Executive Summary – The Arctic: Environmental Issues

Disponible en français. Climate change, changes in biological diversity, and the accumulation of toxic substances are three main interrelated issues affecting the rapidly shifting Arctic environment. While these issues, with climate change as a dominant driver, are largely the result of human activities in distant southern regions, they have serious cultural, socio‑economic and health impacts on residents of the Arctic, especially on many Indigenous peoples, as well as adverse effects on the wildlife of the region. Further action, both in Canada and…

Statistics For Canada’s 2018 Commercial Fisheries

(Disponible en français : Statistiques de 2018 sur les pêches commerciales au Canada) In 2018, commercial fisheries, including sea and freshwater fisheries, contributed more than $3.7 billion to Canada’s economy and employed 45,907 people. Fish and seafood processors, which include product preparation and packaging facilities, contributed more than $6.6 billion and employed 26,429 people that…

Executive Summary – Nuclear Energy and Radioactive Waste Management in Canada

(Disponible en français : Résumé – L’énergie nucléaire et la gestion des déchets radioactifs au Canada) Nuclear energy is used by about 30 countries around the world, including Canada, and provides just over 10% of the world’s electricity. However, producing this energy generates radioactive waste with no foreseeable use and with a radioactive lifespan that…

Ghost Fishing Gear: A Major Source of Marine Plastic Pollution

(Disponible en français : Engins de pêche fantômes : une source majeure de pollution marine par le plastique) Plastic pollution in marine environments is a global problem of increasing concern. Commercial fishing activities represent one of the main sources of ocean-based plastic pollution, along with shipping operations. The fishing industry uses large quantities of fishing gear…

Earth melting into water

Climate Change: Implications for Canadian Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture

(Disponible en français : Changements climatiques : impacts sur les pêches maritimes et l’aquaculture canadiennes) Note: This publication was updated in June, 2017: Update – Climate Change: Implications for Canadian Marine Fisheries and Aquaculture Climate change is increasingly challenging the sustainability of Canada’s $3.5-billion marine fisheries and aquaculture, two industries of particular economic and social…

Industrial pipe with gas and oil

Market (dis)Connection in Canada’s Oil and Natural Gas Sectors

(Disponible en français : (In)accessibilité du pétrole et du gaz canadiens aux marchés) To be profitable, energy resources must be transported economically under favourable market conditions. Recent shifts in the trade dynamics of Canada’s oil and gas sectors shed light on the critical link between transportation infrastructure and market access. OIL: Increasing western production needs…

Earth melting into water

Assessing Canada’s Environmental Performance

Penny Becklumb Tim Williams Resources and Environment Section The health of Canadians and their social and economic well-being are highly dependent on the quality of their environment. One way to assess environmental quality is to use indicators that convey complex information as easily understood measures. The Canadian Environmental Sustainability Indicators initiative, or CESI, is the…