www.sci.ic.gc.ca

CSD-14 New York2 May 2006

A Government of Canada program that partners with cities in the developing world to address urban challenges

Program ObjectivesPromote sustainable urban development in developing and emerging economies.Facilitate partnerships among firms, NGOs, governments and academic institutions.Share Canadian leadership in technology, products and skills in the support of urban sustainable development.Involve the private sector in sustainable development.*What is the Sustainable Cities Initative?

SCI forms a team of city officials, local stakeholders, and Canadian public and private organisations that are interested in implementing sustainable development projects.How does it work? - Team Building

SCI holds public stakeholder dialogues for each sector to: Develop an Integrated Roadmap for Urban Sustainable Development which sets sector priorities, and generates ideas and public support for projects. How does it work? Public Dialogue for Integrated Planning

Canadian organisations work with municipal officials and local partners to develop more detailed information about the project (such as the scope of the project, the financing requirements, potential sources of financing for implementation, etc).

SCI provides financial support to Canadian organizations for pre-feasibility studies, workshop delivery, technical missions to Canada. However, SCI is not a funding program and does not fund project implementation.

How does it work? - Project Definition and Funding

Context and BackgroundIn 1999 Canada launched the SCI as a pilot program to respond to the development needs of growing cities around the worldSuccesses of the program were recognized by the World Summit Business Award at WSSD in 2002 and Canada announced expansion, now up to 16 cities

SCI in 16 Cities Around the World

Results of SCI Public PlanningBroad public stakeholder dialogues held in all 16 cities in urban sectors (water, waste, transportation, planning,etc)Roadmap documents to define priority needs and areas of collaboration with Canada

Results of SCI Example projectsInternational private-public expert teams collaborating on feasibility studies and financing Examples:Landfill gas capture and waste management DakarTraining for emissions testing Durban, South Africa Future regional water supply Northern MexicoWaste-to-energy Facility Matamoros, MexicoWaterfront Development Vina del Mar, ChileCreation of GIS Database Porto Alegre, Brazil

SCI What are the Benefits?

Benefits for the SCI City:

Creates a forum and framework to discuss regional development and identify projects that help the development of the city and region.

Helps build capacity by bringing together local and Canadian experts.

Takes projects from the idea stage through to implementation.

Makes the city a more attractive destination for investment by demonstrating the commitment to long term development and planning.

SCI What are the Benefits?

Benefits for Canada:Provides an opportunity for Canadian organizations to meet with the decision makers in the region.By working with the municipalities, projects have local support and a better chance of success.Showcases Canadian expertise around the world.

Benefits to Country:Brings a pool of expertise and ideas to promote sustainable developmentMajor cities can become models of sustainability for other cities in the country (ex. Canada-Mexico Partnership)

*Conclusion and Future eventsThe real strength of SCI is in the partnership that is formed. More can be achieved by grouping resources and expertise together under SCI than can be done when cities and organisations work independently.

Future Event

World Urban Forum 19-23 June 2006 (Vancouver, Canada)