2025-2026 Departmental Plan
Gender-based Analysis Plus

Core Responsibility: Taking action on clean growth and climate change

Clean Growth and Climate Change Mitigation

This program does not currently collect sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

However, the program acknowledges that GBA Plus assessments and intersectional considerations are integral to the design and implementation of climate change mitigation plans, policies, and programming. The Clean Growth Climate Change Mitigation Program comprises several policy and regulatory tools and programs that are all designed to mitigate, or to support mitigation, of the emissions of greenhouse gases and encourage clean growth in a way that maximizes benefits and minimizes disproportionate impacts on marginalized groups. GBA Plus data collected and published by federal partners and other agencies and institutions is leveraged by initiatives under this program. Certain programming under the recapitalized Low Carbon Economy Fund suite of programs will collect information that is assessed to inform future delivery and design of climate change programing as well as monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and/or diversity. In addition, activities and engagement sessions to advance Indigenous Climate Leadership have enabled the federal government to identify barriers and propose new measures that support self-determined climate action by First Nations, Inuit, and Métis in response to their climate priorities.

The program will continue to implement further improvements to data collection efforts in support of GBA Plus, in recognition of the importance of GBA Plus data to inform decision-making on clean growth and climate priorities. Continued coordination of efforts to address GBA Plus considerations and data (including information published by partners and other agencies and institutions) will facilitate the design of climate change and clean growth policies and initiatives that aim to mitigate possible disproportionate impacts. Future policies and programming will continue to be viewed through a GBA Plus lens to determine how diverse and intersecting groups of people are impacted.

Climate Change Adaptation

The program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts on disproportionately affected populations. ECCC collects quantitative data through annual public-opinion research that prioritizes advancing equity through adaptation action. The baseline data and information are collected directly from communities, including those impacted by climate events. The research collects disaggregated data by age, gender, geographic location and other demographic and behavioral variables. The findings will also be leveraged to address gaps, inform future adaptation measures, and improve communications.

ECCC is also working to advance a national-level climate change adaptation monitoring and evaluation framework. An initial set of indicators was included with the publication of the National Adaptation Strategy and work is underway build it out. The monitoring and evaluation framework supports measuring progress on adaptation including consideration of disproportionately affected populations where possible.

The Canadian Centre for Climate Services (CCCS) recognizes the importance of GBA Plus data. Although it does not collect its own disaggregated GBA Plus data, the CCCS is supportive of GBA Plus objectives. While the CCCS is a national climate service provider, it works closely with regional climate expert organizations and Indigenous partners to ensure that services are delivered in way that is accessible and meets the needs of users. For example, the CCCS considers many different audiences and regional particularities when delivering its services in collaboration with its partners.

International Climate Change Action

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

Data is collected on participants for targeted programming through the relevant project processes (e.g. collecting data on country of origin of participants in annual workshops for women climate negotiators), and impacts are monitored through regular reporting and evaluation of project outcomes. ECCC also collects qualitative data on Government of Canada domestic and international initiatives with links to gender and climate change through collaboration and reporting with other implicated departments with a view to report on Canada’s progress in international fora.

Related to the international climate finance program, one of the program’s performance indicators at the ultimate outcome level also tracks the cumulative number of people in developing countries who benefited from Canada’s adaptation finance; where possible, data on beneficiaries is disaggregated by gender to measure the differential impact of the project. Results of this performance indicator will be reported in the Departmental Results Report annually. Additionally, the program has immediate and intermediate performance indicators. Project level data on these indicators will be collected to understand the program level impact. Disaggregation by gender, and other identity factors as relevant and possible, will be considered by the program’s monitoring. The program also collects qualitative data on the results narrative of projects to understand and report on the expected and achieved outcomes, including any potential gender-related impact, as well as impacts on other identity groups as relevant. Project level information is updated on ECCC’s Climate Finance Initiatives and Programs website annually. The climate finance program also has a management indicator to track progress towards reaching the program’s target of integrating gender equality consideration in at least 80% of projects. This target will be tracked based on the project’s gender equality policy marker that assesses the project’s objective in targeting gender.

Core Responsibility: Preventing and managing pollution

Air Quality

ECCC will continue to expand its reach with the Purple Air sensor pilot program, which uses new technology to improve monitoring of particulate matter from wildfire smoke emissions. The program is testing the usefulness of these small air quality sensors as complementary instruments to traditional monitoring stations to see whether the data they generate can be used to improve air quality forecasts for northern, rural, and remote areas including Indigenous communities. This program also promotes stronger community involvement, whereby community members are involved in collecting and submitting data, as well sharing the data and health impacts of wildfire smoke with their communities.

Aquatic Ecosystems Health, Substances and Waste Management

ECCC does not collect data on the impact posed to humans by chemicals and other substances in the environment. This is the mandate of our partner department and will be more appropriately reported in the Departmental Results Report of Health Canada.

Under the current phase of the Oceans Protection Plan, ECCC has committed through the Treasury Board Submission to track how Indigenous Peoples participated in or benefitted from ECCC-led initiatives. As part of this commitment, ECCC will track engagement activities, especially interactions with Indigenous communities, as well as other activities such as training and workshops. ECCC has developed a GBA Plus reporting framework to guide the collection of information to identify differential impacts of ECCC OPP activities on Indigenous People. The information will be used to guide the continuous improvement of inclusivity of Indigenous Peoples in ECCC’s OPP activities.

Community and Sustainability

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity for the Science Horizons Youth Internship Program but does not for the Environmental Damages Fund (EDF).

The Science Horizons Youth Internship Program collects disaggregated administrative data on participants’ gender, age (program requires age under 30), internship location, intern education level (must be post-secondary graduate), as well as various demographic data as this program prioritizes youth furthest from employment. The program gathers data on participation of racialized youth, youth with disabilities, Indigenous youth, members of an official language minority community, youth living in rural and remote areas, and 2SLGBTQQIA+ youth. Employment status before and after internship, first official language, legal status (Canadian citizen, permanent resident, refugee) percent of youth who are employed after the internship, and percent of interns who return to school after the internship are also data points gathered by the program. This is to inform performance measurement and program objectives. As part of its data collection process, ECCC collects detailed outcomes tracked by indicators that are impacted by gender and diversity. Since the Science Horizons program is continuously expanding upon its program to better support youth furthest from employment and facing barriers, the Department regularly assesses its employment equity targets through annual analysis of program data and reports. This analysis takes into consideration the barriers and challenges faced by various groups within Canada’s youth demographic. The purpose is to regularly increase the number of underrepresented youths in employment equity groups served by the program, including youth living with a disability, Indigenous youth, racialized youth, and young women in STEM.

The EDF collects data on four categories of eligible applicants (which includes Indigenous organizations) but does not yet have an established data collection plan to monitor potential impacts by gender and diversity. In the creation and implementation of Large Award Strategies which outline allocation strategies for EDF funding amounts of $3 million or greater, and where socio-economic or cultural impacts are significant, the program collaborates with stakeholders, Indigenous organizations, partners, and other orders of government to incorporate, when possible, their feedback into Large Award Strategies to avoid or mitigate disproportionate impacts on certain groups. The EDF has updated its policy suite. In doing so, the program has applied a GBA Plus lens throughout the policy update process to ensure program analysis for GBA Plus factors are considered to the extent possible.

The EDF collects data related to applications submitted by, or funds allocated to, Indigenous organizations. Additionally, all applicants are encouraged to identify in their application if the project will engage one or more of Program Priority Groups: Indigenous Peoples, Youth, and Small Businesses. Statistics for applications submitted by Indigenous organizations and applications that will engage Indigenous Peoples are collected annually. The EDF program is working to facilitate the inclusion of GBA Plus factors in order to gather intersectional information that will help identify barriers and impacts of the program related to underrepresented populations, which could include, but is not limited to Indigenous Peoples, rural communities, individuals living with disabilities, visible minorities and diversity groups. The EDF has additional questions to the program application to continue strengthening data collection related to GBA Plus factors. The program will continue to work with the GBA Plus Centre of Expertise to ensure gaps and limitations continue to be addressed as well as new GBA Plus, Equity, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI), and distinction-based questions to advance program understanding of equity groups, data gaps, and addressing these gaps. Quantitative data related to the EDF is being collected through the application forms. Additionally, the EDF has taken into consideration its accessibility to potential recipients. While the submission of an online application is strongly encouraged throughout Call for Application products, a paper application can be made available to applicants requiring an alternative submission process.

EDF intakes under the Climate Action and Awareness Fund have provided an opportunity for applicants to identify the community type that will be impacted by the proposed project. Applicants may also describe how work with the community will be culturally relevant and/or easily related to the geographic location and purpose of the project. 

Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Pollution

Enforcement collects data on the type, outcomes, and location of its activities, overlaying this with census and geographic data on demographics and socio-economic indicators, such as income levels and the presence of equity-seeking groups, to monitor for potential bias.

Where correlations are identified, additional qualitative research is conducted to better understand why they exist. If correlations are determined to be inconsistent with ECCC’s Compliance and Enforcement policies, Enforcement reviews its plans and determines appropriate actions.

Core Responsibility: Conserving nature

Biodiversity Policy and Partnerships

The program currently lacks corporate indicators that can be disaggregated by gender or socio-economic factors and is considering how to fill this data gap. For example, the program still refers to the 2012 Canadian Nature Survey, as a newer version of the survey has not been conducted. To address the lack of disaggregated data, the program will continue work to improve existing indicators and background information sources, for instance, an updated literature review will be completed and an analysis using Households and Environment Survey results will be undertaken in 2025-26.

ECCC will continue its annual survey of Indigenous Peoples who were engaged on conservation to determine whether the engagement was meaningful. The survey results enable the Department to track progress on the Departmental Result, “Indigenous Peoples are engaged in conservation,” and provides critical information to guide engagement planning under the Conserving Nature core responsibility and by the Department, more generally. These data cannot be disaggregated by gender.

Compliance Promotion and Enforcement - Wildlife

Enforcement collects data on the type, outcomes, and location of its activities, overlaying this with census and geographic data on demographics and socio-economic indicators, such as income levels and the presence of equity-seeking groups, to monitor for potential bias.

Where correlations are identified, additional qualitative research is conducted to better understand why they exist. If correlations are determined to be inconsistent with ECCC’s Compliance and Enforcement policies, Enforcement reviews its plan and determines appropriate actions.

Environmental Assessment

The goal of environmental assessment is to protect the well-being of people in Canada and future generations and thus its successful implementation has the potential to impact quality of life indicators including income and growth; skills and opportunities, environmental and people; and ecological integrity and environmental stewardship. 

The Environmental Assessment Program recognizes the importance of the impacts by gender and diversity. Although the program does not target specific groups of people in Canada and does not collect its own GBA Plus data, as a provider of specialist and expert Information and knowledge ECCC provides a consolidated range of activities to reduce the environmental impact of development projects subject to environmental assessments. The Program collaborates and participates in consultation with government departments and agencies, Review Panels, Indigenous Peoples, industry, and considers potential impacts to diverse populations. Being part of the broad Horizontal Initiative led by the Impact Assessment Agency of Canada (IAAC); the Program will align any future GBA Plus-type of data collection with IAAC.

There are no near-term plans to collect the GBA Plus-type of data within the Horizontal Initiative Data Collection led by the IAAC.

Habitat Conservation and Protection

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and report program impacts by gender and diversity.

A GBA Plus assessment for the Natural Climate Solutions Fund (NCSF) initiative concluded that ECCC’s support for restoring, better managing, and conserving ecosystems will contribute to an overall reduction of GHG emissions, which will benefit a broad range of people in Canada. Activities will occur in sectors where men are more likely to be employed (e.g., landscaping and forestry) as well as sectors in which women are more likely to be employed (e.g., environmental NGOs, policy and programming and conservation authorities). The work required to implement the proposal will be largely attributed to the working age population (defined as ages 15–64) and will primarily target people occupying medium and high-level programs and administrative jobs, and those occupying field labour positions in the conservation sector. Coastal, Northern, Prairie and Indigenous communities are anticipated benefiting from this initiative. Long-term benefits are expected for young children and future generations with the successful implementation of this proposal.

The GBA Plus data collection and reporting plan was developed as part of the NCSF Treasury Board Submission. ECCC-HCP will contribute to this plan as a supporting partner and lead on the Nature-Smart Climate Solutions Fund (NSCSF) stream. NSCS will require large and medium-sized organizations funded by NSCS to report on the development of Diversity and Inclusion Plans that support the inclusion of underrepresented groups in NSCS activities. This will be required after consultation with recipients in year 1 of the initiative, starting with funding recipients with more than 50 employees. This requirement will be voluntary for small organizations such as community-based groups since these organizations may find the requirement for a Diversity and Inclusion Plan overly burdensome. Indigenous organizations and communities may also be excluded from this requirement. ECCC will also collect information on the number of Indigenous-led projects through NSCS to support GBA Plus. This new requirement and the new indicator will provide information for the program to better understand diversity and inclusion outcomes.

GBA Plus assessments were conducted on the Enhanced Nature Legacy initiative (2021). Findings and activities through this assessment will also be implemented within the Enhanced Nature Legacy work completed through Habitat Conservation and Protection Program.

Migratory Birds and Other Wildlife

The program currently lacks performance indicators that can be disaggregated by gender or socio-economic factors and is considering how best to fill this data gap. The program intends to continue efforts to evaluate its current engagement with Indigenous Peoples and strive to increase engagement of Indigenous Peoples in migratory bird management and conservation. More specifically, the program will begin measuring its ability to engage Indigenous Peoples in migratory bird conservation through its monitoring and research projects, and in the collection of migratory bird harvest data. ECCC and Environmental Non-Government Organization collaborators also engage large numbers of the public in citizen science programs such as the North American Breeding Bird Survey, Breeding Bird Atlases, and other related programs. Efforts are continuing to evaluate participation in these programs by gender and diversity, the results of which will be used to identify ways to increase the program’s reach to diverse groups and communities.

Species at Risk

This program collects sufficient data to enable it to monitor and/or report program impacts by gender and diversity.

In 2025-26, ECCC will continue its emphasis on the importance of data collection in conservation, both to advance protection and recovery outcomes for species at risk, to enhance communication to the public, and to monitor its impacts by gender and diversity. ECCC will continue to improve the accessibility of open data on species at risk.

ECCC Canada Nature Fund contribution agreements under the Enhanced Nature Legacy initiative will require large and medium-sized recipients of grants and contributions (G&C) funding to have Diversity and Inclusion Plans. The requirement may be voluntary for small organizations as they may find the requirement for a Diversity and Inclusion Plan overly burdensome. Indigenous organizations and communities may also be excluded from this requirement. G&C programs will collect data on GBA Plus considerations to assess the effectiveness of diversity and inclusion plans and improve understanding of worker diversity and the associated workforce where possible. Specifically, this would require collection and reporting of information by medium and large-sized organization funding recipients on the number of under-represented groups, such as women, immigrants, persons with disabilities, and racialized groups, in the workforce supported by G&C funding as well as a breakdown of jobs created in urban and rural/remote areas to the extent practicable. Contribution agreements will also, to the extent practicable, require reporting of whether funding recipients have: 1) provided training targeting under-represented groups for career development; and 2) been involved in activities to promote workforce diversity. [Funding departments will also collect information on the number of Indigenous-led projects through G&C funding to support GBA Plus analysis.] Departments will only collect aggregate information and anticipate no privacy issues.

The SAR Program incorporates GBA Plus into its regulatory process to examine how regulations may impact different groups—based on gender, age, income, and cultural background. The GBA Plus assessment can uncover unintended consequences that may disproportionately affect certain segments of the population. For instance, a regulation prohibiting certain activities could impact Indigenous women differently than men due to traditional roles. The SAR Program reports the results of its GBA Plus in a regulatory impact analysis statement (RIAS) published with each regulation.

Public engagement is another area where GBA Plus can help ensure consultations include diverse voices of all genders and marginalized communities. This inclusive feedback can strengthen the regulatory process, ensuring that proposed changes address a wide range of perspectives. Additionally, GBA Plus analysis can help shape mitigation strategies, to reduce the impact of regulations on groups that may be disproportionately affected. Ultimately, by embedding GBA Plus into the regulatory process, the SAR Program can build robust consultations and help ensure that the impacts of regulations are assessed and mitigated where possible, fostering more resilient and socially conscious outcomes.

Core Responsibility: Predicting weather and environmental conditions

Hydrological Services

ECCC currently does not collect sufficient data on its broad user base to enable it to monitor and/or report on this program’s impacts by gender and diversity and is not currently developing a GBA Plus Data Collection Plan. However, it recognizes the importance of collecting these metrics and will consider its development and implementation for future efforts.

Weather and Environmental Observations, Forecasts and Warnings

ECCC currently does not collect sufficient data on its broad user base to enable it to monitor and/or report on this program’s impacts by gender and diversity. However, it recognizes the importance of collecting these metrics and will consider the development and implementation of GBA Plus data collection for future efforts. In the meantime, MSC has introduced and conducts short post-event surveys that seek to evaluate the reach and impact of its services following a severe/extreme weather event(s). These surveys currently do not collect information related to GBA Plus, and do not target any specific groups beyond the spatial area(s) impacted by the environmental event. To supplement this, the MSC plans to conduct an online survey for the fourth quarter of this fiscal year that will target 1000 Canadians, including 10 Canadians in each of the Territories, to solicit information on their response to recent weather warnings, and their main source(s) of weather information. Unlike the post-event surveys, this survey will collect baseline demographic information, such as language, gender, age, region, marital status, and employment status.

Internal services

Human Resources

Human Resources collect various demographic information on employees that are sensitive and protected. Some notable actions are being taken to develop data collection and assessment within ECCC to support evidence-based decision-making and to continue to build a culture of care and inclusiveness, such as:

• Consultations with all equity deserving networks will be used to collect qualitative information on the various challenges faced by these groups of individuals.
• Building a reporting mechanisms to better inform and support ECCC with complex Duty to Accommodate cases.
• A new government-wide self-identification form and platform, expected to be launched in 2025, and our departmental awareness campaign will provide a broader and more inclusive approach to self-identification. All self-identification information will be used for statistical purposes, in compiling workforce representation figures for the Department and to report to Parliament on employment equity in the Public Service.

Various barriers were linked to data collection such as the protection by the Code of Confidentiality, and access to technology.

Additionally, ECCC supports a diverse, inclusive and representative science organization through modernization efforts to remove barriers, and address gaps to representation as well as advancement challenges for EE Research Scientists, as identified in 2023 GBA Plus analysis.