Science is the foundation of the department's policies, programs and regulations, and is essential to achieving every result. In recent years, sustainable development has become a national goal, a key policy thrust of the Government of Canada, and a shaping assumption for environmental management in this country. EC's mission is to foster a national capacity for sustainable development that will result in a safe and healthy environment and a sound and prosperous economy. Canadians are focusing increasingly on entire ecosystems rather than on specific or isolated environmental problems. We recognize the global dimensions of environmental concerns and are learning that there are limits to what government can do.
Fiscal pressures require an increasingly strategic approach to the expenditure of public funds.
Although legislation is one of the tools the department has traditionally used to influence behaviour, many environmental issues cannot be solved by legislation or regulation alone. Beyond the growing knowledge of the complexity of environmental issues is the recognition that the environment and the economy are inextricably interconnected. This means that the environment can only be managed effectively within the broader context of economic and social development. The first two primarily address environmental issues of today, while the third focuses on building societal capacity to sustain the environment for the future. EC undertakes and promotes programs to sustain the environment and reduce risks to human health, to provide weather forecasts, warnings and emergency preparedness services, and to give Canadians the tools to build a greener society.