Jim MacNeill
Encyclopedia
James 'Jim' William MacNeill, OC
(born April 22, 1928 in Saskatchewan
) is a Canadian
consultant, environmentalist
, and international public servant.
He was Director of Environment at OECD in Paris
(1978–1984), Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission
) and lead author of its landmark report Our Common Future (1984–1987), and member and Chairman of the World Bank's Inspection Panel
(1997–2002).
He is currently a member of the Caspian Development Advisory Panel, the jury of the Volvo Foundation’s Environment Prize, and a member of several boards including the Woods Hole Research Center
, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
.
in the southern dust bowl
of Saskatchewan
to the village of Sturgis
in the province’s central park belt.
He received a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and a Bachelor of Engineering (Mech) in 1958 from the University of Saskatchewan
, and a Graduate Diploma in Economics and Political Science in 1951 from the University of Stockholm, Sweden
.
, MacNeill began his public service career in Saskatchewan in 1952 as a research economist in T. C. Douglas' cabinet's Economic Advisory and Planning Board. In 1959, he became Executive Director of the South Saskatchewan River
Development Commission with responsibility for coordinating the power, irrigation
, and other aspects of that project. In 1964, as Vice Chairman and Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Water Resources Commission, his responsibilities were broadened to include management of all of the Province's water resources
.
Between 1965 and 1976, he held various senior positions with the Government of Canada
. He was Director of Policy and Planning in the then new Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (1965–1968), moving on to Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Water and Renewable Resources in 1968. He was appointed Special Advisor on the Constitution and Environment in the Privy Council Office in 1969. Over the next two years, he developed the Government's basic position on the environment and the constitution and wrote his first book, Environmental Management. In 1971, he joined Canada's then new Department of Environment as Director General of Intergovernmental Affairs where he led much of Canada's substantive preparations for the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. In 1972, he became Assistant Secretary and, in 1974, Secretary (or Deputy Minister) of the new Ministry of State for Urban Affairs, Canada's first attempt to intervene nationally in the process of urban growth and development. In 1975, he was additionally appointed Canadian Commissioner General and Ambassador
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with responsibility for Canada's national and international preparations for the first United Nations
Conference on Human Settlements held in Vancouver
in May, 1976.
Moving to the international arena in 1977, Jim MacNeill served for seven years in Paris
as Director of Environment for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). While at OECD, he oversaw a program of empirical research on the relationships between the environment and the economy. In 1984, this work resulted in OECD finding that "the environment and the economy could be made mutually reinforcing," a concept that has since moved into the mainstream.
In 1984, he became a member and Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission
). He was the chief architect and principal author of the Commission's world-acclaimed report Our Common Future, which was presented to the UN General Assembly in 1987. Setting out a new global agenda for sustainable development, the report recommended what became the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio (the Earth Summit
). From 1989 to 1992, he acted as a Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Conference, Maurice Strong
. He also established and chaired the EcoFund, which raised special funding for preparations of the Conference.
Between 1988 and 2006, MacNeill served in a number of Canadian and international positions: Senior Fellow, Institute for Research on Public Policy
(1988–1993); Senior Advisor to the President of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) (1992–1997); and Senior Advisor to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme
(1994–1999) where he carried through a fundamental reorganization of UNDP's work on environment and sustainable development. From 1994-1997, he served as a member on the Board of Directors of Ontario Hydro
, then the largest electrical power utility in North America. In 1990, he was asked by Per Gyllenhammar, Chief Executive of Volvo
, to assist him in designing the Volvo Foundation’s Environment Prize and has served as a member (and now Chairman) of the Prize Jury ever since.
In 1994, as an advisor to Netherlands
Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers
, he negotiated an agreement between Mikhail Gorbachev
as the Chairman of Green Cross International
and Maurice Strong as the Chairman of the Earth Council to undertake the development of an Earth Charter
, a code of ethical principles
which has now been endorsed by over 8,000 organizations representing more than 100 million people worldwide. In 1990, he was one of three founding members of the International Institute for Sustainable Development
, an initiative of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
of Canada and Premier Gary Filmon
of Manitoba
, and served as Chairman between 1994 and 1999.
In 1997, MacNeill became a member and in 1999 full-time Chairman of the World Bank
s Independent Inspection Panel to which people affected by a Bank-financed project can appeal for an investigation of their complaints over the heads of their government and of Bank Management. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Caspian Development Advisory Panel, an independent body commissioned by Lord John Browne, Group Chief Executive Officer of BP
, to advise him on the economic, environmental and social impacts of the 1700 km (1,056.3 mi) Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline and other related BP
activities in Azerbaijan
, Georgia
and Turkey
.
Order of Canada
The Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
(born April 22, 1928 in Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
) is a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
consultant, environmentalist
Environmentalist
An environmentalist broadly supports the goals of the environmental movement, "a political and ethical movement that seeks to improve and protect the quality of the natural environment through changes to environmentally harmful human activities"...
, and international public servant.
He was Director of Environment at OECD in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
(1978–1984), Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development (Brundtland Commission
Brundtland Commission
The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development , known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983...
) and lead author of its landmark report Our Common Future (1984–1987), and member and Chairman of the World Bank's Inspection Panel
World Bank's Inspection Panel
The Inspection Panel is an independent accountability mechanism of the World Bank. It was established in September 1993 by the World Bank Board of Directors, and started operations on August 1, 1994. The Panel provides a forum for people who believe that they may be adversely affected by...
(1997–2002).
He is currently a member of the Caspian Development Advisory Panel, the jury of the Volvo Foundation’s Environment Prize, and a member of several boards including the Woods Hole Research Center
Woods Hole Research Center
The Woods Hole Research Center addresses pressing environmental issues, including climate change, through scientific and policy initiatives. The Center has projects in the Amazon, the Arctic, Africa, Russia, Alaska, Canada, New England, and the Mid-Atlantic, working in collaboration with a wide...
, Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole, Massachusetts
Woods Hole is a census-designated place in the town of Falmouth in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. It lies at the extreme southwest corner of Cape Cod, near Martha's Vineyard and the Elizabeth Islands...
.
Background
Jim MacNeill was an 'ecological refugee' at the age of two, when his family moved from the hamlet of MazenodMazenod
-People:*St. Eugene de Mazenod, the founder of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and patron saint of dysfunctional families.-Schools:There are two Australian Roman Catholic high schools named Mazenod College after St...
in the southern dust bowl
Dust Bowl
The Dust Bowl, or the Dirty Thirties, was a period of severe dust storms causing major ecological and agricultural damage to American and Canadian prairie lands from 1930 to 1936...
of Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan
Saskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
to the village of Sturgis
Sturgis, Saskatchewan
-External links:* *...
in the province’s central park belt.
He received a Bachelor of Science in 1949 and a Bachelor of Engineering (Mech) in 1958 from the University of Saskatchewan
University of Saskatchewan
The University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
, and a Graduate Diploma in Economics and Political Science in 1951 from the University of Stockholm, Sweden
Sweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
.
Public service career
On his return from graduate studies in SwedenSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
, MacNeill began his public service career in Saskatchewan in 1952 as a research economist in T. C. Douglas' cabinet's Economic Advisory and Planning Board. In 1959, he became Executive Director of the South Saskatchewan River
South Saskatchewan River
The South Saskatchewan River is a major river in Canada that flows through the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan....
Development Commission with responsibility for coordinating the power, irrigation
Irrigation
Irrigation may be defined as the science of artificial application of water to the land or soil. It is used to assist in the growing of agricultural crops, maintenance of landscapes, and revegetation of disturbed soils in dry areas and during periods of inadequate rainfall...
, and other aspects of that project. In 1964, as Vice Chairman and Executive Director of the Saskatchewan Water Resources Commission, his responsibilities were broadened to include management of all of the Province's water resources
Water resources
Water resources are sources of water that are useful or potentially useful. Uses of water include agricultural, industrial, household, recreational and environmental activities. Virtually all of these human uses require fresh water....
.
Between 1965 and 1976, he held various senior positions with the Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
. He was Director of Policy and Planning in the then new Canadian Department of Energy, Mines and Resources (1965–1968), moving on to Acting Assistant Deputy Minister, Water and Renewable Resources in 1968. He was appointed Special Advisor on the Constitution and Environment in the Privy Council Office in 1969. Over the next two years, he developed the Government's basic position on the environment and the constitution and wrote his first book, Environmental Management. In 1971, he joined Canada's then new Department of Environment as Director General of Intergovernmental Affairs where he led much of Canada's substantive preparations for the 1972 Stockholm Conference on the Human Environment. In 1972, he became Assistant Secretary and, in 1974, Secretary (or Deputy Minister) of the new Ministry of State for Urban Affairs, Canada's first attempt to intervene nationally in the process of urban growth and development. In 1975, he was additionally appointed Canadian Commissioner General and Ambassador
Ambassador
An ambassador is the highest ranking diplomat who represents a nation and is usually accredited to a foreign sovereign or government, or to an international organization....
Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary with responsibility for Canada's national and international preparations for the first United Nations
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Conference on Human Settlements held in Vancouver
Vancouver
Vancouver is a coastal seaport city on the mainland of British Columbia, Canada. It is the hub of Greater Vancouver, which, with over 2.3 million residents, is the third most populous metropolitan area in the country,...
in May, 1976.
Moving to the international arena in 1977, Jim MacNeill served for seven years in Paris
Paris
Paris is the capital and largest city in France, situated on the river Seine, in northern France, at the heart of the Île-de-France region...
as Director of Environment for the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development (OECD). While at OECD, he oversaw a program of empirical research on the relationships between the environment and the economy. In 1984, this work resulted in OECD finding that "the environment and the economy could be made mutually reinforcing," a concept that has since moved into the mainstream.
In 1984, he became a member and Secretary General of the World Commission on Environment and Development (the Brundtland Commission
Brundtland Commission
The Brundtland Commission, formally the World Commission on Environment and Development , known by the name of its Chair Gro Harlem Brundtland, was convened by the United Nations in 1983...
). He was the chief architect and principal author of the Commission's world-acclaimed report Our Common Future, which was presented to the UN General Assembly in 1987. Setting out a new global agenda for sustainable development, the report recommended what became the 1992 UN Conference on Environment and Development in Rio (the Earth Summit
Earth Summit
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development , also known as the Rio Summit, Rio Conference, Earth Summit was a major United Nations conference held in Rio de Janeiro from 3 June to 14 June 1992.-Overview:...
). From 1989 to 1992, he acted as a Special Advisor to the Secretary General of the Conference, Maurice Strong
Maurice Strong
Maurice F. Strong, PC, CC, OM, FRSC is a Canadian entrepreneur and a former under-secretary general of the United Nations. Strong's first name is pronounced "Mor'ris" with the accent on the first syllable....
. He also established and chaired the EcoFund, which raised special funding for preparations of the Conference.
Between 1988 and 2006, MacNeill served in a number of Canadian and international positions: Senior Fellow, Institute for Research on Public Policy
Institute for Research on Public Policy
The Institute for Research on Public Policy is Canada's oldest non-partisan public policy think tank. Based in Montreal and founded in 1972, it publishes Policy Options, edited by L. Ian MacDonald...
(1988–1993); Senior Advisor to the President of the International Development Research Center (IDRC) (1992–1997); and Senior Advisor to the Administrator, United Nations Development Programme
United Nations Development Programme
The United Nations Development Programme is the United Nations' global development network. It advocates for change and connects countries to knowledge, experience and resources to help people build a better life. UNDP operates in 177 countries, working with nations on their own solutions to...
(1994–1999) where he carried through a fundamental reorganization of UNDP's work on environment and sustainable development. From 1994-1997, he served as a member on the Board of Directors of Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro
Ontario Hydro was the official name from 1974 of the Hydro-Electric Power Commission of Ontario which was established in 1906 by the provincial Power Commission Act to build transmission lines to supply municipal utilities with electricity generated by private companies already operating at Niagara...
, then the largest electrical power utility in North America. In 1990, he was asked by Per Gyllenhammar, Chief Executive of Volvo
Volvo
AB Volvo is a Swedish builder of commercial vehicles, including trucks, buses and construction equipment. Volvo also supplies marine and industrial drive systems, aerospace components and financial services...
, to assist him in designing the Volvo Foundation’s Environment Prize and has served as a member (and now Chairman) of the Prize Jury ever since.
In 1994, as an advisor to Netherlands
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
Prime Minister Ruud Lubbers
Ruud Lubbers
Rudolphus Franciscus Marie "Ruud" Lubbers is a retired Dutch politician of the Christian Democratic Appeal . He served as Prime Minister of the Netherlands from November 4, 1982 until August 22, 1994....
, he negotiated an agreement between Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Gorbachev
Mikhail Sergeyevich Gorbachev is a former Soviet statesman, having served as General Secretary of the Communist Party of the Soviet Union from 1985 until 1991, and as the last head of state of the USSR, having served from 1988 until its dissolution in 1991...
as the Chairman of Green Cross International
Green Cross International
Green Cross International is an environmental organisation founded by former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev in 1993, building upon the work started by the 1992 Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil...
and Maurice Strong as the Chairman of the Earth Council to undertake the development of an Earth Charter
Earth Charter
The Earth Charter is an international declaration of fundamental values and principles considered useful by its supporters for building a just, sustainable, and peaceful global society in the 21st century...
, a code of ethical principles
Ethics
Ethics, also known as moral philosophy, is a branch of philosophy that addresses questions about morality—that is, concepts such as good and evil, right and wrong, virtue and vice, justice and crime, etc.Major branches of ethics include:...
which has now been endorsed by over 8,000 organizations representing more than 100 million people worldwide. In 1990, he was one of three founding members of the International Institute for Sustainable Development
Sustainable development
Sustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
, an initiative of Prime Minister Brian Mulroney
Brian Mulroney
Martin Brian Mulroney, was the 18th Prime Minister of Canada from September 17, 1984, to June 25, 1993 and was leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Canada from 1983 to 1993. His tenure as Prime Minister was marked by the introduction of major economic reforms, such as the Canada-U.S...
of Canada and Premier Gary Filmon
Gary Filmon
Gary Albert Filmon, PC, OC, OM is a Manitoba politician. He was the leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Manitoba from 1983 to 2000, and served as the 19th Premier from 1988 to 1999.-Early life and municipal career:...
of Manitoba
Manitoba
Manitoba is a Canadian prairie province with an area of . The province has over 110,000 lakes and has a largely continental climate because of its flat topography. Agriculture, mostly concentrated in the fertile southern and western parts of the province, is vital to the province's economy; other...
, and served as Chairman between 1994 and 1999.
In 1997, MacNeill became a member and in 1999 full-time Chairman of the World Bank
World Bank
The World Bank is an international financial institution that provides loans to developing countries for capital programmes.The World Bank's official goal is the reduction of poverty...
s Independent Inspection Panel to which people affected by a Bank-financed project can appeal for an investigation of their complaints over the heads of their government and of Bank Management. Since 2003, he has been a member of the Caspian Development Advisory Panel, an independent body commissioned by Lord John Browne, Group Chief Executive Officer of BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
, to advise him on the economic, environmental and social impacts of the 1700 km (1,056.3 mi) Baku–Tbilisi–Ceyhan pipeline and other related BP
BP
BP p.l.c. is a global oil and gas company headquartered in London, United Kingdom. It is the third-largest energy company and fourth-largest company in the world measured by revenues and one of the six oil and gas "supermajors"...
activities in Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan
Azerbaijan , officially the Republic of Azerbaijan is the largest country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded by the Caspian Sea to the east, Russia to the north, Georgia to the northwest, Armenia to the west, and Iran to...
, Georgia
Georgia (country)
Georgia is a sovereign state in the Caucasus region of Eurasia. Located at the crossroads of Western Asia and Eastern Europe, it is bounded to the west by the Black Sea, to the north by Russia, to the southwest by Turkey, to the south by Armenia, and to the southeast by Azerbaijan. The capital of...
and Turkey
Turkey
Turkey , known officially as the Republic of Turkey , is a Eurasian country located in Western Asia and in East Thrace in Southeastern Europe...
.
Awards
- In 1983, he received the City of Paris' Silver MedalSilver medalA silver medal is a medal awarded to the second place finisher of contests such as the Olympic Games, Commonwealth Games, and contests with similar formats....
. - In 1984, he received the highest achievement award of his native Province of SaskatchewanSaskatchewanSaskatchewan is a prairie province in Canada, which has an area of . Saskatchewan is bordered on the west by Alberta, on the north by the Northwest Territories, on the east by Manitoba, and on the south by the U.S. states of Montana and North Dakota....
. - In 1991, he received the Merit Award of the Climate Institute.
- In 1991, he received the WASA Environmental Award from the King of Sweden.
- In 1994, he received the Lifetime Achievement Award of Environment Canada.
- In 1995, he was appointed is an Officer of the Order of CanadaOrder of CanadaThe Order of Canada is a Canadian national order, admission into which is, within the system of orders, decorations, and medals of Canada, the second highest honour for merit...
. - In 2002, UN Secretary General Kofi AnnanKofi AnnanKofi Atta Annan is a Ghanaian diplomat who served as the seventh Secretary-General of the UN from 1 January 1997 to 31 December 2006...
presented him with the Candlelight Award for his distinguished service to the United NationsUnited NationsThe United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
and his key role in promoting and advancing sustainable developmentSustainable developmentSustainable development is a pattern of resource use, that aims to meet human needs while preserving the environment so that these needs can be met not only in the present, but also for generations to come...
. - In 2006 he received the Elizabeth Haub Award for environmental diplomacy.
Honours
- In 1988, he received an honorary Doctorate of Laws from the University of SaskatchewanUniversity of SaskatchewanThe University of Saskatchewan is a Canadian public research university, founded in 1907, and located on the east side of the South Saskatchewan River in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada. An "Act to establish and incorporate a University for the Province of Saskatchewan" was passed by the...
. - In 1992, he received an honorary Doctorate of Science from McGill UniversityMcGill UniversityMohammed Fathy is a public research university located in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. The university bears the name of James McGill, a prominent Montreal merchant from Glasgow, Scotland, whose bequest formed the beginning of the university...
. - In 1993, he received an honorary Doctorate of Environmental Studies from the University of WaterlooUniversity of WaterlooThe University of Waterloo is a comprehensive public university in the city of Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The school was founded in 1957 by Drs. Gerry Hagey and Ira G. Needles, and has since grown to an institution of more than 30,000 students, faculty, and staff...
. - In 1994, he received an honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Lakehead UniversityLakehead UniversityLakehead University is a public research university in Thunder Bay, and Orillia, Ontario, Canada.Lakehead University, shortened to 'Lakehead U', or 'LU', is non-denominational and provincially supported. It has undergraduate and graduate programs and a medical school.The school has more than 45,000...
.