ENVIRONMENT MINISTER DAVID ANDERSON KEYNOTE SPEECH

March 22, 2000

David Anderson, Minister of Environment Canada, was the keynote speaker for the Globe 2000 International Conference opening plenary. It was standing room only in the grand hall at the Pan Pacific Hotel that held more than 6,000 businessmen and government officials who were there to hear about the new directions of the federal government. Anderson spoke about our responsibility for leaving a clean environment and strong resource base for the next generation.

The Minister said that, "we cannot ignore the growing public concern about environmental issues, and the shift in the values of citizens towards an environmental ethic. Canadians are alarmed at the environmental degradation they have seen in their own communities. With good reasons, Canadians believe that air and water pollution are linked to health problems." Anderson said that, "we need alternative indicators (to GDP), such as the Index of Sustainable Economic Welfare, or the Genuine Progress Indicator, which are able to measure these environmental and social factors that make up our quality of life".

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