Press release

Accountability Through Measurement: CSIN conference to advance best practices for sustainability

February 17, 2010
WINNIPEG—February 18, 2010—How to gauge progress towards social, economic and environmental sustainability is the main focus of the Canadian Sustainability Indicators Network's two-day conference on Accountability Through Measurement, to be held at the Marriott Courtyard in Toronto, March 2 and 3, 2010.

CSIN is a one-of-a-kind Canadian network of 1,200 members with a mission to foster development of sustainability indicators and the effective use of these indicators in decision-making. The network is part of the International Institute for Sustainable Development's measurement and assessment program.

Roy Romanow, chair of the Canadian Institute of Wellbeing, will be the keynote speaker at the gala dinner on March 3, talking about the importance of measuring what matters most to Canadians.

"Accountability and sustainability cannot be achieved with accurate measurements of our successes and failures," said László Pintér, IISD director of measurement and assessment.

The 2nd National CSIN Conference follows OECD's Charting Progress, Building Visions, Improving Life World Forum, held in South Korea in October 2009, which featured the launch of IISD's BellagioSTAMP, a set of guiding principles to measure and assess progress towards sustainability.

The CSIN conference features presentations by renowned experts including:

  • Scott Vaughan, Canada's Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
  • Johanne Gélinas, Partner and Leader of Deloitte Canada's Corporate Responsibility and Sustainability Group
  • Enrico Giovannini, President of the Italian National Statistics Institute (ISTAT)
  • Hazel Henderson, founder of Ethical Markets Media - author, futurist and syndicated columnist 

The conference offers several optional workshops as well as plenary sessions. Themes include:

  • Strengthening Sustainable Development Governance through Measurement
  • Getting the Message Across – Innovation in the Visualization of Indicators
  • From Information to Influence–Incorporating Indicators into Decision-Making
  • Experiences and Best Practices
  • The Business of Sustainability Indicators.

The media desk will open in Spadina Foyer of the Marriott Courtyard at 7:30 a.m., March 2. Registration is available online.

About CSIN

The Canadian Sustainable Indicators Network (CSIN) is housed with IISD's Measurement and Assessment program in Winnipeg. CSIN connects the institute with international, national, provincial, regional and local communities.

For more information, please contact:
IISD media officer, Nona Pelletier: Phone: +1-(204)-958-7740, Cell: +1-(204)-962-1303 or
Sue Barkman at the conference: Phone: +1-(204)-958-7738, Cell: +1-(204)-795-5898

About IISD

The International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) is a globally recognized think tank with 3 decades of experience working to solve the world’s most pressing sustainable development challenges. We combine deep expertise in a wide range of issues with a collaborative approach to research, policy advice, and hands-on support to ensure these solutions are brought to life. Headquartered in Winnipeg, Manitoba, we are a diverse team of over 300 professionals working from offices in Canada, Switzerland, and other locations around the world.