Sustainable Development Strategy

Canada’s Environment Minister Jim Prentice has announced the tabling of a new Federal Sustainable Development Strategy for Canada which provides a government-wide approach to improve environmental sustainability. The Strategy renders federal environmental decision making more transparent and accountable to Canadians. “For the first time, Canadians and Parliamentarians will be able to see a comprehensive picture of federal actions to achieve environmental sustainability and also be able to track progress,” said Prentice. The Government will reduce levels of greenhouse gas emissions from its own operations to match the national target of 17% below 2005 by 2020 .

The Strategy responds to comments and recommendations by Commissioners of the Environment and Sustainable Development over the years about systemic weaknesses in the previous approach to Sustainable Development in the Government of Canada. The Federal Sustainable Development Strategy makes three key improvements to the transparency of environmental decision-making. First, it provides an integrated, whole-of-government picture of government actions and concrete results to achieve environmental sustainability.

Second, it forges a clear link between sustainable development planning and reporting and the Government’s core expenditure planning and reporting system. Lastly, it sets the stage for effective measurement, monitoring, and reporting in order to track and report on progress to Canadians. The Strategy increases transparency that will drive change over time.

The three-year cycle to update and report on results in the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy establishes a system of “plan, do, check, and improve”. The new approach promises to be a useful and meaningful addition to results-based public management. At the same time, the Government is taking measures to reduce the environmental footprint of its own operations in the key areas of green buildings, electronic waste, printing units, paper consumption, green meetings, green procurement, and greenhouse gas emissions from federal operations.

The Strategy also commits to strengthening the guidelines for strategic environmental assessments by federal departments which help integrate environmental considerations related to economic and social decision-making. For example: Departments and agencies will describe the impact of their initiatives on federal environmental goals and targets in their SEA public statements. Departments and agencies will report on the extent and results of their SEA practices.

This will include summary information in Departmental Performance Reports of how initiatives subject to SEA have affected or are expected to affect progress toward federal environmental goals and targets The complete Federal Sustainable Development Strategy is available for review.