Policy bulletin 683

Commissioner’s Directive (CD) 318 ‒ Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development

This policy has been amended as part of the three year cyclical review process, as well as to align with the new requirements specified in the Treasury Board Secretariat Greening Government Strategy and the changes to the Federal Sustainable Development Act. These new requirements set commitments and targets for the Government of Canada to transition to net-zero carbon and climate-resilient operations by 2050, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon, including on waste, water and biodiversity.

In addition, key roles and responsibilities have been clarified to ensure commitments related to the Greening Government Strategy and the Federal Sustainable Development Act are met.

The Environmental Protection and Sustainable Development policy suite has been revised for simplicity and clearer context. Policy direction was incorporated into CD 318, from:

• Guidelines (GL) 318-10 – Drinking Water Quality Management
• Internal Service Directive (ISD) 318-2 – Energy and Water Conservation
• ISD 318-4 – Environmental Management of Halocarbons
• ISD 318-6 – Management of Wastewater and Wastewater Treatment Systems
• ISD 318-7 – Environmental Management of Waste
• ISD 318-8 – Environmental Management of Petroleum Storage Tank Systems, and
• ISD 318-11 – Federal Environmental Assessment of Projects.

The Environmental Protection Management Manual was created to supplement CD 318 and outlines the practices for halocarbons, wastewater collection and treatment systems, petroleum storage tanks, and drinking water.

Since the necessary information and practices are now contained in the CD and manual, the following four policy documents will be revoked when the CD 318 is promulgated: GL 318-10, ISD 318-2, ISD 318-4, ISD 318-6, ISD 318-7, ISD 318-8 and ISD 318-11.

The most significant changes to the CD are as follows:

New requirements and responsibilities have been defined following the approval, by the Executive Committee, of the Waste Reduction Program and related action plan.

The Assistant Commissioner, Corporate Services, will include in the Executive Committee agenda, twice per fiscal year, a presentation on the priorities, issues and challenges related to environmental compliance and performance. They will also represent CSC at Assistant Deputy Minister (ADM) level meetings, namely those of the Greening Government ADM Steering Committee and the Federal Contaminated Sites Action Plan ADM Oversight Board.

The Director General, Technical Services and Facilities, with the support of the Senior Director, Technical Services, and the Senior Director, Facilities, will oversee the planning, coordinating and execution of the CSC Sustainable Development Strategy and the TBS Greening Government Strategy, and represent CSC on interdepartmental Director General committees coordinated by Environment and Climate Change Canada. See CD 318, paragraph 2.

The Director, Contracting and Material Services, now has an active responsibility to ensure green procurement by using tools and training, as well as clean technologies and green products and services, in accordance with the Green Procurement Policy (2018) and the Greening Government Strategy (2020).

Specific procedures have been developed for the management framework of Institutional Environmental Management Committees (IEMC), notably with regard to:

• IEMC representatives
• quarterly meetings
• the abolition of requirements related to environmental management subcommittees
• the role of IEMC members in the active implementation of environmental compliance initiatives and contributions to the Greening Government Strategy, the Sustainable Development Strategy and CSC’s Waste Reduction Program.

The policy document was amended by the Technical Services Division in consultation with the Strategic Policy Division and with input from internal and external stakeholders.

All staff responsible for activities subject to environmental legislation and the Sustainable Development Strategy commitments for facilities owned by CSC