Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

From: Employment and Social Development Canada

On this page

• Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
• Sustainable development in Employment and Social Development Canada
• Departmental performance for the “Low-Carbon Government” goal of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
• Report on integrating sustainable development

Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets. This strategy is required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. The act also makes it mandatory for all federal departments to prepare 3-year departmental strategies. These strategies must include objectives and plans within their mandate that contribute to the federal strategy, which is prepared by Environment and Climate Change Canada.

Sustainable development in Employment and Social Development Canada

Employment and Social Development Canada (ESDC) had developed a Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy for 2017 to 2020. It describes the department’s actions in support of achieving the “Low-Carbon Government” goal. This supplementary information table presents available results for the departmental actions pertinent to this goal. Employment and Social Development Canada posted previous years’ supplementary information tables on its website.

Departmental performance for the “Low-Carbon Government” goal of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy

The department contributed to the goal and related targets of the 2016 to 2019 FSDS to lower carbon emissions in Canada. In 2019 to 2020, the department’s initiatives focused on fleet management issues, green procurement practices, as well as information technology and management initiatives. Despite its extensive operational infrastructure, the department is not involved in activities improving the energy efficiency of buildings. All departmental facilities are owned and/or operated by Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC).

Information and digital technologies are at the centre of major initiatives that will reduce the department’s operational footprint and greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. These initiatives will be included as part of the department’s 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

The following provides performance information on departmental actions during 2019 to 2020 in support of the FSDS Low-Carbon Government goal. It also identifies how these departmental actions contribute to the United Nations 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals.

FSDS target

• Reduce GHG emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025

FSDS contributing action 1 of 3

• Modernize our fleet

Corresponding departmental action 1 of 4

• Track fuel consumption of the department’s fleet

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Improve overall fuel consumption per vehicle, year to year, for the fleet

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• The department showed a 3.48% reduction to its overall fuel consumption in fiscal year 2019 to 2020 (from 134,079 litres in fiscal year 2018 to 2019 to 129,410 litres in fiscal year 2019 to 2020)
• The department reduced its GHG emissions from fleet by 3.88% (from 0.309 ktCO2e in fiscal year 2018 to 2019 to 0.297 ktCO2e in fiscal year 2019 to 2020)

Comment

• GHG emissions from fleet in fiscal year 2005 to 2006 (base year) was 1.44 ktCO2e

Corresponding departmental action 2 of 4

• Purchase fuel-efficient and hybrid-electric vehicles

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Increase percentage of hybrid vehicles in fleet from 11.6% in 2013 to 2014 to 20% by 2020

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• Current percentage of hybrid vehicles in fleet is 20% (22 vehicles out of 109)

Corresponding departmental action 3 of 4

• Ensure justifications are present when buying sport utility vehicles (SUVs), rather than the standard sedans

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Ensure all new SUV purchases are justified in annual fleet plan

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• All new SUV purchases are justified in an annual fleet plan

Corresponding departmental action 4 of 4

• Promote behavior change – such as anti-idling campaigns, car-sharing initiatives, green driving habits, etc.

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Update policy and issue guidance to users promoting behaviour change by December 2018

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• Fleet management guidance and driver’s agreement which encourage green driving behaviours was updated in 2018

Contribution by this departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

• ESDC supported the reduction of energy use in government fleets and the deployment of electric vehicles. It also supported access to workplace electric vehicle charging
• Supported sustainable development goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production

FSDS contributing action 2 of 3

• Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement

Corresponding departmental action 1 of 5

• Use PSPC tools with green measures (for example, furniture) in support of green procurement

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Where green procurement tools are available, 80% of contracts for that commodity are to use such tools

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• 97% (value) or 92% (volume) of office furniture/equipment procurement actions were considered green (included green or environmental requirements)
• 100% (value) or 100% (volume) of security equipment procurement actions were considered green

Corresponding departmental action 2 of 5

• Ensure procurement specialists complete the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement course within 1 year of commencement

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• 90% of procurement specialists to complete green procurement training within their first year in the department

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• 100% of procurement specialists completed green procurement training within their first year in the department

Corresponding departmental action 3 of 5

• Ensure new contracts for logistic services include measures to improve environmental performance (as a percentage of all new contracts for logistics services)

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• 75% of new contracts for logistics services to include measures to improve environmental performance (as a percentage of all new contracts for logistics services

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• None of the logistics contracts were considered green procurement. Note when this target was set initially, PSPC procurement instruments used by the department were considered green. These tools were subsequently changed and are no longer considered green
• A Green Policy clause has been added to the contract clauses of the most recent procurement request for proposals template (June 2019). This clause include specific instructions on usage with logistics related requirements

Corresponding departmental action 4 of 5

• Improve existing approaches to sustainable workplace practices (that is, printer ratios, paper usage and green meetings

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• Reduction of paper usage from the baseline number established in 2016 to 2017

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• In 2019 to 2020, the department consumed approximately 105 million sheets of paper. In comparison to the previous fiscal year (146.4M), this represents a 28.3% decrease
• Notwithstanding these positive results, the department is continuing to explore opportunities to reduce paper consumption. These include encouraging the use of mobile devices (laptops/tablets) instead of paper at meetings
• The department explores some options to further reduce its paper consumption. These include enabling a scan to email/shared folder/SharePoint as a standard for some business lines and use of electronic signatures

Corresponding departmental action 5 of 5

• Select and operate information technology (IT) and office equipment in a manner that reduces energy consumption and material usage

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• This action is in progress

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• the department’s implementation of this target is in progress:
  • the department purchases IT equipment with a smaller footprint and manufactured with less materials
  • the department has a strategy to increase the current ratio of mobile to desktop devices to 95% by mid-fiscal year 2020 to 2021
  • increasing the use of mobile devices (laptops/ tablets) facilitates reducing overall energy consumption within the department

Contribution by this departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

• ESDC supported clean technologies and green products and services by making environmental considerations in its purchasing decisions
• Supported sustainable development goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production.

FSDS contributing action 3 of 3

• Understand climate change impacts and build resilience

Corresponding departmental action 1 of 1

• Ensure procurement specialists and managers in procurement operations have green procurement in their performance agreements, to be applied to applicable procurements

Starting points, targets and performance indicators for departmental actions

• All procurement specialists have a statement in their performance agreements that green procurement must be considered when buying “applicable products”

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• This target was met. 100% of procurement specialists had a green procurement statement in their performance agreements

Contribution by this departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

• Green procurement helped to incorporate climate change considerations into the department’s activities
• Supported sustainable development goal 12 – Responsible consumption and production

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 1 of 6

• Further reduction of the print devices ratio to employees

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• The managed print services contract called for user-to-print device ratios to fall within the 10:1 to 15:1 range

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• The department’s user-to-print device ratio is 16:1, which surpasses both the target range and the Treasury Board Secretariat target of 8:1

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 2 of 6

• Reduction of the standard desktop operating device in favour of more mobile units

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• The 5-year plan outlines a target ratio of 80% mobile devices by fiscal year 2022 to 2023
• The fiscal year 2016 to 2017 baseline ratio was at 20.6%

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• As of April 1, 2020, 56% of employees had mobile devices

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 3 of 6

• Use of a single 34 inch monitor rather than providing everyone with 2 monitors of 24 inch

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• The 5-year strategic plan outlined a willingness to move to 34 inch monitors instead of 2 monitors of 24 inch

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• It was determined that 34 inch monitors have a price difference over 2 monitors of 24 inch
• The current workstation standard of 2 monitors per workstation, as defined in the hardware policy, remains

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 4 of 6

• Use of imaging capacity to further reduce paper holdings

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• Not applicable

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• A digital repository has been developed to facilitate electronic document storage

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 5 of 6

• Expansion of video-conferencing services and e-meetings

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• Not applicable

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• In the summer/fall of 2019, the department launched a phased approach to provide 17,000 employees with an upgraded instant messaging capability
• As of March 27, 2020, 8,090 employees had advanced audio/video and desktop sharing capabilities

Additional departmental activities and initiatives 6 of 6

• Increased awareness and education of staff about the cost of printing

Starting points, targets and performance indicators

• Not applicable

Results achieved in 2019 to 2020

• The information about printing costs is now available on the department’s intranet site (iService)

Report on integrating sustainable development

The department leads the coordination of whole-of-government and whole-of-Canada efforts to implement the United Nations 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development in close collaboration with other departments. The 2030 Agenda includes 17 sustainable development goals. These goals cover the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development and the overarching principle of leaving no one behind. ESDC helped the Government of Canada reach an important milestone by releasing Towards Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy. The strategy proposes the structures, processes and activities that need to be in place to move the 2030 Agenda forward.

ESDC’s efforts to integrate the United Nations 2030 Agenda into its policy planning and development process are ongoing. The Poverty Reduction Strategy and the Social Innovation and Social Finance Strategy are 2 concrete examples of how ESDC has integrated the 2030 Agenda sustainable development goals in its policies.

The department also started to develop a work plan to strengthen the implementation of the 2030 Agenda across the department. This plan will contribute to assessing and addressing potential gaps to support the integration of relevant 2030 Agenda goals within policies and programs.

In addition, ESDC will continue to consider the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy goals and targets when making decisions. It will do so through its strategic environmental assessment process.