Deliberative Efforts Toward a Green Economy: A Case Study of Canada

Abstract

By deconstructing Canada’s current system of environmental management, improvements to current policies can be made in order to reach goals which not only meet but exceed environmental expectations provided by the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). Canada’s Changing Climate Report (CCCR) 2019 has shown the highest rates of warming ranging from 1.7 °C  to 2.3 °C since their initial report in 1948. This report from 2019 indicates that Canada is experiencing global warming at twice the rate of the 0.8 °C global average (Bush and Lemmen). Canada’s nationwide audits have stated goals to cut emissions, but no detailed plans, timelines, funding or expected results have been provided. No level of government in Canada is prepared to apply these actions nor adapt to the impacts of climate change. With several targets and no initiative to reach them, it is clear that Canada’s system of environmental management needs improvement. Reconstruction of communicative practices and reformation of current policies can ensure sustainability across all sectors. Through communicative changes and policy reforms, effective changes to both the economy and ecology can be reached. Deliberative polling in a networked environment lays the foundation toward representing non-human actors (non-human nature and future generations), full transparency, and sustainable goals.