In November 2007, Regional Council approved the York Region Sustainability Strategy. The Final Sustainability Strategy and all Regional initiatives represent the first of many steps towards stronger sustainability and will position the Region as a leader in this field.   Click here to download a copy of the Final Sustainability Strategy.   Sustainable development is "development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs." - United Nations Brundtland Commission, 1987

Sustainability means:

·         leaving our communities, our Region, our World in a healthy state for our children and grandchildren.

·         evaluating the community, environmental and economic effects of our actions.

·         thinking differently, being more innovative and collaborative.

·         making smarter decisions about our lifestyle, community design, infrastructure and financial decisions.

·         practising prevention and adaption so that our communities become more resilient to long term social, economic and climate change

The Sustainability Strategy provides a new approach to decision-making integrating the environment, economy and community, as well as, emphasizing engagement, monitoring and continuous improvement.

This Sustainability Strategy will inform Regional initiatives to address the dynamic growth forecasted for the Region by using the nine principles of implementation.

 

Principle 1:         Provide a long-term perspective on sustainability. Principle 2:         Evaluate using the triple bottom-line elements of environment, economy and community. Principle 3:         Create a culture of continuous improvement, minimizing impact, maximizing innovation and increasing resiliency. Principle 4:         Identify specific short-term achievable actions that contribute towards a sustainability legacy. Principle 5:         Set targets, monitor and report progress. Principle 6:         Foster partnerships and public engagement. Principle 7:         Create a spirit of stewardship, shared responsibility and collaboration. Principle 8:         Raise the level of sustainability awareness through education, dialogue and reassessment. Principle 9:         Promote sustainable lifestyles and re-evaluation of our consumption and expectations.

The Strategy contains over one hundred internal and external actions categorized under the following action areas:

• Corporate Culture of Sustainability
• Healthy Communities
• Economic Vitality
• Sustainable Natural Environment
• Education, Engagement and Partnerships
• Sustainability Implementation and Monitoring

More work will be undertaken in the next few months to finalize an implementation plan for the Strategy consisting of timing and responsibilities, incorporate Sustainability into the Region's Business Planning and Budgeting and rolling out a training program for Regional staff.