2017-2020 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

September 2017

Context for the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS)

The Policy on Green Procurement supports the Government of Canada’s effort to promote environmental stewardship. In keeping with the objectives of the policy, the Military Grievances External Review Committee (Committee) supports sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision‑making process through the activities in this DSDS.

Although the Committee is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a departmental sustainable development strategy, it adheres to the principles of the FSDS by implementing the Policy on Green Procurement.

Commitments for the Military Grievances External Review Committee

Low-Carbon Government: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon

Responsible Minister: All ministers

Low-Carbon Government FSDS targets	FSDS Contributing Actions	Corresponding departmental actions	Contribution by each departmental action to the FSDS goal and target	Performance indicators for departmental actions	Programs in which the departmental actions will occur
Reduce GHG emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve this reduction by 2025	Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement	Ensure specialists in procurement and materiel management have the necessary training and awareness to support green procurement	Green procurement incorporates environmental considerations into purchasing decisions and is expected to motivate suppliers to green their goods, services and supply chain. Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reductions are one area of consideration in green procurement.	Percentage of specialists in procurement and materiel management who have completed training on green procurement	Independent review of military grievances Internal Services
	Promote sustainable travel practices	Engage employees in greening practices by offering the opportunity to remotely attend meetings and/or work Promote teleconferencing, telecommuting and use of electronic tools to reduce the requirement for employee travel	Promoting sustainable practices for employee travel will contribute to reducing the environmental impacts associated with government travel. Implementation of these activities supports the government in reducing GHG emissions by empowering employees with innovative solutions and tools that promote the prevention of pollution at the Committee.	Number of employees who have access to work and/or attend meetings remotely	Independent review of military grievances Internal Services

Integrating sustainable development

The Military Grievances External Review Committee will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets through its Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. An SEA for policy, plan or program proposals includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on FSDS goals and targets.

Public statements on the results of the Military Grievances External Review Committee’s assessments are made public when an initiative that has undergone a detailed SEA is announced. The purpose of the public statement is to demonstrate that the environmental effects, including the impacts on achieving the FSDS goals and targets, of the approved policy, plan or program have been considered during proposal development and decision making.