions to 24% below 1990 levels. This has resulted in energy savings of $16 million per year - and we are just getting started," said Minister OwenFor more information on sustainable development, visit www.pwgsc.gc.ca. - 30 -For further information, media may contact:Renée Gillen Press Secretary Office of the Minister (819) 997-5421Pierre TéotonioSenior Media Relations Advisor(819) 956-2310Advisory Panel on SustainabilityElizabeth May is an environmentalist, writer, activist and lawyer. She is currently Executive Director of the Sierra Club of Canada. She is former Vice-chair of the National Round Table on the Environment and the Economy, an Honourary Member of the Board for the Canadian Environmental Network, and a founding member of the Canadian Environmental Defence Fund and Women for A Healthy Planet. Mrs. May established Cultural Survival Canada and served as its Executive Director, and was Associate General Council for the Public Interest Advocacy Centre. She is the author of four books.John Robinson is Professor in the Sustainable Development Research Initiative (SDRI) and the Department of Geography at the University of British Columbia. At SDRI, he directs several research programs in the areas of climate change and policy, and leads a project to engage citizens in exploring sustainable futures in the Georgia Basin. Dr. Robinson is a member of the Advisory Council of the David Suzuki Foundation, the Board of Westcoast Environmental Law, and the Sustainable Cities Foundation. He is also a member of the editorial board of the journal Integrated Assessment and was recently a co-ordinating lead author of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. David Runnalls is President of the International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD), located in Winnipeg. Prior to 1998, He was President of the Earth Council Institute of Canada and a Senior Fellow and Director of the Trade Program at the IISD. He was also a senior advisor to the President of the International Development Research Centre and to the Administrator of the United Nations Development Program. He was the Director of the Environment and Sustainable Development Programme at the Institute for Research in Public Policy in Ottawa. Educated at the University of Toronto and at New York's Columbia University, David Runnalls is the author of numerous papers and articles on sustainable development.Tomas Martin Ernst is currently a a member of the Environmental Youth Alliance (EYA). In 2002, he worked in East Africa for the UN Environment Programme (UNEP), where he helped develop a long-term, global youth engagement strategy. He was active at the World Summit on Sustainable Development, and also volunteered for two NGO's while in Nairobi. Mr. Ernst is currently working on the 2006 World Urban Forum with Western Economic Diversification and is a member of the Youth Round Table on the Environment. He has been a youth delegate on two Canadian delegations to UNEP and UN Habitat and serves on the Board of Directors for the Canadian Youth Environment Network.
