Introduction

Sector Sustainability Tables

Sector Sustainability Tables (SSTs) are a multi-stakeholder mechanism created by the Government of Canada to provide advice on how best to attain the highest level of environmental quality, as a means to enhance the health and well-being of Canadians, preserve our natural environment, and advance our long-term competitiveness. Currently, SSTs have been established for the Energy, Mining, and Forests sectors.

The Energy Sector Sustainability Table (ESST) was established in 2005 with a mandate to advise the government on how to meet the energy needs of Canadians, to improve the environmental and economic sustainability of energy systems in Canada and to make recommendations on both short-term and long-term sustainable energy objectives. The table is co-chaired by senior representatives of government and industry and includes senior representatives from federal and provincial governments, industry, and civil society organizations.

About the Environmental Scan

Given Canada’s stature as a world leader in energy production and given the important role of power in the Canadian and global economy, priority and focused attention is required to explain and champion the degree to which energy matters to Canada’s future. The global energy industry is in the midst of a significant international restructuring and Canada is at the forefront of this change. The energy system plays an integral role in the environmental, economic and social fabric of Canada. As such, it is important for governments, business and industry, key stakeholders and the general public to have a clear understanding of the role energy plays and should play, in Canada and globally in order to make informed decisions.

Consistent, reliable and timely information is the basis for effective and efficient decisions by markets, consumers and governments. An integrated system is required that can measure progress, ensure accountability and drive policy. Given the multi-stakeholder nature of the Table, the ESST can play a key role in telling Canada’s energy story. The Environmental Scan is an early example of a product that can contribute to this effort.

Several discussions around the ESST to date have reflected the view that Canadians should have a full appreciation of the significance of energy in the country’s economy and environment. In light of this, the ESST tasked Environment Canada and Natural Resources Canada to work with key stakeholders to develop two products – the Environmental Scan and the Economic Scan. The two products serve as companion reports intended to provide important environmental and economic information to help decision-makers and policy-makers make sustainable choices balancing the environmental and economic needs of Canadians and also to inform public attitudes and perceptions about energy

Environment Canada began working on the Environmental Scan in October 2005 leading to the development of a first draft of the Environmental Scan of Canada’s Energy System tabled at the March 14^th, 2006 meeting of the ESST. Since then, the Environmental Scan has been through several iterations, incorporating comments from ESST members, their organizations and additional information sources. Environment Canada also hosted a workshop of key energy and environment experts on November 27^th, 2006 to peer review the Environmental Scan and solicit additional expert review. A final draft of theEnvironmental Scan was approved by ESST members in December 2007.

Environmental Scan Outline

The ESST requested that Environment Canada prepare a science-based analysis of the energy system and the environment.  The analysis is intended to serve two related purposes:

1. to provide an overview of the state of the environment in Canada, and
2. to provide an analysis of the environmental footprint and impacts of the energy system.

The former is to provide the Canadian context in which the energy system operates.

Like the mandate and scope of the ESST, the Environmental Scan covers the energy system from an entire value chain perspective – from exploration and extraction of energy resources to energy end use. The analysis is organized into four chapters: Greenhouse Gases; Air Quality; Water; and Landscapes, Ecosystems and Biodiversity. Significant cross-cutting issues such as toxic emissions and acid rain are also addressed within the four chapters, in a place that fits best for each particular issue.

At the request of table members, where possible, theEnvironmental Scan also provides an analysis of intensity-based measures and international benchmarking. Intensity-based measures, such as emissions per unit of GDP, are used to give a more robust picture of Canada’s and the energy sector’s performance in relation to key economic drivers. International benchmarking is used to better assess Canada’s and the energy sector’s performance vis-a-vis other countries or sectors. Benchmarking presents a number of challenges as national and sectoral circumstances can vary significantly. To improve the accuracy of comparability, the focus of comparison used in the Environmental Scan is other industrialized countries (i.e. OECD) and the United States.

Data/Information

There are several gaps in our current scientific knowledge that preclude a full understanding of the energy system and the environment. On several issues, these gaps make connecting the energy system footprint to overall environmental impacts to air, water or ecosystems a challenge. In some cases, the gaps point to research areas that need to be further explored. In other cases, the gaps point to observational and data needs (e.g. insufficient environmental monitoring). So as to provide a higher level of data transparence and a better understanding of the state of information being examined, at the beginning of each chapter, a basic indicator of data quality is provided. The indicator provides a qualitative assessment of information ranked on a basic high-medium-low scale (shown below), based on the following criteria:

Low Significant observational and data gaps exist (e.g. insufficient monitoring) making it difficult to quantify the scale of impacts or explain trends related to important variables. Specific issues and/or activities have not been well researched limiting understanding and quantification of basic impacts and trends.	Medium Adequate data is being collected so as to provide a sufficient understanding of impacts and trends. Gaps may exist in terms of the quantity of data (e.g. lack of time-series data for analyzing trends). The issue is fairly well researched; however some research gaps may exist, particularly in terms of more complex relationships and comparisons (e.g. interactive/ cumulative impacts).	High Significant data is being collected and research is being undertaken to understand impacts and trends. Standardized data collection methods (e.g. national inventories, monitoring networks). Complex relationships and comparisons are better understood.

In addition, each chapter concludes with a brief overview of some of the key areas of additional scientific assessment that are needed to address important knowledge gaps.