| The Atlantic Provinces |
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The objectives are to include social and environmental factors in the assessment of Atlantic Canada's actual well-being and prosperity; to focus attention on sustainability and social justice in regional policy-making; and to develop and measure a broad range of environmental and social indicators, time series and indices for comparability. The basic methodology being employed in this initiative is based on the application of the Genuine Progress Index (GPI). The GPI can provide a practical, policy-relevant measure of progress that is more comprehensive and accurate than current measures based on the Gross Domestic Product. The current GPI approach is being modified in order to better reflect the particularities of the Atlantic region. The GPI includes 26 socio-economic and environmental indicators, and these indicators in turn are used to measure trends over the last 25 years. The results of the analysis provide an index figure to help measure prosperity and well-being.
Public concern about land use practices has increased on Prince Edward Island because of the rapid expansion of the potato industry, increased soil erosion, accelerated land clearing, clear cutting of forests, increased pesticide use and conflicts between producers and their non-farming neighbours. The Government of PEI announced its intention to develop a Resource Land Use Strategy, one that would identify ways and means to achieve the following objectives: increase the contribution of resource lands and their use to wealth creation in the Province; maintain and improve the capacity of the lands to generate wealth for future generations; minimize the conflicts between the use of resource lands and other land uses, and minimize the impacts on human health and the environment; and increase public satisfaction with resource land use. In selecting indicators, the Round Table determined that they should meet three criteria: meaningful to the general public; relevant to policy makers; and directly relevant to the objectives identified by the Round Table.
The objective is to construct an index integrating social, economic and environmental variables into a comprehensive and policy-relevant set of accounts measuring progress towards sustainable development in Nova Scotia. The indicator set includes 20 components: natural resource accounts for forestry, fisheries, soils and agriculture, and nonrenewable resources; greenhouse gas emissions; air and water quality; an ecological footprint analysis; the economic value of voluntary work and of unpaid household work; the costs of crime; income distribution; the costs of underemployment; the valuation of leisure time; a sustainable transportation module; debt; livelihood security; and valuations of health care and educational attainment. The project is proceeding one module at a time with emphasis on policy applications and relevance. Final aggregation will be postponed until all modules are complete and will take place after an extensive consultation process.
Application of Genuine Progress Index (GPI) for the Atlantic Region
(GPI Atlantic) Report of the Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship
(Round Table on Resource Land Use and Stewardship)
Measuring Sustainable Development: Application of the
Genuine Progress Index to Nova Scotia
(GPI Atlantic)
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