Canada is one of the most beautiful, varied, and inspiring natural environments on earth. Few countries contain such topographical differences as the West Coast, the mountain regions, the prairies, the Arctic, the cityscapes close to the American border, and the eastern forests. The Canadian territory is the second largest in the world, and it borders on three oceans--its fourth border is with the United States, the most powerful economy in the world. This provides Canadians unique access to a large market, but also raises many problems related not only to political and cultural influence, but to transborder pollution.

This book investigates the complexities of Canadian environmental policy. The text is split into three sections: the political context in which decisions are made; issue areas in need of engagement; and perspectives on the achievement of sustainable development, which colour the Canadian conceptual landscape.

The first section outlines the state of the Canadian environment, the actors and institutions involved in environmental policy formation (and a detailed history of Environment Canada), and the international context of modern decision-making. The second section is issue-specific, including chapters on environmental law, risk management and environmental impact assessment, international treaties and conventions involving Canada, and an overall assessment of Canadian policy. The final section deals with values and theories, from gender issues to environmental ethics. The book serves as a comprehensive introduction that makes explicit recognition of the transnational character of environmental policy formation in the era of globalization, and offers critical insights into the decision-making process.

O.P. Dwivedi is University Professor Emeritus at the University of Guelph. He was bestowed with the Order of Canada in 2005, Canada's highest civilian honour, and has published widely on bureaucratic management as well as the environment, including co-editing Administrative Culture in a Global Context (de Sitter, 2005) and Sustainable Development in Canada: National and International Perspectives (Broadview Press, 2001).

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Patrick Kyba is a Professor of Political Science at the University of Guelph. His books include Covenants Without the Sword and Alvin: A Biography of the Honourable Alvin Hamilton.

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Peter J. Stoett is Professor of Political Science at Concordia University in Montreal and Senior Research Fellow with the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change. In 2012 he was the Fulbright Visiting Research Chair in Canada-US Relations at the Woodrow Wilson International Center for Scholars. His other works include The International Politics of Whaling (1997), Human and Global Security: An Exploration of Terms (2000), Sustainable Development and Canada: National and International Perspectives (2001, co-author), Environmental Challenges and Opportunities: Local-Global Perspectives on Canadian Issues (2008, co-editor), and Global Politics: Origins, Currents, Directions (fourth edition 2010, co-author).

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Rebecca Tiessen is associate professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa.Stephen Baranyi is associate professor in the School of International Development and Global Studies at the University of Ottawa.

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