Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

 

1. Context for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS):

In keeping with the objectives of the Act to make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, ACOA supports reporting on the implementation of the FSDS and its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy, or equivalent document, through the activities described in this supplementary information template.

2. Sustainable Development at the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency

ACOA’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy for 2017 to 2020 describes the Agency’s actions in support of achieving low-carbon government, clean growth, clean energy and sustainably managed lands and forests. This supplementary information template presents available results for the Agency’s actions pertinent to these goals. Last year’s version of this supplementary information template is also posted on ACOA’s website. This year, ACOA is also noting which UN Sustainable Development Goal target each Agency action contributes to achieving.

3. Departmental performance by FSDS goal

The following tables provide performance information on ACOA’s actions in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.

FSDS goal: Low-carbon government

FSDS target FSDS contributing action Corresponding Agency action Support for UN Sustainable Development Goal target Starting point, target and performance indicator for Agency action Results achieved
Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025 Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement Ensure and track the completion of Green Procurement training for all of the Agency’s acquisition cardholders.
Ensure the integration of environmental performance considerations into the procurement process, including planning, acquisition, use and disposal.
Monitor and analyze green purchase trends.
12.7 Reach a 100% rate for the Agency’s acquisition cardholders having completed the Green Procurement training by the end of fiscal year 2017‑18. 100% of Agency acquisition cardholders have completed the Green Procurement training.
Maintain at 95% the proportion of toner cartridges recycled relative to the total value of all toner cartridges purchased in the given fiscal year. 100% of toner cartridges are recycled.
For paper usage, maintain at 95% the proportion of copy paper containing a minimum of 30% recycled content. 99.9% of copy paper purchased contained a minimum of 30% recycled content.
Prioritize the use of paper from responsible sources (i.e. certified to the standards of the Forest Stewardship Council) for outsourced printing. Forest Stewardship Council certified paper is used for all letterhead, business cards and envelopes.
Promote sustainable travel practices Continue with the implementation of more robust video and teleconferencing capabilities, thereby reducing the need to commute and travel for in-person meetings.
Ensure green fleet procurement by following the guide Step by Step: How to buy Green Passenger Cars and Light Trucks.
12.7 Continue the upgrades to the video conferencing system in major boardrooms across the regions and at Head Office. Video conferencing systems in major boardrooms continue to be upgraded. New audio systems, monitors and webcams, as well as systems enabling laptop screens to be viewed on main screens, were purchased.
100% of vehicle purchases for the Agency are supported by a strong rationale demonstrating that hybrid or fuel-efficient vehicles have been considered. 100% of vehicle purchases (4) were supported by a rationale demonstrating that hybrid options were considered.

FSDS goal: Clean growth

FSDS target FSDS contributing action Corresponding Agency action Support for UN Sustainable Development Goal target Starting point, target and performance indicator for Agency action Results achieved
Implement our Mission Innovation commitment to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration, by 2020, from 2015 levels Invest in technologies to reduce GHG and air pollutant emissions Support economic development projects that foster the development, commercialization, export and adoption of clean technologies. Where appropriate, ACOA will collaborate with regional and provincial stakeholders, including postsecondary institutions, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous communities and research centres, when making those investments. 9.5 ACOA annual spending ($) for economic development projects that foster the development, commercialization, export and adoption of clean technologies, and the scaling up of clean tech firms. In 2017-18, ACOA spent $33 million for economic development projects that foster the development, commercialization, export and adoption of clean technologies, and the scaling up of clean tech firms.

FSDS goal: Clean energy

FSDS target FSDS contributing action Corresponding Agency action Support for UN Sustainable Development Goal target Starting point, target and performance indicator for Agency action Results achieved
By 2030, 90% and, in the long term, 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy Facilitate the development of the region’s renewable energy sector by fostering collaboration, common understanding and communication among governments, and between governments and the private sector, to maximize and expedite the development of clean and renewable energy resources in the region. This will be done through the Atlantic Energy Gateway initiative. 7.2 Number and type of Atlantic Energy Gateway meetings per fiscal year. In 2017-18, over 30 meetings of the steering committee and the technical committee were held.
Number and type of collaborative joint initiatives per fiscal year. In 2017-18, ACOA used the Atlantic Energy Gateway structure to bring together the four Provinces and their respective utilities in order to facilitate Natural Resources Canada on their engagement to help jurisdictions reliant on fossil fuel-fired electricity generation transition to a generation portfolio mix, which will help meet national GHG emissions reductions target for 2030.

FSDS goal: Sustainably managed lands and forests

FSDS target FSDS contributing action Corresponding Agency action Support for UN Sustainable Development Goal target Starting point, target and performance indicator for Agency action Results achieved
By 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland water are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures Build capacity and provide support In 2017-18, support of intervention measures to prevent the spread of spruce budworm in the forests of the Atlantic provinces. 15.2 Annual ACOA expenditures ($) for the project. In 2017-18, ACOA spent $4.3 million on intervention measures to prevent the spread of spruce budworm in the forests of the Atlantic provinces.

4. Report on integrating sustainable development

During the 2017-18 reporting cycle, ACOA had no proposals that required a Strategic Environmental Assessment, and no public statements were produced.

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