learn more about Canada's Environmental Petition Process June 11, 2008

Canada's Environmental Petitions Process
with Roger Hillier, Office of the Auditor General of Canada

The Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
is responsible for the administration of the environmental petitions
process within the Office of the Auditor General. The environmental
petitions process allows any resident or organization within Canada
to submit a petition to Ministers of 28 Federal departments or
agencies to obtain a formal written response to their questions or
concerns relating to the Federal government's management of the
environment. Though the process does not guarantee the Federal
Government will take action to address the issue raised in a petition,
it does require each minister of a petitioned department to personally
respond to the questions. Furthermore, our 2007 survey of past
petitioners' has confirmed the fact that petitioners' do believe the
petitions process has had an impact on the government's
management of environmental issues.

The environmental petitions process may help individual Canadians
or organizations to receive answers to their environmental questions
relating to Federal environmental issues and help raise the profile of
their environmental issues.
Relevant Links:
2007 Retrospective Study of the Petitions Process:
http://www.oag-bvg.gc.ca/internet/English/aud_ch_cesd_2007_2_e_23838.html
Open to the Public