Annual report to Parliament: Privacy Act 2023 to 2024
Abstract
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Annual Report to Parliament on the Administration of the Privacy Act is submitted in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act. It presents an overview of the Privacy Act activities carried out within Environment and Climate Change Canada during the reporting period of April 1, 2022, to March 31, 2023.
During the reporting period, Environment and Climate Change Canada received 104 requests under the Privacy Act and completed 91 requests.
Introduction
The Privacy Act (R.S.C. 1985, c. P-21) was proclaimed into force on July 1, 1983. Section 72 of the Act requires every head of a federal government institution to submit a report to Parliament on the administration of the Act within their institution during the fiscal year.
This report is submitted and tabled to Parliament in accordance with section 72 of the Privacy Act. It presents an overview of the Privacy Act activities carried out within Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) during the reporting period of April 1, 2023, to March 31, 2024. As the Canada Emission Reduction Incentives Agency was not operational during this reporting period, an Agency report will not be prepared for this period.
Purpose of the Acts
The Access to Information Act enhances the accountability and transparency of federal government institutions in order to promote an open and democratic society, and to enable public debate on the conduct of those institutions. Part 1 of the Act provides the right of access to information found within federal government institutions records, subject to certain specific and limited exceptions. Part 2 of the Act sets out requirements for the proactive publication of various types of information located within federal government institutions that are of interest to the public. The Access to Information Act complements but does not replace existing channels of communications within federal government institutions.
The Privacy Act protects the privacy of individuals with respect to their personal information. The Act sets out provisions that govern the collection, use, retention, disposition and disclosure of personal information by federal government institutions. It also provides individuals with the right of access to their personal information held within government institutions.
About Environment and Climate Change Canada
The Department of the Environment was established by the Government Reorganization Act (1970-71-72, c. 42) on June 10, 1971. A number of acts and regulations provide the Department with its mandate and allow it to carry out its programs. Under the Department of the Environment Act, the powers, duties and functions of the Minister of the Environment extend to and include matters relating to:
- the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment, including water, air and soil quality;
- renewable resources, including migratory birds and other non-domestic flora and fauna;
- water;
- meteorology;
- the enforcement of any rules or regulations made by the International Joint Commission relating to boundary waters; and
- the coordination of the policies and programs of the Government of Canada respecting the preservation and enhancement of the quality of the natural environment.
With offices from coast to coast, Environment and Climate Change Canada’s main office is located in the National Capital Region. The Department is also comprised of the following three regions: Atlantic and Quebec Regions, Ontario Region and West and North Regions.
For more information about Environment and Climate Change Canada, please e visit our website.
Organizational structure
As Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Access to Information and Privacy Coordinator, the Director of the Access to Information and Privacy Division has delegated authority on matters concerning Access to Information and Privacy (ATIP). The ATIP Division is part of the Corporate Secretariat, found within the Public Affairs and Communications Branch of the Department. It is the central coordinating body for all requests received by Environment and Climate Change Canada under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act.
The ATIP Division is the focal point for the administration, application and promotion of the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Privacy (PA) within Environment and Climate Change Canada. The ATIP Division has an oversight role to ensure compliance. It provides advice to senior management on the implementation of the statutes and prepares reports to Parliament, the Treasury Board Secretariat and senior management. The ATIP Division represents the Department in complaints and investigations conducted by the Information Commissioner and Privacy Commissioner of Canada, and in any Federal Court applications arising from ATIP matters.
The ATIP Division is organized into two functional areas: an Operations Unit, and a Policy and Governance Unit. Each unit is led by a manager who reports to the ATIP Director. As of March 31, 2024, the ATIP Division comprised of a total of 13 full time employees (FTEs). To help meet the increase in volume and complexity of requests, the Division also engaged the support of 2.5 consultants during the reporting period.

Text description – Diagram 1
Diagram 1 presents a breakdown of the organizational structure of ECCC’s ATIP Division in 2023-2024.
The ATIP Division is organized into two functional areas: an Operations Unit, and a Policy and Governance Unit. Each unit is led by a manager who reports to the ATIP Director. The ATIP Director is assisted by an administrative assistant. The Operations Unit Manager oversees activities related to intake and complex files, while the ATIP Policy and Governance Unit Manager oversees activities related to policy and governance as well as proactive publication.
Operations unit
The Operations Unit coordinates the management and processing of ECCC’s access to information and privacy requests. It leads the processing of all ECCC requests under the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act and performs a “line-by-line” review of records to support various disclosures including the appropriate sharing of investigation reports. The Operations Unit also serves as the liaison between the Department and the Office of the Information and Privacy Commissioner on complaints related to requests under the Acts. The Operations Unit consists of one team leader, two senior advisors, one advisor, one analyst, two junior analysts, an administrative officer and a clerical assistant.
Policy and Governance Unit
The Policy and Governance Unit is the focal point for privacy expertise within ECCC. The unit leads the horizontal implementation of departmental privacy policy and conducts risk analyses, including privacy impact assessments and privacy protocols for non-administrative purposes. It delivers privacy compliance support for ECCC’s programs and services. The Policy and Governance Unit plays a key role in the management and prevention of privacy breaches.
The Policy and Governance Unit works collaboratively with departmental officials to fulfill the proactive publication requirements under Part 2 of the Access to Information Act and oversees its compliance. The unit develops ATIP directives, procedures and statistical reports, delivers training, promotes awareness, and prepares ATIP annual reports. The Policy and Governance Unit consists of two junior analysts.
Capacity development
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) remains committed to recruiting, training and maintaining a workforce that possesses specialized skills to continue to provide the best possible service to both internal and external clients.
Environment and Climate Change Canada continues to focus on developing capacity through its ATIP Professional Development Program. The program aims to train employees over a period of three to five years through a combination of competency-based training, professional development training, and work assignments. Candidates enter the program at the PM-01 or PM-02 level and graduate as senior ATIP advisors at the PM-04 level.
In previous years, ECCC’s ATIPProfessional Development Program centered on operational work focusing on the processing of access to information and privacy requests and responding to complaints from the Commissioners. In 2022, ECCC expanded its Professional Development Program to include privacy policy work to encompass policy compliance and advisory services, policy and risk management activities, reporting requirements, and responding to complaints from the Commissioners.
The Professional Development Program enables the ATIP Division to better manage increasing workloads while facilitating succession planning through the transfer of corporate memory, encouraging staff to remain with the Department for a longer period of time.
Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office (APCDO) Membership
The Access to Information and Privacy Communities Development Office (APCDO) was established to address capacity issues in the Access to Information and Privacy communities across Government of Canada institutions subject to the Acts.
In 2022-2023, ECCC joined the newly formed APCDO. ECCC’s ATIP Division staff were active participants in several training sessions offered by the APCDO.
The APCDO will contribute to the development and sustainability of the Access to Information and Privacy communities via recruitment, retention, learning, networking, and partnership activities with a spirit of diversity, inclusivity, and accessibility through community engagement.
Capacity to receive and process records in 2023-2024
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) receives requests by mail, email and online through the Government of Canada ATIP Online Request System.
In April 2023, the ATIP Division experienced labour disruptions during the general strike by Canadian federal worker members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada (PSAC). For a period of two weeks, the Division did not have the capacity to process paper or electronic records.
Delegation of Authority
Decision-making responsibility for the application of the various provisions of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act have been formally established and are outlined in the departmental Delegation of Authority Instrument found in Appendix A of this report.
The Delegation Order in effect during the reporting period was approved by the Honorable Steven Guilbeault, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, on June 21, 2022.
Interpretation of the Statistical Report
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s Statistical Report on the Privacy Act is included in Appendix B of this report.
Between April 1, 2023, and March 31, 2024, ECCC received 104 requests under the Privacy Act. There were 40 requests carried forward from previous reporting periods, for a total of 144 active requests in the 2023–2024 reporting period.
In the 2023–2024 fiscal year, a total of 91 requests were completed, and 53 requests were carried forward to the next reporting period, with seven (7) requests carried over within legislative timelines and 46 carried over beyond legislative timelines.
Of the 104 requests received, 99 were received online, submitted through the ATIP Online Request Service, and five (5) were received by e-mail.
Trends
Environment and Climate Change Canada received 12 more requests under the Privacy Act in 2023–2024 than in the previous fiscal year; this represents an increase of approximately 14% in the number of privacy requests received. ECCC continued to note a trend in which privacy requests received this year were largely related to active labour relations and staffing matters. In some cases, it appears that the requests are filed to supplement existing processes/recourse mechanisms.
The number of requests under the Privacy Act received by Environment and Climate Change Canada from 2019–2020 to 2023–2024 is represented in figure 1.
Figure 1 – Number of Requests Received, Privacy Act, 2019-2024

Text description – Figure 1
Figure 1 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of privacy requests that were received by the ATIP Division from the 2019-2020 fiscal year to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
During the 2019-2020 reporting period, 109 requests were received; in 2020-2021, 45 requests were received; in 2021-2022, 50 requests were received; in 2022-2023, 92 requests were received, and in 2023-2024, 104 requests were received.
Environment and Climate Change Canada completed 91 requests under the Privacy Act in 2023–2024. Figure 2 displays the number of requests under the Privacy Act completed by Environment and Climate Change Canada from the 2019–2020 to the 2023–2024 fiscal year. Overall, 73 of the privacy requests completed this fiscal year were closed within the legislative timelines. This represents an 80% compliance rate.
Figure 2 – Number of requests closed, Privacy Act, 2019-2024

Text description – Figure 2
Figure 2 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of privacy requests that were closed by the ATIP Division from the 2019-2020 fiscal year to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
During the 2019-2020 reporting period, 96 requests were closed; in 2020-2021, 37 requests were closed; in 2021-2022, 44 requests were closed; in 2022-2023, 90 requests were closed; and in 2023-2024, 91 requests were closed.
Figure 3 shows the number of pages processed by the ATIP Division in response to requests under the Privacy Act from 2019–2020 to 2023–2024.
Figure 3 – Number of pages processed for requests, Privacy Act, 2019-2024

Text description – Figure 3
Figure 3 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of pages processed by the ATIP Division for privacy requests under the Privacy Act from the 2019-2020 fiscal year to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
During the 2019-2020 reporting period, 7,500 pages were processed; in 2020-2021, 968 pages were processed; in 2021-2022, 8,046 pages were processed; in 2022-2023, 9,571 pages were processed; and in 2023-2024, 8,180 pages were processed.
During the 2023–2024 reporting period, a total of 8,180 pages of records were retrieved and reviewed in response to privacy requests. This represents an decrease of 14% over the 2022–2023 fiscal year.
The number of pages disclosed by the ATIP Division in processing requests under the Privacy Act from 2019–2020 to 2023–2024 is found in figure 4.
Figure 4 – Number of pages disclosed for requests, Privacy Act, 2019-2024

Text description – Figure 4
Figure 4 shows a bar graph which provides a visual representation of the number of pages disclosed by the ATIP Division for privacy requests under the Privacy Act from the 2019-2020 fiscal year to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
During the 2019-2020 reporting period, 3,337 pages were disclosed; in 2020-2021, 309 pages were disclosed; in 2021-2022, 4,840 pages were disclosed; in 2022-2023, 5,720 pages were disclosed; and in 2023-2024, 4,605 pages were disclosed.
Corrections
Paragraph 12(2)(a) of the Privacy Act gives individuals the right to request a correction of their personal information held by the federal government.
Environment and Climate Change Canada did not receive any request for correction in the 2023-2024 reporting period.
Disclosure under Subsection 8(2)
Paragraphs 8(2)(e), (f), (g), and (m) of the Privacy Act permit the disclosure of personal information to various investigative bodies and Members of Parliament. Disclosure is also permitted in the public interest.
No disclosures under subsection 8(2), including under paragraph 8(2)(m), were completed in the 2022–2023 reporting period.
Exemptions invoked
The Department used exemptions 27 times under the Privacy Act for 91 requests. Most of the exemptions were section 26 which was invoked most often (23 requests) and exempts personal information relating to individuals other than the applicant; followed by section 27 (3 requests), which exempts information relating to solicitor-client privilege.
Exclusions cited
No information was excluded under the Privacy Act during the reporting period.
Consultations
In 2023–2024, Environment and Climate Change Canada did not receive external consultations. The ATIP Division received four (4) new internal consultations from labour relations to review investigation reports. In total, five (5) internal consultations were closed during the reporting period.
Monitoring Compliance
The ATIP Division engaged departmental officials at various levels to ensure privacy requests were processed in a timely and efficient manner.
The ATIP Director met regularly with managers and team leaders to review performance data. Analysts are responsible for tracking timelines for requests. This was supplemented with regular bilateral meetings between analysts and management to obtain guidance and ensure compliance with legislative requirements.
In delivering its mandate, ECCC is involved in many horizontal initiatives. The ATIP Division continues to collaborate with program officials to streamline the need for consultations both within ECCC and with other government institutions. In addition, ECCC has enhanced its collaborative efforts with the Departmental Legal Services Unit. The ATIP Division also works collaboratively with programs to ensure that access and privacy requirements are reflected in contracts, MOUs, and information sharing agreements. ATIP is also focused on the development of tools, guides and policies to raise awareness, maintain compliance and report on access and privacy processes and procedures within ECCC. These tools will be implemented next fiscal year.
The ATIP Division produces weekly and monthly reports to senior management in order to monitor performance within Environment and Climate Change Canada. This includes reporting on the number of incoming requests, number of closed requests, and timelines of retrieval of records.
Costs
In the 2023–2024 reporting period, the total cost of administering the Privacy Act was $331,419. This included $311,690 for salaries and $19,729 for goods and services.
Training activities
The ATIP Division provides daily advice to departmental officials on the processing of ATIP requests as well as the interpretation of the Acts to ensure the efficient and consistent processing of all requests received by the Department.
In 2023-2024, the ATIP Division continued to focus on providing targeted training and assistance to help ECCC staff respond to requests. During the 2023–2024 fiscal year, the ATIP Division conducted five (5) formal information and training sessions that were attended by approximately 95 ECCC employees. The sessions included an overview of the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act as well as a description of internal policies and procedures.
Policies, procedures and initiatives
Privacy framework
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s privacy policy framework was approved in November 2012. Amendments to the departmental Privacy Breach Protocol were made in 2023-2024 to align with TBS Privacy Policy Suite updates.
Privacy guidance and tools
ECCC’s ATIP Division continues to develop tools and guidance documents related to privacy compliance in alignment with the evolving privacy policy instruments. These activities included the incorporation of privacy provisions within contractual agreements involving personal information, taking a risk-based approach to conducting privacy risk assessments, documenting decisions, and developing tools to incorporate Privacy-by-Design.
In addition, the ATIP Division continued to provide advisory services on many new initiatives, and update and assess business processes as they transition into digital solutions. This included privacy advice on matters concerning digital solutions, the collection, use and disclosure of personal information, information sharing arrangements, and research projects involving behavioural analysis stemming from stakeholder engagements.
ATIP modernization
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s ATIP Division continued its modernization initiative by implementing digital solutions. Last fiscal year, the initiative focused on refining procedures and processes to improve efficiency in electronic processing of access to information and privacy requests. This strategy continued over the course of this reporting year and included developing a business case to procure a new case management system.
The implementation of a new and modern case management system will help streamline the processing of requests and enable effective monitoring of privacy policy initiatives. These renewal exercises are expected to enhance operational effectiveness once completed. The implementation of the new case management system within ECCC has been delayed during the 2023-2024 reporting period for unseen circumstances.
Strategic partnerships and internal collaboration
Over the reporting period, ECCC participated in TBS-led community of practice meetings on a variety of operational and privacy policy topics. These meetings provided opportunities to connect with other functional specialists and practitioners in the Government of Canada and facilitated the sharing of best practices. It also enabled ECCC to learn about different modernization initiatives and innovative practices impacting the ATIP community as a whole.
Participation in Policy Horizons Canada Futures Week symposium
Policy Horizons Canada (Policy Horizons) is a strategic foresight organization within the Government of Canada with a mandate to help the Government develop future-oriented policies and programs that are more robust and resilient in the face of disruptive changes ahead. They empower the Government of Canada with a future-oriented mindset and outlook to strengthen decision-making.
Policy Horizons Futures Week is an annual event that allows policy and foresight practitioners both within and outside government to explore the future. The ATIP Division, Policy and Governance Unit participated in the Futures Week series to facilitate lateral thinking on transformation and its effects on the right to privacy and the protection of personal information.
Strategic partnerships and internal collaboration
The ATIP Division continues to foster strategic partnerships and build relationships to optimize the need for inter-institutional consultations. These efforts have yielded increased collaboration and strengthened the Department’s working relationship with the Departmental Legal Services Unit on ATIP requests as well as privacy requirements, which are reflected in contracts and information sharing arrangements.
The Policy and Governance Unit is developing a strategic approach to align with the development of serviceable tools and policies with IT Security and various project management advisory teams. Enhanced integration efforts with IT Security and Enterprise Architecture are expected to result in elevating ECCC’s privacy posture, building Privacy-by-Design throughout a project lifecycle, in accordance with privacy policy instruments.
Reporting
The ATIP Division regularly monitors the timeliness and trends associated with the processing of requests through ongoing communication with branch and directorate liaisons. This includes providing performance reports on the status of branch retrievals to branch head offices on a regular basis. In addition, weekly reports on the number of privacy requests received are provided to the Deputy Minister’s Office and to the Communications Directorate.
Publicly accessible information and inquiry points
Info Source is a series of publications containing information on the Government of Canada and its data collection activities. Info Source is intended to help the public access government information and to exercise their rights under the Access to Information Act and Privacy Act.
The ATIP Division is responsible for providing updates on Environment and Climate Change Canada’s activities and information holdings for publication in Info Source on the Department’s website. ECCC updated its Info Source Chapter to reflect newly published documents, adding a new institutional-specific personal information bank, and updated manuals available to the public. These changes have been published on ECCC’s website in fiscal year 2023-2024.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s comprehensive website provides information on the Department’s policies, its organizational structure and the means to contact departmental officials. In accordance with the federal government’s policy of proactive disclosure, the Department’s website also allows access to internal evaluations and audits, as well as information on hospitality expenses, contracts and grants.
Environment and Climate Change Canada’s website has an access to information and privacy webpage that provides background information on both the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act. It also contains a Frequently Asked Questions section and links to access to information request forms, personal information request forms and summaries of completed access to information requests.
In order to facilitate public access to information and to comply with the Act, a designated public reading room is located in the Place Vincent Massey Annex, 351 St. Joseph Boulevard, Gatineau, Quebec.
Data sharing activities
The Department did not undertake any new internal or external data sharing activities in 2023–2024.
Exempt banks
Environment and Climate Change Canada has no exempt banks under the Privacy Act.
Privacy Impact Assessments
A Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA) is a risk management process that helps institutions ensure they meet legislative requirements and identify the impacts their programs and activities will have on the privacy of individuals. To fulfill its mandate, some of ECCC’s responsibilities require the collection, use and disclosure of personal information.
As a trusted custodian of this information, the Department uses PIAs as a means of ensuring compliance with the legal requirements set out in the Privacy Act, in adherence with TBS’s policies and directives. A PIA assists in the identification and management of privacy breaches, however, it may not eliminate risk. A PIA serves to evolve a project’s design to reveal an effective method with minimal risk to the privacy of individuals.
No PIAs were completed during the 2023-2024 fiscal year. A number of PIAs have been carried over from previous reporting periods and are currently at various stages of completion. They will be submitted to the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) once they are completed and approved in order to be registered. Additionally, a copy will be forwarded to the OPC for their assessment and feedback.
Material privacy breaches
A privacy breach is the improper or unauthorized access to, creation, collection, use, disclosure, retention or disposal of personal information. A privacy breach is “material” when it “could reasonably be expected to create a real risk of significant harm to an individual.” Significant harm to an individual may includes bodily harm, humiliation, damage to reputation or relationships, loss of employment, business or professional opportunities, financial loss, identity theft, negative effects on the credit record and damage to or loss of property.
The Policy on Privacy Protection requires federal institutions to report material privacy breaches to Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) and the Office of the Privacy Commissioner (OPC) after making efforts to contain, assess and mitigate the breach.
During the 2023-2024 fiscal year, Environment and Climate Change Canada reported one (1) material privacy breach. The breach resulted from a cyber incident on a third-party system which involved relocation files from 1999-2023. Credit monitoring was provided to affected individuals. A review of the existing contracts to identify if any changes to the contract clauses may be needed.
Complaints, audits, investigations and appeals
Applicants have the right to register a complaint with the Information Commissioner of Canada regarding any matter relating to the processing of a request. The Department works collaboratively with the Commissioner’s Office to resolve complaints, providing the requester with a resolution.
During the 2023–2024 reporting period, there were 5 complaints filed against Environment and Climate Change Canada with the Office of the Privacy Commissioner related to requests under the Privacy Act. One of these complaints, as well as three other complaints from the previous reporting periods, were closed.
Summary of key issues and actions taken on complaints
This fiscal year, ECCC’s ATIP Division worked collaboratively with the Office of Privacy Commissioner to close outstanding complaints. These efforts resulted in the closure of five (5) complaints.
The Department reviews the outcomes of all Office of the Privacy Commissioner investigations and, where appropriate, incorporates lessons learned into business processes.
Applications/appeals to the Federal Court or Federal Court of Appeal
There were no applications or appeals filed to the Federal Court or Federal Court of Appeal during the 2023-2024 reporting period.
Interpretation of supplementary statistical report
The Supplementary Statistical Report provides a breakdown by year of the requests and complaints under the Access to Information Act (ATIA) and Privacy Act (PA) that remain active at the end of the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC) was able to receive requests by mail, email and through the online portal throughout the 2023–2024 fiscal year. However, there was a period of two-weeks whereby the ATIP Division had no capacity to process paper or electronic records resulting from PSAC federal employees labour disruptions.
In the 2023-2024 fiscal year, ECCC had a total of 144 active requests under the Privacy Act. Of this total, 40 requests were received in 2023-2024 while 64 requests were outstanding from the previous reporting periods. Environment and Climate Change Canada closed 91 requests and 53 active requests were carried over to the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
The ATIP Division continues to work diligently to reduce the accumulated inventory of ATIP requests. The existing backlog resulting from the COVID-19 pandemic measures coupled with PSAC federal employees labour disruptions in 2023 increased the ECCC backlog. The Department continues to focus on building capacity and is working diligently to close files and complaints carried over to the 2024–2025 fiscal year. Although, the ATIP Division continues to work diligently to reduce the accumulated backlog, the day-to-day operational demands and work on managing complaints remains a priority.
During the reporting period, the ATIP Division worked diligently to enhance productivity with a limited number of full-time employees and closed 87% of the number of requests received during the reporting period.
Table 1 presents a breakdown of the requests carried over to the next reporting period.
Fiscal year open requests were received | Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Received in 2023-2024 | 2 | 22 | 24 |
Received in 2022-2023 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Received in 2021-2022 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Received in 2020-2021 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Received in 2019-2020 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Received in 2018-2019 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Received in 2017-2018 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Received in 2016-2017 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Received in 2015-2016 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 6 | 47 | 53 |
Text description – Table 1
Table 1 presents a breakdown of the number of requests carried over to the next reporting period by the ATIP Division from the 2014-2015 fiscal year or earlier to the 2023-2024 fiscal year.
During the 2023-2024 reporting period, two (2) open requests were carried over to the next reporting period within legislated timelines as of March 31st, 2024, whereas 22 requests were carried over to the next reporting period beyond legislated timelines as of March 31st, 2024.
Table 2 presents a breakdown of active complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada, carried over to the 2024–2025 fiscal year.
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution | Number of open complaints |
---|---|
Received in 2023-2024 | 2 |
Received in 2022-2023 | 0 |
Received in 2021-2022 | 0 |
Received in 2020-2021 | 0 |
Received in 2019-2020 | 0 |
Received in 2018-2019 | 0 |
Received in 2017-2018 | 0 |
Received in 2016-2017 | 0 |
Received in 2015-2016 | 0 |
Received in 2014-2015 or earlier | 0 |
Total | 2 |
Text description – Table 2
Table 2 presents a breakdown of the number of active complaints with the Privacy Commissioner of Canada from the 2014-2015 fiscal year or earlier to the 2023-2024 fiscal year that were carried over to the 2024-2025 fiscal year by the ATIP Division.
Of the complaints received between 2014 and 2024 or earlier, there were two (2) open complaints carried over to the 2024-2025 fiscal year.
Appendix A: Delegation Order Instrument
Access to Information and Privacy Acts Delegation Order
I, the undersigned, Minister of Environment and Climate Change, pursuant to section 95 of the Access to Information Act and section 73 of the Privacy Act, hereby delegate the persons holding the positions set out in the Delegation of Authority Schedule attached hereto, or the persons occupying on an acting basis those positions, to exercise the powers, duties and functions of the Minister as head of Environment and Climate Change Canada, under the provisions of the Act and related regulations set out in the schedule opposite each position. This delegation replaces all previous delegation orders.
Position | Access to Information Act, and Regulations |
Privacy Act and Regulations |
---|---|---|
Deputy Minister of the Environment | Full authority | Full authority |
Associated Deputy Minister of the Environment | Full authority | Full authority |
Director General, Corporate Secretariat | Full authority | Full authority |
Director, Access to Information and Privacy | Full authority | Full authority |
Manager, Access to Information and Privacy | Full authority | Full authority |
Team Leader, Access to Information and Privacy | 7(a), 8, 9 & 11 | 15 |
Dated at the City of Gatineau, Quebec, this 2022-06-21
(signed)
The Honourable Steven Guilbeault
Minister of Environment and Climate Change Canada
Appendix B: Statistical Report on the Privacy Act
Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act
Name of institution: Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC)
Reporting period: April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024
Section 1: Requests under the Privacy Act
Category | Number of requests | |
---|---|---|
Received during reporting period | 104 | |
Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 40 | |
|
16 | |
|
24 | |
Total | 144 | |
Closed during reporting period | 91 | |
Carried over to next reporting period | 53 | |
|
7 | |
|
46 |
Source | Number of requests |
---|---|
Online | 99 |
5 | |
7 | |
In person | 0 |
Phone | 0 |
Fax | 0 |
Total | 104 |
Section 2: Informal requests
Source | Number of requests | |
---|---|---|
Received during reporting period | 0 | |
Outstanding from previous reporting periods | 0 | |
|
0 | |
|
0 | |
Total | 0 | |
Closed during reporting period | 0 | |
Carried over to next reporting period | 0 |
Source | Number of requests |
---|---|
Online | 0 |
0 | |
0 | |
In person | 0 |
Phone | 0 |
Fax | 0 |
Total | 0 |
Completion time | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days |
16 to 30 days |
31 to 60 days |
61 to 120 days |
121 to 180 days |
181 to 365 days |
More than 365 days |
Total |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Less than 100 pages released |
100-500 pages released |
501-1000 pages released |
1001-5000 pages released |
More than 5000 pages released |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released | Number of requests | Pages released |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 3: Requests closed during the reporting period
Disposition of requests | Completion time | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
All disclosed | 1 | 1 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 4 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 2 | 6 | 2 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 24 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
No records exist | 0 | 2 | 0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 3 |
Request abandoned | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 60 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
Total | 61 | 5 | 7 | 4 | 0 | 10 | 4 | 91 |
Section | Number of requests |
---|---|
18(2) | 0 |
19(1)(a) | 0 |
19(1)(b) | 0 |
19(1)(c) | 0 |
19(1)(d) | 0 |
19(1)(e) | 0 |
19(1)(f) | 0 |
20 | 0 |
21 | 0 |
22(1)(a)(i) | 0 |
22(1)(a)(ii) | 0 |
22(1)(a)(iii) | 0 |
22(1)(b) | 0 |
22(1)(c) | 0 |
22(2) | 0 |
22.1 | 0 |
22.2 | 0 |
22.3 | 0 |
22.4 | 0 |
23(a) | 0 |
23(b) | 0 |
24(a) | 0 |
24(b) | 0 |
25 | 1 |
26 | 23 |
27 | 3 |
27.1 | 0 |
28 | 0 |
Section | Number of requests |
---|---|
69(1)(a) | 0 |
69(1)(b) | 0 |
69.1 | 0 |
70(1) | 0 |
70(1)(a) | 0 |
70(1)(b) | 0 |
70(1)(c) | 0 |
70(1)(d) | 0 |
70(1)(e) | 0 |
70(1)(f) | 0 |
70.1 | 0 |
Paper | Electronic | Other | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|
E-record | Data set | Video | Audio | ||
3 | 25 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
3.5 Complexity
Number of pages processed | Number of pages disclosed | Number of requests |
---|---|---|
8180 | 4605 | 88 |
Disposition | Less than 100 pages processed |
100-500 pages processed |
501-1000 pages processed |
1001-5000 pages processed |
More than 5000 pages processed | |||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Pages processed |
Number of requests |
Pages processed |
Number of requests |
Pages processed |
Number of requests | Pages processed |
Number of requests | Pages processed |
|
All disclosed | 4 | 78 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 9 | 365 | 8 | 2183 | 5 | 3142 | 2 | 2412 | 0 | 0 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 73 | 443 | 8 | 2183 | 5 | 3142 | 2 | 2412 | 0 | 0 |
Number of minutes processed | Number of minutes disclosed | Number of requests |
---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Less than 60 minutes processed |
60 - 120 minutes processed | More than 120 minutes processed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | |
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned |
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of minutes processed | Number of minutes disclosed | Number of requests |
---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Less than 60 minutes processed |
60 - 120 minutes processed | More than 120 minutes processed | |||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Minutes processed | Number of requests |
Minutes processed | Number of requests | Minutes processed | |
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disposition | Consultation required | Legal advice sought | Interwoven information | Other | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
All disclosed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
All exempted | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
All excluded | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Request abandoned | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Neither confirmed nor denied | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 10 |
3.6 Closed requests
Number of requests closed within legislated timelines | 73 |
Percentage of requests closed within legislated timelines (%) | 80 |
3.7 Deemed refusals
Number of requests closed past the legislated timelines | Principal reason | |||
---|---|---|---|---|
Interference with operations/workload | External consultation | Internal consultation | Other | |
18 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 7 |
Number of days past legislated timelines | Number of requests past legislated timeline where no extension was taken | Number of requests past legislated timeline where an extension was taken | Total |
---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 0 | 2 | 2 |
16 to 30 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 days | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 days | 2 | 0 | 2 |
121 to 180 days | 0 | 6 | 6 |
181 to 365 days | 0 | 7 | 7 |
More than 365 days | 1 | 0 | 1 |
Total | 3 | 15 | 18 |
Translation requests | Accepted | Refused | Total |
---|---|---|---|
English to French | 0 | 0 | 0 |
French to English | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 4: Disclosures under subsections 8(2) and 8(5)
Paragraph 8(2)(e) | Paragraph 8(2)(m) | Subsection 8(5) | Total |
---|---|---|---|
0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 5: Requests for correction of personal information and notations
Disposition for correction requests received | Number |
---|---|
Notations attached | 0 |
Requests for correction accepted | 0 |
Total | 0 |
Section 6: Extensions
Number of requests where an extension was taken | 15(a)(i) Interference with operations | 15(a)(ii) Consultation | 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Further review required to determine exemptions | Large volume of pages | Large volume of requests | Documents are difficult to obtain | Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) | External | Internal | ||
23 | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Length of extensions | 15(a)(i) Interference with operations | 15(a)(ii) Consultation | 15(b) Translation purposes or conversion |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Further review required to determine exemptions | Large volume of pages | Large volume of requests | Documents are difficult to obtain | Cabinet Confidence Section (Section 70) | External | Internal | ||
1 to 15 days | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 days | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 days or greater | 0 | |||||||
Total | 0 | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 7: Consultations received from other institutions and organizations
Consultations | Other Government of Canada | Number of pages to review | Other organizations | Number of pages to review |
---|---|---|---|---|
Received during the reporting period | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Outstanding from the previous reporting period | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Closed during the reporting period | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Carried over with negotiated timelines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Carried over beyond negotiated timelines | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recommendation | Number of days required to complete consultation requests | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
Disclosed entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Recommendation | Number of days required to complete consultation requests | |||||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 to 15 days | 16 to 30 days | 31 to 60 days | 61 to 120 days | 121 to 180 days | 181 to 365 days | More than 365 days | Total | |
Disclosed entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Disclosed in part | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exempt entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Exclude entirely | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Consult other institution | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Other | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 8: Completion time of consultations on Cabinet confidences
Number of days | Fewer than 100 pages processed | 101-500 pages processed | 501-1000 pages processed |
1001-5000 pages processed |
More than 5000 pages processed |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | |
1 to 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Number of days | Fewer than 100 pages processed | 101-500 pages processed | 501-1000 pages processed |
1001-5000 pages processed |
More than 5000 pages processed |
|||||
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | Number of requests | Pages disclosed | |
1 to 15 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
16 to 30 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
31 to 60 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
61 to 120 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
121 to 180 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
181 to 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
More than 365 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 9: Complaints and investigations notices received
Section 31 | Section 33 | Section 35 | Court action | Total |
---|---|---|---|---|
6 | 4 | 4 | 0 | 14 |
Section 10: Privacy Impact Assessments (PIA) and Personal Information Banks (PIB)
Number of PIAs completed | 0 |
Number of PIAs modified | 0 |
Personal Information Banks | Active | Created | Terminated | Modified |
---|---|---|---|---|
Institution-specific | 14 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Central | 50 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 64 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Section 11: Material privacy breaches
Number of material privacy breaches reported to TBS | 1 |
Number of material privacy breaches reported to OPC | 1 |
Number of non-material privacy breaches | 4 |
Section 12: Resources related to the Privacy Act
Expenditures | Amount | |
---|---|---|
Salaries | $311,690 | |
Overtime | $0 | |
Goods and services | $19,729 | |
|
$19,729 | |
|
$0 | |
Total | $331,419 |
Resources | Person years dedicated to privacy activities |
---|---|
Full-time employees | 3.100 |
Part-time and casual employees | 0.000 |
Regional staff | 0.000 |
Consultants and agency personnel | 0.100 |
Students | 0.000 |
Total | 3.200 |
Note: Enter values to three decimal places.
Appendix C: Supplemental Statistical Report on the Access to Information Act and the Privacy Act
Name of institution: Environment and Climate Change Canada
Reporting period: April 1, 2023 to March 31, 2024
Section 1: Open requests and complaints under the Access to Information Act
Fiscal year open requests were received | Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 241 | 377 | 618 |
Received in 2022-23 | 21 | 356 | 377 |
Received in 2021-22 | 69 | 427 | 496 |
Received in 2010-21 | 31 | 311 | 342 |
Received in 2019-10 | 3 | 241 | 244 |
Received in 2018-19 | 1 | 125 | 126 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 | 47 | 47 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 | 66 | 66 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 | 29 | 29 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 | 29 | 29 |
Total | 366 | 2008 | 2374 |
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution | Number of open complaints |
---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 13 |
Received in 2022-23 | 2 |
Received in 2021-22 | 0 |
Received in 2020-21 | 1 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 |
Total | 16 |
Section 2: Open requests and complaints under the Privacy Act
Fiscal year open requests were received | Open requests that are within legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Open requests that are beyond legislated timelines as of March 31, 2024 | Total |
---|---|---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 2 | 22 | 24 |
Received in 2022-23 | 1 | 5 | 6 |
Received in 2021-22 | 2 | 4 | 6 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 | 3 | 3 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 | 7 | 7 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 | 2 | 2 |
Received in 2016-17 | 1 | 3 | 4 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Total | 6 | 47 | 53 |
Fiscal year open complaints were received by institution | Number of open complaints |
---|---|
Received in 2023-24 | 2 |
Received in 2022-23 | 0 |
Received in 2021-22 | 0 |
Received in 2020-21 | 0 |
Received in 2019-20 | 0 |
Received in 2018-19 | 0 |
Received in 2017-18 | 0 |
Received in 2016-17 | 0 |
Received in 2015-16 | 0 |
Received in 2014-15 or earlier | 0 |
Total | 2 |
Section 3: Social Insurance Number (SIN)
Did your institution receive authority for a new collection or new consistent use of the SIN in 2023-2024 | No |
Section 4: Universal access under the Privacy Act
How many requests were received from confirmed foreign national outside of Canada in 2023-2024? | 0 |
Page details
- Date modified: