Executive summary
Executive summary
The 2015 Progress Report of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy presents information on how the federal government is implementing the 2013–2016 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS), including progress toward its goals and targets. Together with the FSDS, it supports the purpose of the Federal Sustainable Development Act by making environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament.
This executive summary provides a high-level view as of 2015 of progress on each of the 2013–2016 FSDS goals and targets. The balance of the report provides additional information on the goals and targets.
2013–2016 FSDS Goals and Targets | Progress Statements |
---|---|
Addressing climate change and air quality | |
Goal 1 |
As of 2013, Canada’s anthropogenic GHG emissions were 23 Mt carbon dioxide equivalent (CO2 eq) below 2005 levels. The Government of Canada continued to pursue a sector-by-sector approach to regulating GHG emissions. It also continued to help Canadians and businesses decrease their GHG emissions through actions such as supporting the development and deployment of innovative clean technologies. Over the past years, understanding about adaptation has improved and progress has been made through broadened engagement and policies, plans and practices to increase resilience to climate change. |
Target 1.1 |
As of 2013, Canada’s GHG emissions level was 3.1% below the 2005 level of 749 Mt CO2 eq. |
Target 1.2 |
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. |
Goal 2 |
Many threats to air quality have been reduced: the outdoor concentrations of sulphur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen dioxide (NO2), volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and peak concentrations of ground-level ozone (O3) have decreased substantially over the past two decades. National annual average concentrations of O3 and annual average and peak concentrations of fine particulate matter (PM2.5)—the main components of smog—have remained relatively stable since 2000. |
Target 2.1 |
Some improvements are evident. New and amended regulations for air pollutants have contributed to continued decreases 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 28% to 63% lower in 2013 than in 1990. |
Target 2.2 |
The federal government continued to develop guidelines, mitigation measures, product standards and communication initiatives on indoor air quality. The indoor air health risk assessment for NO2 was completed and formed the basis of the Residential Indoor Air Quality Guideline for NO2 published in August 2015. The government also completed health risk assessments to support the development of draft Indoor Air Reference Level determinations for certain VOCs. |
Maintaining water quality and availability | |
Goal 3 |
Over the past decade, freshwater quality and quantity in Canadian rivers has remained generally stable. In terms of drinking water quality, most boil water advisories were issued as precautionary measures during equipment maintenance or repair rather than due to detection of pathogens in treated water. |
Target 3.1 |
The percentage of on-reserve First Nations drinking water systems with low risk ratings increased from 27% in 2009–2011 to 57% in 2014–2015. Forty-eight percent of on-reserve First Nations wastewater systems had low risk ratings in 2014–2015 compared with 38% in 2009–2011. |
Target 3.2 |
Between 2013 and 2015, 10 new or updated drinking water quality guidelines/guidance documents were approved by provinces and territories, on track to achieve 15 by 2016. |
Target 3.3 |
Since 2010, no AOC have been delisted. However, a 2014 assessment revealed that ongoing action by the federal government and its partners has decreased the number of beneficial uses considered “impaired” by 33% (from 120 to 80) since each AOC was initially assessed. |
Target 3.4 |
In 2014, representatives of Canada, the U.S., Ontario and the eight Great Lakes States agreed to develop phosphorus reduction targets for Lake Erie by spring 2016. Public consultations were held in summer 2015 on a 40% reduction target for Lake Erie. |
Target 3.5 |
Phosphorus levels at the majority of water quality monitoring stations along the St. Lawrence River exceeded water quality guidelines more than 50% of the time during the period 2010–2012. Nitrogen levels exceeded water quality guidelines more than 50% of the time at only one site. |
Target 3.6 |
Phosphorus reduction projects completed by March 2015 under the Lake Simcoe/South-eastern Georgian Bay Clean-up Fund are preventing approximately 4040 kg of phosphorus per year from entering the Lake Simcoe watershed. Similarly, stewardship projects are preventing an estimated 124 kg of phosphorus per year from reaching South-eastern Georgian Bay and its tributary rivers. |
Target 3.7 |
As of March 2015, stewardship projects supported by the Lake Winnipeg Basin Stewardship Fund were preventing an estimated 14 800 kg of phosphorus per year from entering Lake Winnipeg and its tributary rivers. Phosphorus levels in Lake Winnipeg were 100% higher in 2013 than pre-1990: 0.1 milligrams of phosphorus per litre compared with 0.05. |
Target 3.8 |
With a 70% increase in patrol hours from 2009–2010, 44 spills by identified vessels were detected in fiscal year 2013–2014 compared with 21 in 2009–2010, an average annual increase of 20%. |
Target 3.9 |
Since 2004, the proportion of permitted disposal at sea sites requiring no 'management action' has exceeded the 85% performance target, indicating that Canada’s ocean disposal sites are being used sustainably. In 2013–2014, the government completed monitoring projects at 11 ocean disposal sites, or 12% of actively used sites. |
Target 3.10 |
The Soil Quality Agri-Environmental Performance Metric rose from 66 in 1981 to 77 in 2006 as farm management improved. Meanwhile, the Water Quality Agri-Environmental Performance Metric declined from 94 in 1981 to 78 in 2006. |
Target 3.11 |
Regulatory compliance reduces the risks of effluent released to the environment in rivers. The indicators measuring the quality of metal mining and pulp and paper effluent show stable or improved regulatory compliance. |
Target 3.12 |
Provincial and territorial government clients rated the Government of Canada’s hydrometric program 8 out of 10 on a performance satisfaction survey of their data dissemination. |
Protecting Nature and Canadians | |
Goal 4 |
In 2010, 77% of Canadian wild species assessed in the General Status of Wildlife Species in Canada report were ranked "secure." The number of protected areas and the total area protected in Canada continued to grow. |
Target 4.1 |
Of the 307 species at risk that had final recovery strategies or management plans as of May 2015, 112 had population-oriented goals reassessed. Of these 112 species, 43 (38%) showed population trends consistent with the goals of the recovery strategies. |
Target 4.2 |
Baseline information indicates that more than half of managed migratory bird species regularly found in Canada have population sizes within an acceptable range. |
Target 4.3 |
10.3% of Canada’s terrestrial area (land and freshwater) is protected as of the end of 2014, and this percentage is expected to continue to increase. As of 2015, 80 700 square kilometres (km2) of habitat for waterfowl had been secured since 1990 and as of 2014, 1836 km2 habitat for species at risk has been secured since 2000. |
Target 4.4 |
As of March 2015, management actions have resulted in improvements to at least one indicator of ecological integrity in 20 national parks. |
Target 4.5 |
From 1990 to 2014, protected coastal and marine areas increased from 0.32% of Canada’s marine territory to 0.9%. |
Target 4.6 |
No new invasive species were found to have become established in Canada in 2012 and 2013. The federal government is conducting pathway and species risk assessments, including assessments of weeds for potential quarantine and assessments of aquatic species for potential regulations. The government has developed risk-impact matrices for five groups of high-priority pathogens and completed an assessment of the risk posed by the invasive Phytophthora ramorum (commonly known as sudden oak death disease) to various Canadian tree species such as oak and larch. |
Target 4.7 |
As of March 2015, 86% of federal institutions have assessed their strategic emergency plan and taken actions to address risks related to their area of responsibility. Of the 2449 facilities that implemented environmental emergency plans in 2014–2015, 21 had environmental emergencies (0.9%). |
Target 4.8 |
The government is making progress in reducing environmental and health risks posed by releases of harmful substances:
|
Goal 5 |
From 1990 to 2013, annual timber harvest has been in the range of 47% to 85% of Canada’s wood supply, and 48% of major fish stocks were considered healthy in 2014, an increase from 46% in 2011. |
Target 5.1 |
In 2014, 99% of 155 major fish stocks were harvested at sustainable levels, an increase from 90% in 2011. |
Target 5.2 |
Integrated Management of Aquaculture Plans have been completed for British Columbia finfish and shellfish. The Plan for freshwater species is currently in development. National aquaculture science programs are in place to inform other regulatory processes under the Fisheries Act (for example, the Aquaculture Activities Regulations). |
Target 5.3 |
Through its participation on advisory boards and committees, Natural Resources Canada (NRCan) provides scientific expertise to stakeholders on how to address challenges related to maintaining the sustainability of forest ecosystems. In 2013–2014, 77 NRCan representatives sat on disturbances advisory boards and committees, up from 73 in the previous reporting period. |
Target 5.4 |
As of 2013–2014, more than 85% of ranges in the Community Pastures Program were rated good or excellent in terms of their capacity to support biodiversity and provide habitat for wildlife. Ninety-five percent of farms have taken action on their Environmental Farm Plan to improve agri-environmental risk assessment and risk mitigation. |
Shrinking the environmental footprint – beginning with Government | |
Goal 6 |
Overall GHG emissions from federal operations have been reduced since 2005. Responsible departments and agencies continue to work toward achieving their own GHG emissions reduction targets in support of the overall federal target of 17% by 2020–2021. |
Target 6.1 |
In fiscal year 2013–2014, responsible departments and agencies have reduced GHG emissions from their buildings and fleets by 2.5%, relative to fiscal year 2005–2006. |
Goal 7 |
The government has made progress on waste and asset management: 37 of 54 real property projects and existing Crown-owned buildings have achieved a high level of environmental performance, 85% of SMART green procurement targets have been achieved (or are on track to be achieved), and 100% of FSDS departments have developed an approach to maintain and improve the sustainability of workplace policies and practices. |
Target 7.1 |
Federal real property custodians continue to integrate environmental performance considerations into real property decision-making, supporting the government’s pursuit of its GHG emissions reduction, waste and asset management, and water management targets, as well as utility cost savings. To date, 37 of 54 real property projects and existing Crown-owned buildings and 26 of 36 new construction and major renovation projects have achieved an industry-recognized level of high environmental performance since 2012–2013. |
Target 7.2 |
The federal government continues to make progress on implementing the Policy on Green Procurement; for example, more than 14 600 specialists in procurement and/or materiel management have completed training over the last three years. In addition, in 2013–2014, 96% of the 26 FSDS departments included support or contribution towards green procurement as an element in the performance evaluations of those managing procurement and materiel management. |
Target 7.3 |
The government has reduced the environmental impact of the federal workplace in a number of key areas. From 2011–2014, the federal government donated 369 000 computers, laptops, monitors and printers to Computers for Schools (CFS) and increased the average ratio of employees to printing units from 4:1 to 8.5:1 (shedding over 27 500 units). In addition, over 2 years, annual paper consumption dropped by about 540 million sheets, and the use of 20 000 toner cartridges was eliminated, saving the government approximately $4.5 million. |
Target 7.4 |
As this is a new and optional target, data are not yet available to provide a measure of progress. |
Goal 8 |
The government has added a new commitment to improve the management of water in its real property operations. |
Target 8.1 |
All 15 custodial FSDS departments and agencies are making strides to improve water management in their real property operations and to identify priority areas for action. |
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