Tip Sheet on Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA): Inclusive Governance

Main recommendations extracted from the SEA of the Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) for the Inclusive Governance Action Area

In compliance with the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, GAC has produced a strategic environmental assessment (SEA) of its Feminist International Assistance Policy (FIAP) and its action area policies. The purpose of the SEA is to assess the potential environmental effects, either positive or negative, associated with the FIAP and its action area policies and to incorporate the results in the development of these policies in order to reduce potential adverse environmental effects and enhance environmental and developmental outcomes.

Summary of the Inclusive Governance Action Area priority pathways: Canada will support inclusive governance principally through four pathways: promotion and protection of human rights; equitable access to a functioning justice system; participation in public life, and; public services that work for everyone 

What are the environmental sustainability issues and linkages?

• Environmental degradation and climate change have clear and direct implications for the full enjoyment of human rights, including the rights to life, health, food, water, clean air, adequate housing, and self-determination.
• Inclusive governance, at all levels of government, is fundamental to achieving long term sustainable development. The environment and natural resources provide the goods and ecosystem services for people’s livelihoods and well-being. Improving the governance of natural resources and the environment at all levels – international, national and local - is probably the number one action that can make a difference in curbing GHG emissions and the rapid rate of natural resources depletion.
• Weak governance and political instability are often associated with a lack of environmental enforcement and accelerated depletion of natural resources, illicit extraction and trade of wildlife, minerals and other resources, and environmental degradation.
• Ineffective policies can cause great damage to the environment. At the same time, many good policies fail due to the lack of political will or capacity to put them into practice. 
• In recent decades, developing countries have adopted environmental laws and regulations. However, too often the enforcement of these is weak or nonexistent. Recourse mechanisms to request environmental compliance, exercise rights to enjoy elements of the environment (e.g. clean water, access to products from the forest) or for dispute resolution services are either nonexistent or difficult to access, especially for women.

What are the potential environmental effects of the proposed pathways?

The proposed pathways should not lead to adverse environmental impacts but should provide opportunities for enhanced programming that addresses:

• Inequities and discrimination in access to, and protection of rights to land, water, and other resources, especially for women;
• Barriers to women’s participation in policy and decision-making related to natural resources and environmental management;
• Violence and crimes against environmental defenders;
• The need for recourse mechanisms to defend people’s rights and to enforce environmental laws and promote fair taxes, royalties and redistribution of benefits (e.g. gender budgeting).

What are the proposed measures to minimise potential adverse environmental effects and increase positive development outcomes?

The FIAP and its action area policies acknowledge the importance of promoting inclusiveness and strengthening environmental governance in GAC’s approach to sustainable development.

Key actions identified include to:

• Support international and national governments’ efforts to improve the transparency, accountability and inclusiveness of decision-making related to natural resources and environmental management, including balancing trade-offs with environmental sustainability.
• Support the effective and non-discriminatory delivery of services provided by various levels of government with respect to the management of land, water, and other natural resources.
• Promote equality and non-discriminatory access to natural resources, water, land, sustainable energy, and financial means, regardless of aspects of personal identity factors such as race, ethnicity, religion, language, sexual orientation, gender identity, age, ability, or migrant or refugee status.
• Enhance social accountability by advocating for and supporting efforts to give a voice to the poor, marginalized and vulnerable groups, especially women, and enhancing their participation at all levels of decision-making processes for environmental and natural resources management. This includes supporting and protecting human rights defenders, such as environmental defenders.  
• Address the need to increase awareness and knowledge about environmental laws and rights, including public access to information, to provide meaningful and effective opportunities for people’s participation in decisions and access to justice.
• Advocate for more attention to the interlinkages among environment, climate change and human rights in various fora, e.g. at the Human Rights Council, in bilateral meetings with governments, international bodies, including the Conference of the Parties to the UN Framework Convention on Climate Change.

For more information, consult the Public Statement: Strategic Environmental Assessment of Action Areas under Canada’s Feminist International Assistance Policy