Archived: Departmental Results Report 2019 to 2020, supplementary tables: Department of Environment, chapter 6
Response to parliamentary committees
Report 18 - Clean Growth and Climate Change in Canada: Forestry, Agriculture and Waste
Presented to the House: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 – Government Response Presented to the House: Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Report 19 - Clean Growth and Climate Change in Canada: How Canada Can Lead Internationally
Presented to the House: Tuesday, April 9, 2019 – Government Response Presented to the House: Wednesday, June 19, 2019
Response to the Auditor General (including to the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development)
2019 Spring Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Report 2: Protecting Fish from Mining Effluent
The objective of the audit was to determine whether Environment and Climate Change Canada and Fisheries and Oceans Canada protected fish and their habitat from mining effluent, in accordance with the Fisheries Act and the Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations.
The audit concluded that Environment and Climate Change Canada protected fish and their habitat from metal mining effluent, in accordance with the Fisheries Act and Metal and Diamond Mining Effluent Regulations. However, the frequency of inspections in Ontario was significantly lower than in other regions. In addition, reporting on mine site compliance with requirements was incomplete. The Department did not carry out a comprehensive risk-based analysis for non-metal mines. The audit also concluded that the Department reviewed mining companies’ plans to compensate for loss of fish and their habitat before allowing the companies to dispose of mine waste in tailings impoundment areas.
Eight recommendations were directed at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Department agreed with all recommendations. ECCC prepared a management action plan to address them.
The report was tabled in Parliament on April 2, 2019.
The audit report and ECCC’s response can be viewed on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s website.
Report 4: Non-Tax Subsidies for Fossil Fuels – Environment and Climate Change Canada
The objective of the audit was to determine whether Environment and Climate Change Canada provided advice to support decision making on inefficient non-tax subsidies for fossil fuels that was based on analysis of all relevant and reliable statistics, data or qualitative information.
The audit concluded that Environment and Climate Change Canada provided some advice to support decision making on inefficient non-tax subsidies for fossil fuels that was based on the Department’s assessments. However, the assessments did not include all relevant and reliable statistics, data or qualitative information.
Three recommendations were directed at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Department agreed with two of the three recommendations, but ECCC prepared a management action plan to address all three recommendations.
The report was tabled in Parliament on April 2, 2019.
The audit report and ECCC’s response can be viewed on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s website.
2019 Fall Reports of the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development
Report 1: Review of the 2018 Progress Report on the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy
The objective of the review was to assess the fairness of the information in the 2018 Progress Report on the 2016 to 2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
The review concluded that the information in the progress report prepared by Environment and Climate Change Canada was fairly presented except for information relating to three of the strategy’s goals:
- Effective action on climate change. The progress report stated that current and planned actions under the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change would enable Canada to meet or exceed its 2030 target for reducing greenhouse gas emissions. The review found that this statement was not supported by the projections in the progress report or by other documentation.
- Sustainably managed lands and forests. The review found that Environment and Climate Change Canada reported three different values for the percentage of protected lands and inland waters. It also found that the Department did not report on progress on building networks of protected areas.
- Sustainable food. The review found that the information presented in the progress report on the targets, key priorities, and indicators of the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy was incomplete.
Two recommendations were directed at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Department agreed with all recommendations. ECCC prepared a management action plan to address them.
The report was tabled in Parliament on December 10, 2019.
The audit report and ECCC’s response can be viewed on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s website.
Report 2: Departmental Progress in Implementing Sustainable Development Strategies
The objective of this review was to determine whether departments and agencies contributed to meeting the goal of sustainably managed lands and forests set out in the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.
The review concluded that, on the basis of the review of the 2017-2020 departmental sustainable development strategies and the 2017-2018 supplementary tables in the departmental results reports, the seven departments and agencies did not contribute to meeting the goal of sustainably managed lands and forests set out in the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. Departments and agencies did not clearly indicate how progress on targets and actions in their sustainable development strategies contributed to the federal goal and related targets.
Three recommendations were directed at Environment and Climate Change Canada. The Department agreed with all recommendations. ECCC prepared a management action plan to address them.
The report was tabled in Parliament on December 10, 2019.
The audit report and ECCC’s response can be viewed on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada’s website.
Response to external audits conducted by the Public Service Commission of Canada or the Office of the Commissioner of Official Languages
2019 Report of the Public Service Commission
Horizontal Audit on Credential Validation
The objectives of the audit were:
- to identify the prevalence of instances where credentials could not be validated with academic institutions or professional associations
- to identify credential validation practices for appointments and determine whether additional guidance or support is needed when establishing an appropriate credential validation approach
Through direct validation with issuing academic institutions and professional associations, the audit confirmed that the appointees’ credentials were valid in all of the 269 appointments where it had the information needed to reach a conclusion.
Audit findings also revealed that the requirement to obtain proof of Canadian equivalency for foreign credentials is not well understood by candidates or by hiring managers. A Canadian equivalency was not obtained in 12 of the 24 (50%) appointments for which it was required.
The analysis of the appointments from ECCC included in the audit sample indicated that the Department was in compliance, and that the credential validation was obtained from all relevant academic institutions and professional associations.
The report contains no recommendations directed at Environment and Climate Change Canada.
The report was published on May 29, 2019.
The report can be viewed on the Public Service Commission’s website.