Delivering Sustainability Indicators to Decisionmakers Presented by Councillor Brian McHattie and Li

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Delivering Sustainability Indicators to
Decision-makersPresented by Councillor Brian
McHattie and Linda Harvey at the FCM Sustainable
Community Conference, Ottawa, ON, Feb. 3, 2006
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Tracking ProgressIndicators Report and Report
Card
Land use, air quality, health, shelter occupancy,
arts culture, workforce ...
... Alerting us to trends over time that are
shaping our community ...
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What works ...

• Complete Light Versions
• Annual Council Presentation with Recommendations
• Communications plan
• And most importantly.

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Community Discussion
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Translating information into action ...

• Measure
• Learn
• Act

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Creating a learning environment

• How does your municipality react to measurement
  systems?
• Fear loathing? Opportunity to learn?
• Good reports need nurturing environment.
• Without investment in ways to digest learn,
  indicator usefulness is constrained
• Booking a room catering isnt enough

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Changing the way we think--Measuring possible
outcomes

• Triple Bottom Line (TBL)
• Sustainable thinking in the workplace
• Simultaneous analysis of social, economic and
  environmental implications
• Evaluation of 30-year GRIDS growth options
• Council reports

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Indicators in TBL Evaluation--Toward or away
from desired outcomes

• Considerations (policy/legislative objectives)
• Decrease vehicle dependency
• Increase opportunities for active lifestyles

• Measures
• Projected reductions in vehicle miles travelled
  (VMT)
• New residential units within 1km of CBD

• Desired long-term outcome statements
• The function of ecosystems is maintained.
• Human health is protected.

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Which option will deliver the desired result ?
Wins and losses became evident.
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What Councillors Need

• Looking at economic development differently.
• Considering the full range of future costs
  benefits of todays decisions.

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Collaborating for success ...
Sunrise in Hamilton Harbour
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Making the Vision a reality.
Hamiltons Commitment to Building a Sustainable
Community
www.vision2020.hamilton.ca