(The Commissioner’s Perspective—Spring 2012 Report of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
Ottawa, 8 May 2012—The “jobs vs. the environment” debate of the past is changing to reflect what businesses have actually experienced, says Scott Vaughan, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, in his report tabled today in the House of Commons.
“Two decades ago, some feared that controlling pollution or protecting forests would stifle economic growth, cripple productivity, and suffocate innovation,” said Mr. Vaughan. “But businesses are finding innovative ways to lower costs while meeting environmental targets.”
“The Commissioner’s Perspective” notes that during the Rio Earth Summit 20 years ago, many saw a choice of either economic growth or environmental protection; this has proved to be a false choice. Today, businesses have found cost-effective, efficient ways to comply with environmental regulations. Many businesses in Canada and abroad have reaped returns on their investment in environmentally sustainable practices, and are making sustainability a permanent part of their business agenda.
The Commissioner notes that past mistakes of poor environmental stewardship present human health, environmental, and financial risks for generations to come. For example, the thousands of federal contaminated sites in Canada are the largest portion of the roughly $7.7 billion in environmental liabilities that the government has reported.
“As more and more businesses are mainstreaming environmental protection, I hope we can learn lessons from the past. Contaminated sites are a monument to poor planning, inadequate environmental assessment, and weak environmental regulations,” said Mr. Vaughan. “These sites are an expensive reminder that future generations must live with mistakes we make today.”
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