The purpose of Ministry of Environment and Energy's (MOEE) ecosystem planning initiative is to outline the ministry position on an ecosystem approach to land-use planning and cumulative effects assessment, and to identify the implications for the municipal planning process. As the first step of the ministry's initiative on ecosystem planning, the objectives of this background report are to: 1) review key concepts and characteristics associated with an ecosystem approach, 2) identify key MOEE issues and progress in implementing such an approach, and 3) provide the context for future actions to encourage and facilitate progress at the municipal level in implementing an ecosystem approach.