Leadership and Sustainable Development

Over the past year, Canadians have been sharing their views in RRU's Post-Kyoto public forum. Many aspects of sustainble development have been discussed in this forum, many of which lead back to the issue of leadership:aspects of leadership that are present or not, and approaches we as Canadians can take to facilitate creating sustainable futures. The following quotes illustrate a range of views taken from the forum. The e-Dialogue, to be held on January 25, 2004, will draw from comments made in the public forum in effort to gleam further insight on moving forward in the 21st century.

Heather Hamilton
Executive Coordinator, Canadian Biodiversity Institute

"We have an unshirkable responsibility to all life."

Maurice F. Strong
Chairman of the Earth Council and of the World Resources Institute

"The argument that Canada will be disadvantaged in a post-Kyoto era does not stand up to hard analysis."

Yuill Herbert

"My challenge to every Canadian is to reduce personal energy use by at least 50 per cent. Kyoto is one small step on the long journey that will stabilize the climate. As Gandalf tells Frodo, we cannot choose the times in which we live, we can only make the best of them."

Jim Stanford
Economist, Canadian Auto Workers

"Will we work towards our Kyoto commitments by doing less, or by doing more?"

Thomas d'Aquino
President and Chief Executive Officer
Canadian Council of Chief Executives

"Kyoto… is both ineffective … and unsuited to Canada's circumstances."

Ian Urquhart
Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Alberta in Edmonton

"Economies can grow and prosper while energy use is reduced."

Lionel Hurst
Ambassador or Antigua and Barbuda
IUCN, The World Conservation Union

"Human behaviour, which leads to global climate change, seems innocent. What could be more innocent than cooking your food, taking a shower, making your home warm in winter, taking a train to work, turning on your computer?"

Jock Finlayson
Executive Vice President - Policy
Business Council of British Columbia

"Among Canadian business leaders there is a growing recognition that a sustainable future rests on relentless innovation, a commitment to market principles, and forward-looking public policies."

Robert T. Watson
Chair Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change

"Poverty alleviation and sustainable economic development are two of the major challenges facing humankind. Both are threatened by human-induced climate change."

Guy Dauncey
Consultant- Sustainable communities,green buildings,author

"We will not drift towards success. We are already drifting - but along with the rest of the world, the current is carrying us the wrong way, towards greater emissions, not fewer. We have to steer, power and finance our way towards success - and that will require a very firm hand on the wheel of the good ship Canada. That's what leadership should be all about."

Murray Ball, Waterworks Operator, Village of Neilburg, SK.

Jennifer Black, Reclamation/Construction Adminstrator, Canadian Natural Resources Limited, AB.

Antoinette Bragnalo, Environmental Projects Coordinator, City of Thunder Bay, ON.

Cassandra Caunce, Environmental Department, Teck Cominco Limited, Vancouver, BC.

Dave Ewanishin, Industrial and Specialty Lubricants Laboratory for Shell Canada Limited, Calgary, AB.

Kurt Fehr, Project Manger, Foreshore Technologies, Inc., Vancouver, BC.

Erin Gorman, Water/wastewater Treatment Plant Operator, Loyalist Township, ON.

Karen Larson, Environmental Health Officer,Interior Health Authority, BC.

Lynne Magee, Field level Public Health Inspector, Quesnel, BC.

Lori Marchand, Senior Chemical Analyst,Canadian Food Inspection Agency, BC.

Jennifer Maxwell, Drinking Water Source Assessment Officer, BC. Ministry of Water,
Land and Air Protection, Victoria, BC.

Matthew Paisley, Senior Analyst, Canadian Food Inspection Agency, Calgary, AB.

Shannon Pagotto,Water Resources Division, Department of Indian and Northern Affairs, AB.

Joanne Roach, Administration/Research, Wastewater treatment, Salt Spring Island, BC.

Rae-Ann Shaw, Project Manager, Department of National Defense-CFB Esquimalt environment projects, Victoria, BC.

Dan Sonmor, Contaminated Sites Assessment, Public Works and Government Services
Environmental Services Canada, SK.

Dave Warner, Environmental Affairs, Lehigh Northwest Cement Limited, Delta, B.C

Deb Webster, Forestry Extension Assistant, North Island Woodlot Association, Courtney, BC.