The Ontario Ministry of the Environment is pleased to have partnered with the Multi-State Working Group on Environmental Performance (MSWG) for the MSWG 2006 Fall Regional Conference. This was the first international meeting of the MSWG network and allowed for thought provoking dialogue between many jurisdictions and from a range of perspectives. Over 75 people participated in the conference, including 16 speakers representing a diverse group of experts and practitioners in environmental management.

Innovation in Environmental Management: Improving Our Performance was held on October 16 -17, 2006 at the MaRS Collaboration Centre in Toronto, Ontario. The conference brought together representatives from government, industry, academia, and environmental organizations from Canada and the United States, sharing experiences and approaches for advancing environmental results.

The conference provided a discussion of common barriers and challenges to environmental management, as well as an overview of innovative governance practices and successful case studies of innovative environmental management approaches and technologies. Through concrete examples, participants were able to discuss common challenges, as well as strategies for success. The conference was organized around five major themes, addressing key issues of concern:

• From Pilots to Mainstream: Achieving Success
• Advancing Environmental Performance: Best Practices in Industry
• Working Collaboratively: Sharing Risks and Rewards
• Challenges and Barriers to Innovation
• Integrating New Approaches to Environmental Management