Archived: Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2015 to 2016 report, Environment and Climate Change Canada, chapter 2

Target 1.1: Climate Change Mitigation

Relative to 2005 emission levels, reduce Canada’s total Greenhouse Gas (GHG) emissions 17% by 2020.

As of 2014, Canada’s greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions were 2.0% below the 2005 level of 747 megatonnes of carbon dioxide equivalent (Mt CO₂eq).

In 2020, Canada’s annual GHG emissions are expected to be between 749 and 790 Mt CO₂eq, without taking into account the contribution of the land use, land-use change and forestry sector (LULUCF).

Target 1.2: Climate Change Adaptation

Facilitate reduced vulnerability of individuals, communities, regions and economic sectors to the impacts of climate change through the development and provision of information and tools.

The federal government continued to develop and share scientific knowledge and tools to help provinces and territories, communities, sectors and individual Canadians manage climate risks.

ECCC provided updated information about observed and projected changes in climate to support adaptation planning and decision making in Canada.

Target 2.1: Outdoor Air Pollutants

Improve outdoor air quality by ensuring compliance with new or amended regulated emission limits by 2020 and thus reducing emissions of air pollutants in support of Air Quality Management System (AQMS) objectives.

New and amended regulations for air pollutants have contributed to continued decrease in emission levels of four key air pollutants: emissions of sulphur oxides (SOx), nitrogen oxides (NOx), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and carbon monoxide (CO) were 9% to 63% lower in 2014 than in 1990.

SO_X emissions: 5% decrease from 2013 levels; 63% lower than in 1990

NO_X emissions: 1% decrease from 2013 levels; 33% lower than in 1990

VOC emissions: 1% increase from 2013 levels; 50% lower than in 1990

NH₃ emissions: 1% decrease from 2013 levels; 21% higher than in 1990

CO emissions: 2% increase from 2013 levels; 62% lower than in 1990

PM_2.5 emissions: 0.1% increase from 2013 levels; 9% decrease from 1990 levels

Target 3.3: Great Lakes - Canadian Areas of Concern

Take federal actions to restore beneficial uses for delisting 5 Canadian Areas of Concern (AOC) and to reduce the number of Impaired Beneficial Uses in the remaining Areas of Concern by 25% by 2019.

Target 3.4: Great Lakes

Contribute to the restoration and protection of the Great Lakes by developing and gaining bi-national acceptance of objectives for the management of nutrients in Lake Erie by 2016 and for the other Great Lakes as required.

In partnership with the U.S., Province of Ontario and the eight Great Lakes States, developed and adopted new Canada-United States phosphorus load reduction targets for Lake Erie. The targets call for a 40% reduction in phosphorus loads compared to the 2008 baseline, to combat Lake Erie algal blooms.

The State of the Great Lakes report, once published, will provide an update of phosphorus levels in the Great Lakes.

Target 3.5: St. Lawrence River

Take federal actions to reduce pollutants in order to improve water quality, conserve biodiversity and ensure beneficial uses in the St. Lawrence River by 2016.

Phosphorus levels at 7 out of 9 water quality monitoring stations along the St. Lawrence River and nitrogen levels at 6 out of 9 monitoring stations exceeded water quality guidelines more than 50% of the time during the period 2012 to 2014.

Higher phosphorus levels are found in agricultural areas along the south shore of the river between Richelieu and Bécancour rivers.

Target 3.6: Lake Simcoe and South-eastern Georgian Bay

Reduce an estimated 2000 kg of phosphorus loadings to Lake Simcoe by 2017, which will support the Province of Ontario’s target to reduce phosphorus inputs into Lake Simcoe to 44 000 kg/year by 2045.

Reduce an estimated 2000 kg of phosphorus loadings to South-eastern Georgian Bay watersheds by 2017.

Phosphorus reduction projects completed by March 2016 under the Lake Simcoe/South-eastern Georgian Bay Clean-up Fund prevented approximately 5365 kg of phosphorus per year from entering the Lake Simcoe watershed.

Similarly, stewardship projects prevented an estimated 658 kg of phosphorus per year from reaching South-eastern Georgian Bay and its tributary rivers.

Target 3.7: Lake Winnipeg Basin

By 2017, reduce phosphorus inputs to water bodies in the Lake Winnipeg Basin, in support of the Province of Manitoba’s overall plan to reduce phosphorus in Lake Winnipeg by 50% to pre-1990 levels.

Phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg were 100% higher in 2014 than pre-1990: 0.1 milligrams of phosphorus per litre compared to 0.05 milligrams. This increase is attributed to a prolonged wet cycle in the watershed in combination with human activities.

Phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg’s North and South basins in 2013 were above water quality guidelines for the protection of freshwater plants and animals most of the time. Nitrogen levels in both basins were generally below water quality guidelines.

For the Red River, both phosphorus and nitrogen levels were consistently above water quality guidelines; for the Winnipeg River, they were always below the guidelines. Just over 44% of phosphorus samples in the Saskatchewan River were above guidelines for 2011 to 2013 while nitrogen samples were always below guidelines.

Target 3.7: Lake Winnipeg Basin

By 2017, reduce phosphorus inputs to water bodies in the Lake Winnipeg Basin, in support of the Province of Manitoba’s overall plan to reduce phosphorus in Lake Winnipeg by 50% to pre-1990 levels.

Target 3.9: Marine Pollution - Disposal at Sea

Ensure that permitted disposal at sea is sustainable, such that 85% of disposal site monitoring events do not identify the need for site management action (such as site closure) from 2013 to 2016.

Target 3.11: Wastewater and Industrial Effluent

Reduce risks associated with effluent from wastewater (sewage) and industrial sectors by 2020.

Target 3.11: Wastewater and Industrial Effluent

Reduce risks associated with effluent from wastewater (sewage) and industrial sectors by 2020.

Target 3.11: Wastewater and Industrial Effluent

Reduce risks associated with effluent from wastewater (sewage) and industrial sectors by 2020.

Level of regulatory compliance of metal mining effluent released to the environment in rivers shows stable or improved levels.

There was over 99% compliance for metals, cyanide and pH; 97.6 % for total suspended solids (TSS); and 99.0 % for acute lethality testing in 2014.

These results, which are self-reported, have been mostly stable since 2003--except for total suspended solids, for which compliance has increased from 92.1% in 2003 to 97.6 % in 2014.

Target 3.11: Wastewater and Industrial Effluent

Reduce risks associated with effluent from wastewater (sewage) and industrial sectors by 2020.

Level of regulatory compliance of pulp and paper effluent released to the environment in rivers remains stable or shows improvement.

The compliance rates were 99.8% for TSS; 99.9% for biochemical oxygen demand (BOD); and 97.5% for effluent non-lethality requirements in 2014.

Since 1985, the quality of pulp and paper effluent released directly to the environment has improved considerably.

Target 3.12: Water Resource Management

Facilitate sustainable water resource management through the collection of data and the development and dissemination of knowledge from 2013 to 2016.

Target 4.1: Species at Risk

By 2020, populations of species at risk listed under federal law exhibit trends that are consistent with recovery strategies and management plans.

Of the 307 species at risk that had final recovery strategies or management plans as of May 2015, 112 had reassessed population-oriented goals.

Of these 112 species:

• 43 (38%) showed population trends consistent with the goals of the recovery strategies;
• 40 (36%) showed trends that were inconsistent;
• 9 (8%) had some indication of both improvement and decline;
• 20 (18%) had insufficient information to determine their population trends.

Target 4.2: Migratory Birds

Improve the proportion of migratory bird species that meet their population goals.

Baseline information indicates that more than half of managed migratory bird species regularly found in Canada have population sizes within an acceptable range.

Of the managed migratory species regularly found in Canada (368 with adequate monitoring data):

• 57% (208 species) have population sizes within an acceptable range;
• 43% (160 species) do not have population sizes within an acceptable range.

Target 4.3: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Habitat Stewardship

Contribute to the proposed national target that by 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures

Habitat-conserved indicators:

Land secured by ECCC and partners as a percentage of the total amount needed to achieve waterfowl population goals.

Target 4.3: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Habitat Stewardship

Contribute to the proposed national target that by 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures

Target 4.3: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Habitat Stewardship

Contribute to the proposed national target that by 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures

Target 4.3: Terrestrial Ecosystems and Habitat Stewardship

Contribute to the proposed national target that by 2020, at least 17% of terrestrial areas and inland waters are conserved through networks of protected areas and other effective area-based conservation measures

As of 2015, 10.6% (1.05 million km²) of Canada’s terrestrial area (land and freshwater) is protected. This percentage is expected to continue to increase.

In the past 20 years, the total area protected has increased by about 70%, and in the last five years it has increased by almost 10%. In 2015, federal jurisdictions protected a total area of 512 thousand km².

Target 4.6: Invasive Alien Species

By 2020, pathways of invasive alien species introductions are identified, and risk-based intervention or management plans are in place for priority pathways and species.

Number of known new invasive alien species in Canada, by federal regulatory status

Percent of federally regulated foreign invasive alien species not established in Canada

Target 4.7: Environmental Disasters, Incidents and Emergencies

Environmental disasters, incidents and emergencies are prevented or their impacts mitigated.^Footnote 2

Target 4.8: Chemicals Management

Reduce risks to Canadians and impacts on the environment and human health posed by releases of harmful substances.^Footnote 3

Indicators:^Footnote 4

Reduce releases of harmful substances (mercury, cadmium, lead and isoprene) to the environment (air and water)

As of 2014, mercury, lead and cadmium emissions to air have been reduced to about 10% of 1990 levels (emission reductions of 89%, 89% and 92% respectively).

Releases of Hg, Pb and Cd to water in 2014 were substantially affected by the Mount Polley mine spill. This incident contributed to increased releases of Hg and Pb by a magnitude of ten as well as doubling the reported releases of Cd from the year earlier. Prior to that incident, the reported releases to water had generally been decreasing since 2003.

Target 4.8: Chemicals Management

Reduce risks to Canadians and impacts on the environment and human health posed by releases of harmful substances.^Footnote 3

Reduce concentrations of harmful substances in the environment - In 80% of drainage regions where Canadian or Federal Environmental Quality Guidelines (FEQGs) are not exceeded for selected substances:

Polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDE) in fish and sediment

Perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) in water and fish

PFOS: 100% of drainage regions sampled from 2011 to 2015 were found not to exceed FEQGs for PFOS in concentrations in surface water.

PBDE values will be reported next year.

Monitoring and surveillance of harmful substances in the environment shows that concentrations of polybrominated diphenyl ethers (PBDEs) in fish and sediment have decreased, and that perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) levels in water and in fish tissue are within guidelines; however, in some areas concentrations exceed safe levels for wildlife’s consumption of fish.