Stewardship, Good Governance and Ethics

Abstract

The term ‘stewardship’ has gained currency in a wide range of policy debates over the appropriate roles and responsibilities of industry, government, and citizens in various economic and environmental governance processes. But as the Institute On Governance discovered in a recent grey literature survey of what is being done around the world in the name of stewardship, there is remarkably little consistency to the usage of the term. In this policy brief we clarify the meaning of ‘stewardship’ in three moves. First, we outline common current usages. Second, we illustrate the problems with inconsistent usages in the context of biotechnology in Canada. Finally, we compare ‘stewardship’ to the related concepts of ‘good governance’ and ‘ethics.'