I. Title of the Best Practice

II. Overview of the Best Practice

A. Identification and evaluation
In December 1997 after the conclusion of CoP3, the Prime Minister of Canada and the leaders of the ten provinces and two territories directed that a National Process be established to examine the consequences of the Kyoto Protocol for Canada. This process would also provide for the full participation of the federal, provincial and territorial governments in any implementation and management of the Protocol. A key directive was that no region was to bear an unreasonable burden under a national implementation strategy (NIS).

Federal, provincial and territorial Ministers of Energy and the Environment approved the National Process in April 1998. It builds on an existing intergovernmental mechanism, the National Air Issues Coordinating Mechanism, which was established in 1992 to deal with air quality issues as well as climate change concerns. A national climate change secretariat, consisting of federal and provincial officials, was created in 1998 to coordinate the process.

The guiding principles for the National Process are:

collaborative government leadership and shared responsibility between the federal, provincial and territorial governments while respecting jurisdictional authority

inclusion of stakeholders through meaningful engagement

transparency through timely and open communication among government partners and stakeholders and regular reporting to the general public

results-orientation through promotion of effective decision-making, support for both early action and longer term, sustained action to 2012 and beyond.

The initial 18 month phase of the National Process, terminating in December 1999, has focused on the work of expert committees, called Issue Tables, that were created for each of the major economic sectors and for major cross-cutting issues such as technology, enhanced voluntary action and sinks. These Issue Tables are comprised of 450 representatives of government, industry, environmental groups and other stakeholder interests (the 16 Tables are listed in Annex 1). They are examining the impacts, costs and benefits of implementing the Kyoto Protocol and identifying policy measures and options that would form the basis for a NIS.

The key responsibilities and deliverables from Tables/Groups are:

consultations with and obtaining input from a broad group of Canadians with an interest in the Table's sector or issue.

foundation papers on the current status of their respective sector/issue, including challenges and opportunities related to climate change.

options reports that identify a comprehensive range of short-, medium- and long-term policy measures and options; sectoral option reports specify the greenhouse gas emissions reduction potential of mitigation measures; opportunities and barriers; implementation time frames; competitiveness implications; and anticipated social, economic, environmental and health cost/benefits; it should be noted that the Tables were not asked to strive for consensus - dissenting views were to be noted in the options reports; the reports will be publically available once translation into English and French is completed.

These options reports are currently being reviewed and analyzed by federal and provincial officials who are working closely with key members of the former Tables. The outcome of the review will be the identification of domestic measures that can be implemented over the 2000-2002 period and the elements of a draft NIS. A report on the results of the National Process to date will be presented to Ministers of Energy and Environment in late March. The draft NIS will likely be the subject of broad public consultations later in 2000.

The National Process has been successful in engaging federal, provincial, territorial and municipal governments, industry and a broad range of other stakeholders in the discussion and analysis of climate change options and measures. It raised the profile and understanding on the seriousness of the climate change issue. The inclusive and transparent approach has built understanding and trust among these participants. Much valuable information has been generated through the preparation of the foundation papers and options reports; the conclusions and recommendations are useful to policymakers at both the domestic and international levels. Information gaps have also been identified which will need to be addressed.

The National Process will ultimately have to be evaluated in terms of its final product; will it provide a NIS that is both effective and acceptable across regions, economic sectors and stakeholder groups.

B. Barriers to adoption and necessary conditions
The National Process has been successful to date: the 16 Issue Tables have produced the required foundation papers and options reports. That said, certain difficulties and challenges have had to be overcome. Lessons have been learned in the following areas:

level of effort - need for agreement among all participants and provision of adequate commitment and resources;

analytical challenges in regard to data gaps, varying assumptions by Tables and varying estimation methodologies; the Analysis and Modelling Group (AMG) is a Table that was created to deal with these challenges;

time delays arising from need to secure appropriate membership on Issue Tables, collect information, conduct analysis, discuss results and reach conclusions;

partnership established at the outset between the federal, provincial and territorial governments has been a necessary condition;

maintenance of an open and transparent process, with no "hidden agendas", is another necessary condition; and

synthesis challenge: how to bring together measures, actions and recommendations contained in the respective options reports; need for adequate funding; approval to initiate broader public consultations; need to merge domestic/international policy on climate change.

C. Further development of best practice
The National Process is entering a new phase, with the completion of the Issue tables' options reports. Three areas of emphasis are:

enhancement of modelling capabilities in both climate science and measures analysis, so as to be better able to assess and select measures identified in options reports; governments will build on the work to date and undertake analysis where Tables have identified gaps;

development of a database on measures, actions, recommendations contained in the options reports, with public access to a website; and

ensure that all governments and stakeholders continue to be involved in ongoing development or evolution of the NIS.

Annex 1: National Process Issue Tables

1. Classification(s) (Indicate main classification(s) only.)
( ) Regulatory Approach (Policy approaches - regulations, incentives, etc)
( ) Practical Action (Action undertaken independently by a social actor)
( X ) Social Network Mechanism (Cooperative structure)

2. Social Actor(s) Involved (Indicate main social actor(s) only)
( X ) Citizens
( X ) Central government
( X ) Local government
( X ) Business

3. Sector(s) (indicate main sector(s) only.)
( X ) Energy
( X ) Household
( X ) Transportation
( X ) Industrial Enterprises
( X ) Other (Non-Industrial) Business
( X ) Agriculture / Land Use / Forestry
( ) Other

4. Target Greenhouse Gas(es)
( X ) CO2
( X ) CH4
( X ) N2O
( X ) HFC
( X ) PFC
( X ) SF6
( ) Other (Please specfy.)

IV. List of Attachments

None

V. Please indicate a person to contact for more information about this Best Practice.

Contact Person:	Mark Ziegler
Title:	Senior Policy Advisor
Organization:	National Climate Change Secretariat
Email:	mziegler@ccs.gc.ca
Tel:	(613)943-2687
Fax:	(613)943-2694
Address:	National Climate Change Secretariat 55 Murray Street, Suite 600 Ottawa, Ontario K1N 5M3

Notes: For more information please visit the website at http://www.nccp.ca