TORONTO, March 15, 2002 -- York University is hosting an afternoon workshop examining Ontario's Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) and its effectiveness in contributing to sustainable development practices across the province, Wednesday, March 20, from 2:30 to 5:30 p.m.
The EBR was created eight years ago to give new environmental rights and responsibilities and provide new ways to participate in environmental matters to everyone in Ontario.
"With growing environmental awareness has come recognition of the need to pursue in an integrated manner environmental, social and economic sustainability," says workshop organizer Prof. Rob Macdonald, associate dean in York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies (FES). "This workshop examines the extent to which the EBR, and the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario (the province’s environmental watchdog) are contributing to this three-fold approach to sustainable development."
Presenters and their topics are:
Stepan Wood, assistant professor, York University, Osgoode Hall Law School, "Introduction to the Ontario EBR", including a discussion of the three key features of the EBR: its basic goals of protecting peoples' right to a healthful environment and allowing public oversight of government action; its procedures for transparency and public participation through the EBR registry and public notice, comment and appeal; and its mechanisms for ensuring the political accountability of government decision-makers through the Environmental Commissioner and the various ministries' statements of environmental values.
David McRobert, senior policy advisor at the Environmental Commissioner of Ontario, "Has the EBR Improved Decision Making About the Natural Environment?", providing an insider's view of the challenges of implementing the EBR and promoting sustainability in a climate of fiscal restraint and discussion of Ontario's living legacy and Oak Ridges Moraine legislation.
Ramani Nadarajah, counsel, Canadian Environmental Law Association, "NGOs, the EBR and Sustainability: A Case Study", discussing the importance of the EBR in expanding public participation in the environmental decision-making process; including discussion of Barker v MoE (Ministry of the Environment), the first case in which a community group (concerned about a proposal to reactivate a long-dormant landfill site near Chatham) was granted leave to appeal under the EBR.
Doug Thomson, partner, McCarthy Tetrault LLP, "Business and Ontario's EBR", discussing the degree to which the EBR has been able to influence the direction of business activities in Ontario in ways supportive of sustainable development; and how the EBR process can be made more effective in promoting sustainable business practices.
The workshop is sponsored by York’s Faculty of Environmental Studies, Osgoode Hall Law School and the Haub Program in Business and Sustainability at the Schulich School of Business, which are working together to integrate their respective fields of theory and practice – the environment, law and business – in ways which contribute to the understanding and achievement of sustainable development practices in Ontario and internationally.
The workshop will take place in room 306, Lumbers Building, Faculty of Environmental Studies, York University, 4700 Keele St.
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For further information, please contact:
| Prof. Rob Macdonald | Dianne Zecchino | Ken Turriff |
| Associate Dean, FES | FES | Media Relations |
| York University | York University | York University |
| 416-736-5252 | 416-736-5285 | 416-736-2100, ext. 22086 |
| robmac@yorku.ca | diannez@yorku.ca | kturriff@yorku.ca |
YU/031/02
