Canada Conserves, a national initiative to promote conservation leadership, released a new report on the future of environmental movements in Canada, finding the country “must learn to live better with less.”

Results from The Next Wave report show economic, environmental and social trends are related to our unsustainable consumption of resources.

“Deep down, we all know this,” says Chris Winter, a 30-year veteran of the environmental movement. “From backyards to boardrooms, people are consistently saying we face dark days ahead, and that we have little faith in our collective ability to avoid them.”

Winter says we need to show people that we can live better without consuming so much; however, this presents a few perplexing recommendations for Canada’s leaders across various sectors.

“The next wave has to be about hope, not despair,” adds Winter. “Not the hope that we can solve climate change or avoid an economic crunch, but the hope that there is a better way of doing things. We have to build the commitment to invest in our future.”

Looking ahead, suggestions include:

• Shift the focus away from problems to solutions. Help people live better with less.

• Promote a new vision for Canada, based on quality of life and the ability to live better with less.

• Organize new social voices, such as CivicAction Canada, to help set a new national agenda.

• Shift government climate plans to provide integrated, high-level solutions for the transition to a sustainable, energy-efficient society and economy.

• Develop coordinated national campaigns to promote solutions people want, such as urban villages, transit and safe cycling, energy conservation and renewable power, local food and local green jobs.

• Facilitate organic change. Provide the products, services and incentives that make a conserving lifestyle easy, affordable and desirable.

The free Canada Conserves report is available at www.canadaconserves.ca.