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The Burlington Sustainable Development Advisory Committee advises and assists Council on matters related to sustainable development, responsible resource use and conservation practices.
The committee's role in the community is to promote the principles and objectives of sustainable development when advising and assisting City staff and Council members. The committee achieves this by holding public events and submitting position papers to Council.
The committee reports to Council through the Committee of the Whole.
View the Sustainable Development Advisory Committee Terms of Reference for complete details about the committee's structure, mandate and responsibilities.
View our Council and committees calendar to find upcoming committee meeting dates. You can also find agendas and minutes from meetings taking place January 2018 and onward by clicking on each meeting.
State of the Environment Report
View the City of Burlington's State of the Environment Report or the report's executive summary, prepared by the Sustainable Development Committee to learn about:
What is sustainable development?
Defining sustainable development can be tricky. For many people, sustainable development seems to be a contradiction of terms. How can we maintain what we have if we continue to develop? That seeming contradiction makes it difficult to provide a concise definition. Changes in the community are inevitable, however, to preserve and improve the natural environment and quality of life for our residents, community change and development must be well-planned while considering a variety of issues.
The definition we most often use comes from the United Nations Brundtland Commission on the Environment and Development: "Sustainable development is development that meets the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs."
In 1990, Alderman Jim Ryan reported to Council, recommending the establishment of the Sustainable Development Committee. It followed the work of a task force, made up of Council members and staff, who considered the meaning of sustainable development and the purpose and function of a sustainable development committee. The report included 11 recommendations, including a "Proclamation for a Sustainable Development Committee."
The role of this multi-sectoral citizens' committee was to foster dialogue and awareness of sustainable development and to develop methods of integrating economic and environmental planning at the local level.
Council adopted the revised Principles and Objectives of Sustainable Development in November 1994 to promote and implement sustainable development in the City of Burlington. This made Burlington one of the few municipalities in Canada to have adopted such principles and objectives at the time.
More than 25 years have passed since the committee's formation. Over the years the committee has worked to advise Council and engage the community on sustainable development issues. The committee structure has remained constant over time with 15 community volunteers and a Council representative. The City's senior sustainability coordinator, sustainability project coordinator and environmental planner act as staff advisors.
Contact Us
Legislative Services
426 Brant St., PO Box 5013
Burlington, ON L7R 3Z6
