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Key Messages
Perspectives
- There are a wide range of perspectives within the environmental movement in Canada regarding the roots of environmental decline, the necessity of a Green Transition and how deeply our economic, social and political systems need to change
- Mainstream perspectives held by well established, national eNGOs, that are more closely connected to government through politics and funding, are however less likely to push for transformational change to decision-making processes and policies
- Newer and more ambitious perspectives challenging the status are emerging through youth and Indigenous activism, but these have ignited push-back from powerful pro-fossil fuel and ideological forces in Canada
Processes
- The kind of governance approaches that best facilitate and accelerate a sustainability transition in Canada must be collaborative, including all types of activists
- There are significant concerns about the ability of eNGOs to push for transformational Green Transition changes given the reliance on government funding for many of them; the eNGOs examined in this chapter receive on average 20% of their budgets from governments
- Youth activists and resistance activists, though they are perhaps more committed to the Green Transition, face significant challenges: (1) they may not be able to coordinate a larger movement capable to pressing governments and (2) they may lack capacity and resources
Policies
- ENGOs were successful at policy creation during the first three waves of environmentalism, but policy implementation is an ongoing struggle
- The extent to which newer forms of activism will create policy and enable implementation of policy is uncertain
Recommendations
- Established eNGOs yield significant resources and capacity, but need to distance themselves from government funding if they are to effectively push for meaningful change
- Emerging activists need to be strategic and coordinated but careful in collaboration with mainstream eNGOS that are captured by government funding