About CIELAP: Our Research Programs
Sustainable Policy Solutions
CIELAP has been performing environmental policy research and developing policy solutions for over 35 years. Our research efforts are currently focused on emerging and neglected environmental issues and prioritize:
Waste management: CIELAP's recent research has focused on incineration and we are soon to release studies on hazardous waste and electronic waste.
Water: CIELAP's March 2006 report "There is No AWAY" hightlighted the emerging concerns of pharmaceuticals and other emerging contaminants in water. Since then we have continued to press for policy changes that would help guard Canada's citizens and environment against this emerging concern. CIELAP also continues to be active in policy discussions about Great Lakes issues.
Innovative technologies (specifically biotechnology and nanotechnology). In March 2007 CIELAP held a multi-stakeholder workshop to discuss an appropriate policy framework for nanotechnology. Learn more about the workshop and the resulting discussion paper. We are now looking to bring together a larger group of stakeholders to further discuss this important emerging issue. Visit our Publication Centre to access CIELAP's other publications in this and our other research areas.
Governance for Sustainability
Since its establishment CIELAP has provided leadership in the development of environmental governance models and frameworks. CIELAP played a significant role in the development of two of the most progressive environmental governance models in recent years: the Environmental Bill of Rights and the establishment of Environmental Commissioners at the Federal and Ontario level. CIELAP has also been a leading source of analysis and critique on environmental governance. From 1995 - 2002 CIELAP produced a series of annual reports on the Ontario government's environmental performance record.
More recently, CIELAP has impacted environmental governance with its reports entitled "Sustainable Development in Canada: A New Federal Plan" and a "2005 Update". CIELAP has also performed research on multi-sector partnerships that advance sustainability, and held a series of conferences, entitled "Partnering for Sustainability", 2002, 2004, and 2005.
CIELAP engages in questions of environmental governance at the international, national, provincial and local levels, as well as the interrelationships between them. CIELAP recently released a report entitled "The Formation, Governance, Financing Mechanisms and Mandate of Public Interest, Community-based Environmental Law Centres". This report summarizes how 22 environmental law centres around the world were established, how they are governed and financed, and how they organize themselves.