Online bulletin no.5

THE FIGHT AGAINST POVERTY:

AN ESSENTIAL COMPONENT OF SUSTAINABLE DEVELOPMENT

“ […] eradicating poverty is the greatest global challenge facing the world today and an indispensable requirement for sustainable development, […].” (United Nations resolution A/RES/64/236, Dec. 2009)

In May 2009, theComité consultatif de lutte contre la pauvreté et l’exclusion socialepublished its sustainable development action plan. In it, the Comité expressed its conviction that sustainable development is not possible without fighting poverty. In this reflection, the Comité wishes to show that the social dimension is tied as much to sustainable development as are the economic and environmental dimensions.

A shared concern

The connections between fighting poverty and the principles of sustainable development are clearly stated in numerous documents on the subject. For example, the Sustainable Development Act,[1]passed in April 2006, takes into account the inseparable nature of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of development activities. Several of the principles set out in the Act are directly or indirectly related to the fight against poverty, particularly the principles of equity and social solidarity, of citizen participation and commitment and of access to knowledge.

The Government Sustainable Development Strategy, published in 2007,[2]gives a prominent place to the social dimension. One of the Strategy’s nine directions[3]is aimed at preventing and fighting against poverty and social exclusion.

Although theAct to combat poverty and social exclusion[4]does not use the term“sustainable”, its preamble declares that it is based on the economic and social development of Québec society and on the social, cultural and economic development of all human beings.

Finally, since its work began, the Comité has affirmed, in several of its publications, its conviction that sustainable development and the fight against poverty must be pursued through an integrated approach. More concretely, the Comité has emphasized that the costs associated with poverty affect the entire population and that investments to fight poverty are part of the solution for stimulating our collective development. The Comité has determined that local action is the preferred way of mobilizing stakeholders around comprehensive, integrated development for improving the quality of life of all members of a community.

The social dimension’s place

Although the Sustainable Development Act clearly affirms the inseparable character of the environmental, social and economic dimensions, it is obvious that the social dimension is often handled superficially or totally ignored. A brief survey of the sustainable development plans of several government departments and agencies shows that the social dimension is virtually absent, particularly where a government department or agency does not have any explicit social mission. Several of them even specify that the responsibilities given to them do not allow them to contribute directly to fighting poverty or reducing inequalities. It seems, therefore, that the economic and environmental dimensions often take precedence in sustainable development measures and that several departments and agencies feel that social objectives are no concern of theirs.

While it is recognized that the fight against poverty should concern society as a whole, we find that among government departments and agencies, only those with a social mission concern themselves with components for reducing social and economic inequalities. Genuine integration of the three dimensions of sustainable development has not yet been achieved, and that will be an issue to be considered when sustainable development plans are revised.

Future impacts of today’s decisions

A broader view shows that several measures and decisions implemented by government departments and agencies (whether or not they have an explicit social mission) may have future impacts on people living in poverty.

Among the decisions made today that will affect the ability of future generations to meet their needs, we can first examine a future-oriented approach in the area of public transportation called Transit Oriented Development (TOD)[5]. When that approach is used, gentrification[6]is often observed. The Comité is aware of the sustainable development advantages of TOD-based urban planning and believes that it is important to reservea portion of the residential development of such sectors for public housing so that people living in poverty can also benefit from this type of urbanization[7].

The question of landuse planning is now at a crossroads. In fact, it was considered in various consultations surrounding work on Bill 47, Sustainable Regional and Local Land Use Planning Act. The decisions that will be made on land use and on the development and use of our resources will shape Québec for the coming decades and will have consequences on the conservation of our natural resources, such as water, forests and agricultural zones, that will surely impact access to food supplies and food security. It is essential that the prevention and reduction of socioeconomic inequalities be taken into account in land use discussions.

Moreover, land use planning strategies should systematically involve social inclusion measures. In this area, the social aspect is sometimes put aside in the name of respect for the environment. Consider, for example, the development of public transportation in neighbourhoods where there are more cars, which are also more affluent neighbourhoods. The development of public transportation should also be ensured in less affluent neighbourhoods so as to improve the mobility of people who are living in poverty.

Several other realities may have a real effect on future generations. Tuition fee increases, for example,may have a negative impact on the higher education plans of many students. In fact, societies that have imposed tuition fees after a period of free education have experienced a decline in university attendance, particularly among less fortunate students. We should recall that access to higher education is a heritage bequeathed to future generations and children who grow up in families with people who have university degrees have a higher likelihood of attaining a similar level of education and having higher-paying jobs.

Conclusion

Without a doubt, sustainable development and the fight against poverty are interdependent. The Comité is convinced that the objectives in the Government Sustainable Development Strategy will not be achieved unless we effectively address the inequalities and social exclusion that are associated with them. The fight against poverty makes it possible to put people at the core of sustainable development and seeks to provide an adequate standard of living to the entire population. The right to an adequate standard of living is recognized in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.

If sustainable development strategies do not take into account the current realities of people living in poverty, their situation is likely to persist and perhaps worsen. Alleviating poverty and inequality is certainly a way to pass on a better world to future generations.

With less poverty, all of us stand to gain immeasurably….

1

[1]. R.S.Q., chapter D-8.1.1.

[2].GOUVERNEMENT DU QUÉBEC, Government Sustainable Development Strategy 2008-2013, 2007, 83 p.

[3]. Direction 9: Prevent and Reduce Social and Economic Inequality.

[4].R.S.Q., chapter L-7.

[5].Urban development centred on public transportation that promotes high-density residential and commercial development built around a transportation infrastructure (train or subway) laid out to facilitate transportation that does not involve automobiles.

[6]. In this context, the Comité uses the term “gentrification”, to mean the conversion of the socioeconomic profile of a neighbourhood to reflect a more affluent social group.

[7]. The needs of seniors and handicapped people also need to be taken into account, particularly in public transportation, so as to downsize the parallel paratransit system, in special needs housing and in improvements to building accessibility.