Toward
Reporting
assessing cause-effect relationships
Progress
when
hard evidence is scant, or non-existent.
Some
of the strongest experience in integrating human
on
Sustainable
Development
33
of Canada. However, the results of this work remained
distant from mainstream
politics.
In the late 198Os, the political situation
and ecosystemic issues has occurred at project
began to change. The Yukon government
levels where there have been environmental impact assessments (EIA) that include social impact assessments. Reporting on sustainable development should build on this experience. But reporting on sustainable development is not SOE report-
a leading example of integration with its 1988 long-term economic strategy called Yukon 2000. The ecological principles that were incorporated into Yukon 2000 were subsequently echoed in the government’s I990 Conservation Strategy. Canada is not alone in its initiatives; many countries around the world have adopted integrative strategies for sustainable development. As a reflection of the approach taken by society as a whole, corporations and governments generally adopt a “react and cure� attitude that leads to sectoral divisions in policy making. Institutional arrangements parallel and reinforce this compartmentalizing of responsibilities, as do the resulting information systems. Not surprisingly, these information systems tend to focus overwhelmingly
ing or environmental impact assessment extended, just as it is not economic, health, quality-of-life, or law reporting extended. Its power lies in its acknowledgement that all of these facets of reporting, and others as well, have an important role to play. The unique contribution that reporting on sustainable development offers lies in the potential it has to provide a roadmap that will link all these interests.
Improving Information Systems A bridging approach is long overdue. Experience with the Great Lakes ecosystem serves to illustrate. The first assessment of pollution problems was completed in 1912. In the 80 years since then, thousands of reports have been written that deal with some aspects of that ecosystem - such as the Great Lakes economy, human
activities and how they are
stressing the ecosystem, and human health. Only three have tried to integrate across this spectrum of concern. The need for more integrative approaches to policy development in Canada was recognized as early as 1948 when conservation authorities were established in Ontario. They were organized on the basis of drainage basins and given certain integrating responsibilities. In the 197Os, large integrative water-basin planning studies came into vogue and a number were completed in various parts
set
on the immediate and do not provide much support for integrative policy development and decision making that deals with the very long term in an attempt to anticipate and prevent difficulties before crises occur. We reach the following conclusions observations: 1. the interpretive, perspective
anticipatory,
that is demanded
and
and long-term by the idea
of sustainable development points to a need for change in traditional government and corporate organizational structures and mandates; 2. only limited resources are available to reform and build on current reporting systems; 3. while important gaps exist, a powerful information base is available that cannot be put to effective use because of its compartmentalized
nature;