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Social Dimension of Sustainable Development PDF
Social Dimension of Sustainable Development PDF
of Sustainable Development
by
Sherri Torjman
May 2000
ISBN 1-894598-00-8
This paper was prepared in response to a request by the Commissioner of Environment and Sus-
tainable Development at the Office of the Auditor General to clarify the meaning of the social
dimension of sustainable development. While the paper explores the roles of various sectors, it
focusses primarily upon the federal government.
The challenge Underlying concepts
Sustainable development is a term whose Two screens were used to identify the pri-
use is sustained but whose meaning is far from ority areas for the social domain. First, the priority
developed. areas are rooted in the principles underlying the con-
cept of sustainable development. Second, the key
The challenge arising from ‘sustainable directions derive from the conclusions of major
development’ is that the concept is not prescriptive. international documents.
It does not spell out explicitly what to do. Rather,
the notion of sustainable development is normative. The focus on poverty results from clear
It sets out a three-dimensional lens from which to warnings by international organizations on the press-
view the world. ing nature of this problem.
Sustainable development is an holistic The need for social investment arises both
approach to improving the quality of life. It postu- from international documents that call for investment
lates that there are intrinsic links among economic, in human capital and from the ‘seventh-generation
social and environmental well-being. Changes in any principle’ inherent in the concept of sustainable
one domain will have an impact upon the other two development. This principle refers to the importance
dimensions. From a social perspective in particular, of meeting present-day needs without compromis-
human well-being cannot be sustained without a ing the needs of future generations. It stresses the
healthy environment and is equally unlikely in the significance of intergenerational bonds.
absence of a vibrant economy.
The caring communities theme is rooted in
While the desired objective of human well- the concept of citizenship. Sustainable development
being is clear, it is not easy to determine precisely emphasizes the importance of stewardship - i.e., tak-
which elements to include in the social sphere. Its ing responsibility for the well-being of the earth. By
connections to the economic dimension, such as qual- analogy, ‘social stewardship’ implies a responsibil-
ity of work and level of income, are more obvious. ity to take care of the human environment, typically
But its relationship to the environment as well as to understood as communities.
the environment and economy together is more dif-
ficult to articulate. (One could argue that environ- Finally, informed citizen participation com-
mental challenges are primarily social issues in that prises the essence of democracy - a prerequisite to
they are largely a function of human behaviour.) the protection of human rights and the equitable dis-
tribution of resources.
In addition to understanding the relations
among the economic, social and environmental
spheres, there are questions as to whether certain
social actions are more consistent with the concept The priorities
of sustainable development than others. While there
are no definitive answers, there appear to be some i. Poverty reduction
key directions that arise from a studied interpreta-
tion of the concept. These include poverty reduc- Poverty reduction is a primary objective of
tion, social investment, and the building of safe and sustainable development. This goal arises from warn-
caring communities. ings by the United Nations which identified poverty
Communities can help reduce poverty in While support for education is a primary
several ways [Torjman 1998a]. They can meet basic form of social investment, it is also the key means to
needs by ensuring that their members are adequately reduce poverty throughout the world. The evidence
nourished, housed and protected from violence. on population growth suggests that educational level
Communities can remove barriers that prevent par- and birth rate are inversely related; higher levels of
ticipation in training programs, the labour market and education typically correspond with fewer children.
broader functions, such as recreational and cultural Several international reports emphasize the need to
events. They can tackle poverty by building lan- improve the status and education of women as the
guage, educational and job skills. And poverty can principal route to poverty reduction and environmen-
be addressed through various forms of local economic tal protection [World Commission 1987; Independ-
development. ent Commission 1996; United Nations 1994].
Employers also can reduce poverty dra- It should be noted that some observers
matically by paying adequate wages and providing would minimize the importance of poverty reduc-
associated benefits, such as pensions. But while com- tion as a priority for the developed world. They would
munities and employers play important roles in tack- argue that both the extent and depth of poverty in
ling poverty, the primary responsibility lies squarely industrialized countries are less profound than in the
with governments. The federal government, in par- developing world.
ticular, has the appropriate levers to alleviate - if
not eradicate - the problem. It is true that citizens of the developed world
may not face absolute deprivation - although many
Progressive income taxes and transfers in do. One only has to look at the numbers of homeless
the form of income programs have significantly persons lining the streets of major urban centres. But
narrowed the gap in the earnings of rich and poor the relative poverty that individuals experience in
[Battle 1995]. This redistributive role is crucial, given industrialized countries is just as serious a problem.
the wide and growing gaps in market income - i.e.,
income from wages and salaries, self-employment,
savings, investments and other private sources.
Specific actions are proposed under the ‘federal role.’ ii. Social investment
But governments can reduce poverty not Social investment is a prerequisite to eco-
simply through income redistribution. They can nomic development; a vibrant economy requires a
make a significant dent in poverty by helping indi- healthy and educated workforce. Canada ranks near
viduals acquire the skills they need to find reason- the top of the world in terms of wealth as represented
ably paid employment. This teach-the-person-to-fish by natural resources. But the World Bank notes that
approach to poverty is discussed under skills devel- the future success of nations depends on the extent
opment. to which they invest in human resources [World Bank
1998/99]. Two major areas for social investment are
A major challenge at the international level health and education.
is to reduce the gaps in market income not only
b. education and skills development Safe and caring communities start with the
citizen as the base. The active engagement of citi-
Education and skills development are zens in building safe and caring communities involves
essential to the economic health of individuals and far more than polling their opinions on selected
of nations. In order to compete in a rapidly chang- issues or inviting them to present their views at a
ing knowledge-based economy, both developed and public consultation.
However, the federal government does play In the field of education, Ottawa withdrew
a crucial funding role. It contributes to the cost of funds from postsecondary education through cuts to
health care through cash transfers and tax points under the Canada Health and Social Transfer although it
the Canada Health and Social Transfer (CHST). As has made some new investments in university
part of its efforts to slay the deficit, Ottawa drastically research. Tuition rates at postsecondary educational
cut its cash transfers to provinces when the CHST institutes have continued to rise and recent changes
took effect in 1996. to the Canada Student Loans Program have created
financing pressures for students [Torjman 2000].
In 1999, the federal government injected Several provinces also have withdrawn funds from
$7.5 billion over three years back into health care to their primary and secondary educational systems.
stem the withdrawal of funds from the transfer These cuts represent a serious disinvestment in human
arrangement. It also invested in a wide range of health capital, given the economic and social significance
research and information initiatives. The 2000 of high-quality education.
Budget announced a one-time boost of $2.5 billion
in cash transfers in respect of health care. Provinces Finally, the federal government can play a
still claim that these recent investments do not crucial facilitation role by supporting the problem
compensate for the substantial CHST losses. solving capacity of local communities. The concept
of sustainable development adds a strong community
And despite a publicly funded medicare or ‘local’ focus to the concept of economic and social
system, Canada ranks behind other OECD countries well-being. However, this community focus is
with respect to investment in public health care as a feasible only within the context of adequate public
share of the public/private mix. The public share of investments earlier described.
financing for health care in Canada is 70 percent with
30 percent as a private share compared to the 75/25 In addition to facilitating community-based
public/private OECD average financing [Battle, problem solving, Ottawa can participate actively in
Torjman and Mendelson 2000]. these local processes. Federal representatives on the
Partners for Jobs Task Force, for example, have made
In the area of early childhood development a major contribution with respect to local labour
and family supports, Caledon recently proposed a market information.
federal investment of $7.5 billion over five years
towards a National Child Development Fund [Battle Solid and up-to-date information is an
and Torjman 2000]. Ottawa would transfer money essential ingredient for local labour markets. The
to the provinces and territories, subject to reasonable federal Department of Human Resources Dev-
conditions: comprehensiveness, universality, accessi- elopment is responsible for collecting labour market
bility, quality and accountability. information through several national surveys. Its
regional offices, in turn, develop local labour market
But neither Ottawa nor other levels of profiles. But there are problems with the existing
government can build a comprehensive system of data.
family supports without the involvement of other
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