Integrated Risk-Based Audit and Evaluation Plan 2016 to 2017: chapter 3

Clean environment: Manage substances and waste, and reduce pollution and emissions that directly or indirectly harm human health or the environment.

Plans for meeting the priority:

• Work with provinces, territories and Indigenous partners to establish a pan-Canadian Framework to address climate change.
• Work collaboratively with the USA and Mexico, as well as with other government departments to develop an ambitious North American clean energy and environment agreement.
• Establish and pursue international commitments, with emphasis on timely and efficient implementation of the Paris Agreement, that align with our domestic plans and contribute to a clean environment globally, as well as partnerships and climate finance to assist vulnerable countries transition to low carbon economies.
• Continue to work with provinces and territories to set strong air quality standards, implement the Air Quality Management System, and provide incentives for investments that lead to cleaner air and healthier communities.
• Through our continued implementation of the Chemicals Management Plan and the pollution prevention provisions of the Fisheries Act, environmental risks posed by harmful chemicals and substances in the air, in water and on land will be assessed, and measures to prevent or manage those risks will be developed and implemented as appropriate.

Safe environment: Provide Canadians with timely high-quality information on immediate and long-term environmental conditions.

Plans for meeting the priority:

• Deliver science-based weather and environmental services 24 hours a day, 365 days a year to inform the decisions of individuals, families and an array of economic sectors.
• Pursue up-to-date research, technology and systems that support the collection and communication of current conditions and forecasts for the public and for the aviation, marine and defence sectors. For example, continue to provide 24/7 meteorological, ocean and ice information vital to the operations of the Canadian Armed Forces, Canadian Coast Guard, and other federal users of weather and environmental information.
• Protect Canadians from the challenges of climate change, continue to undertake activities such as forecasting severe weather events and seasonal predictions, and to deliver Canada’s national climate modelling program. Work to make better science-based predictions of severe weather and climate-related events to inform provinces, territories and communities in preparing for and responding to such events. As the federal lead for adaptation, continue to advance the Federal Adaptation Policy Framework, which sets direction on adaptation at a high level.
• Provide environmental science and monitoring to support, for example, the examination of the implications of climate change.

Sustainable environment: Work to conserve and protect land, water and biodiversity.

Plans for meeting the priority:

• Sound science and solid partnerships will provide the foundation to enhance protection of Canada’s endangered species, complete robust species-at-risk recovery plans in a timely way, manage and expand National Wildlife Areas and Migratory Bird Sanctuaries and increase the proportion of Canada’s marine and coastal areas that are protected. Science will also inform the ECCC’s work with the Canadian Environmental Assessment Agency to restore robust oversight and thorough environmental assessments.
• Protect Canada’s water resources and target key areas, including the Great Lakes, the St. Lawrence River Basin, the Lake Winnipeg Basin, the Atlantic ecosystems, and other water ecosystems, by engaging stakeholders and through effective science, monitoring, regulatory tools and watershed protection.
• Monitor ecosystems and plant and animal species, and support various domestic and international partners in the conservation of important ecologically sensitive habitats by providing the necessary financial and technical assistance.
• Continue to develop and enforce a strong regulatory regime, including promoting compliance to protect wildlife and prevent pollution.

Management priority: Enhance service delivery to support the Department’s mandate.

Plans for meeting the priority:

• Leverage social media and other forms of communication to provide Canadians with timely information relating to our mandate and key priorities.
• Support Canada’s Open Government Agenda by ensuring that strong systems are in place to gather, collect, communicate and disseminate information, and work to strengthen data management and recordkeeping capacities.
• With a strong focus on results, put in place mechanisms for robust performance measurement to support decision-making, reporting and strategic investment.
• Adopt strategic and targeted actions to support employees and develop expertise (including scientific and technical) to achieve concrete results in accordance with our mandate.

Achieving progress on our “Clean” stewardship mandate
Many of the measures required to reduce greenhouse gas emissions are not under the responsibility of ECCC or the Government of Canada more generally.

Achieving progress on our “Safe” stewardship mandate
Failure of ECCC’s facility infrastructure and Information Technology systems may impede the Department’s capacity to monitor and predict severe weather and other programs to Canadians.

Achieving progress on our “Sustainable” stewardship mandate
Population, industrial and economic growth may continue to put stress on the environment.

The Audit and Evaluation Branch

Vision
To be strategic partners in the achievement of departmental outcomes through excellence in audit and evaluation services.

Mission
To enable the Department to efficiently and effectively achieve its strategic objectives and enhance its accountability to Canadians.

Mandate
To support the continuous improvement of programs, policies and initiatives and to contribute to the achievement of ECCC objectives by providing timely and objective information, assurance and advice to the DM, the Associate DM, EAAC, DEC and senior management.