This brief was prepared by the Canadian Community Economic Development (CED) Network for the Sustainable Development Office at Environment Canada as part of its consultations on the Draft Federal Sustainable Development Strategy 2013-2016.
The Government of Canada’s current approach to sustainable development reflects a commitment to “minimizing the environmental impacts of its policies and operations as well as maximizing the efficient use of natural resources and other goods and services.” The Canadian CED Network recommends that the Government of Canada broaden its understanding of sustainable development by adopting the International Institute for Sustainable Development’s definition and applying it to the Strategy: “for development to be sustainable, it must not only generate wealth: it must also advance social justice, reduce and eventually eliminate poverty, and remain within the limits imposed by ecosystem and resource resilience.” This definition suggests that truly sustainable development requires that sustainability be achieved on three pillars: economic, social, and environmental.
Taking this three-pillar approach to sustainable development, the brief makes recommendations for the federal government to enhance sustainable procurement practices and provide support for community economic development and community enterprises.
