SUSTAINABILITY PLANNING TOOLKIT FOR ONTARIO’S 400 MUNICIPALITIES (2008-2009): Blackstone was retained by the Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) to develop a web-based manual to guide sustainable development initiatives in Ontario’s 400 municipalities, encompassing community energy initiatives, water management, solid waste management, transportation, etc.. [See: http://www.amo.on.ca]
SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT TRAINING FOR COMMUNITIES IN ONTARIO: Blackstone developed and delivered over a dozen day-long interactive training session on sustainability planning with municipal leaders, which were attended by several hundred people throughout the Province. One of the outcomes have been over two dozen case studies of municipalities that are taking different but very successful approaches to sustainability planning;
DIAGNOSIS OF THE IMPACTS OF MAJOR DOWNSIZING OF THE PULP AND PAPER INDUSTRY IN A NORTHERN ONTARIO COMMUNITY: After one hundred years of affluence and reliance on the pulp and paper industry for its employment, the community has seen the loss of over 1,000 jobs and the loss of its security. Blackstone has assisted it to identify the full scope of impacts and to begin the process of diversifying and exploring various options towards long-term socio-economic sustainability;
SUSTAINABLE TOURISM PLANNING FOR NUNAVUT - EASTERN ARCTIC OF CANADA: We have been retained to carry out a number of sustainable tourism projects throughout the Eastern Canadian Arctic, to grow the industry while protecting the highly sensitive environmental resources and considering the needs of the indigenous population. Our work has included extensive consultation in the remote communities, tourism market analysis, development of detailed strategic plans, and recommendations pertaining to the development of legislation that will act as a developmental tool to promote the sector/create employment as well as acting as a vehicle that will ensure sustainability;
NOVA SCOTIA: TREASURE HUNTING AND SUSTAINABLE MANAGEMENT OF MARINE HERITAGE RESOURCES Blackstone was retained by the Government of Nova Scotia to carry out a comprehensive study of the provinces marine heritage resources, in light of the some 10,000 wrecks that lie off its large coastline and the conflicts that exist between treasure hunters and conservationists, and the presence of a Treasure Trove Act that permits salvaging by the private sector. Following extensive consultations with stakeholders, a sustainable marine heritage management strategy was designed, involving revised legislation, permitting procedures, policy realignments, institutional strengthening, public awareness building, etc.;
ARUBA: SOCIO-ECONOMIC IMPACT ANALYSIS OF A MAJOR PROPOSED TOURISM EXPANSION: The Government of Aruba asked the proponent to engage Blackstone to assess the impact on the long-term social, economic and environmental consequences of the development of 5,000 new tourism rooms in a previously undeveloped part of the island. Primary issues were the necessity for importing labour and its impacts on the local population; traffic; and overall quality of life.
BOSNIA AND HERZEGOVINA: SUSTAINABLE TRANSPORTATION ASSESSMENT (World Bank): Project to assess the socio-economic situation in post-war Bosnia as it relates to the sustainability of the World Bank’s road maintenance and safety programme; Included analysis of issues, needs and potential programme impacts. Project involved working closely with a local partner to carry out extensive consultation (e.g., household surveys, focus groups and an extensive series of in-depth interviews throughout the country with Muslim, Croat and Serb community members); Issues of sustainability included physical maintenance issues (e.g., use of the roads by destructive truck traffic and heavy military vehicles) and social issues (e.g., improvements of roadways that would increase travel speeds and potentially increase the already high accident rates), among others;
CROATIA: KARST ECOSYSTEM AND NATIONAL PARKS SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMME (World Bank) After ten years of political turmoil and war, the aim of this project was to document the current social situation around and within the parks (including an assessment of whether the Serbs were returning to the area), what impacts human activities are having on the environment, and what the implications of the war have been on the country’s once-vibrant tourism industry. It was of interest to observe that it was the lack of people in the countryside, rather than human activity, that was causing environmental degradation, due to the many open fields and waterways that were being filled in with rampant vegetation growth. The report was very well received, and noted as one that will assist the Bank in developing its country programming strategy in several areas;
CONSERVER VALUES STUDY and CONSERVER VALUES IN THE WORKPLACE (Ontario Ministry of Environment) MOE engaged Blackstone to undertake two major research projects to evaluate conserver and consumer values, attitudes and behaviours, in the context of current and possible future government initiatives leading towards a conserving society. Several focus groups where convened to determine what triggers lead to the adoption of new conserver behaviours, and what barriers prevent such shifts;
DEVELOPMENT OF TORONTO AS A GREEN TOURISM DESTINATION (City of Toronto): The purpose was to both determine the feasibility of developing Toronto as an “urban ecotourism” destination and to encourage green practices among the City’s many tourism businesses. The assignment involved strengthening and marketing of the neighbourhoods, trails, water sports galleries and other community-based attractions that make Toronto a vibrant and environmentally friendly destination, and working with hotels, transport providers, etc., to identify greening and conservation practices that could be initiated;
CARIBBEAN ENVIRONMENTAL PROGRAMMING STRATEGIES: This work entailed development of a regional strategy and individual environmental strategies for 13 Caribbean countries, to address the significant environment-related challenges facing them. Its main aims were to: develop an overview of the current status of the region's environment; provide a regional management strategy framework; and recommend specific regional and country-specific environmental initiatives for the next 10 years. The assignment involved design and implementation of an extensive consultation programme;
ORGANIZATION OF EASTERN CARIBBEAN STATES SOLID WASTE MANAGEMENT SOLUTIONS RELATED TO CRUISE SHIP AND LAND-BASED WASTE: (World Bank) Blackstone oversaw the project and undertook socio-economic and tourism aspects of this World Bank-funded assignment, including consideration of institutional, legislative, cultural, land use planning, environmental education and awareness-building requirements related to the upgrading of solid waste management facilities on six islands, as well as opportunities for private sector involvement.
Identification of the best approach (there are options) to achieve sustainability;
Coordination: The overcoming of “silo” decision-making through the incorporation of decision-making practices that enable different parts of a municipality or company to discuss decisions that cross different sectors;
Demonstrable cost savings (e.g., related to lower energy costs, reduced waste management costs, breaking down silos and avoiding duplication of efforts, etc.);