2020 to 2023 Short-form Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

Although the NFB is not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act and is not required to develop a full departmental sustainable development strategy, the NFB adheres to the principles of the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) by complying with the Policy on Green Procurement.

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 NFB supports sustainable development by integrating environmental performance considerations into the procurement decision making process through the actions described in the 2019 to 2022 FSDS “Greening Government” goal.

In 2021-2022, the NFB will continue implementing the Policy on Green Procurement, which supports the Government of Canada’s efforts to promote environmental stewardship. In addition to the departmental measures listed in the table above, the NFB will continue to implement environmentally respectful strategies and best practices to reduce its ecological footprint. Here are some of the steps that the NFB has already taken:

• Office supplies: All supplies across the organization are ordered against a National Master Standing Offer (NMSO). Deliveries are limited to once a week to reduce carbon emissions. At NFB headquarters, purchasing is centralized, and deliveries are limited to once per week, to reduce carbon dioxide emissions.
• Equipment purchases: The NFB uses the Public Services and Procurement Canada and Shared Services Canada consolidated purchasing instruments and relies on the environmental factors incorporated into these standing offers.
• Transport: The NFB encourages employees to bike, walk or take public transit to work or to telework.
• Energy Efficiency: Purchases of lighting equipment for filming or other purposes are limited to LED technology that is more energy efficient.
• Reduced Paper Consumption: An initiative has been put in place to reduce the use and storage of paper documents, which will reduce paper consumption and space required for storage. Also, multifunctional printers are programmed to print, by default, on both sides in order to reduce the volume of paper.
• Recycling ink cartridges: The NFB recycles its depleted ink cartridges.
• Collaboration tools: All NFB employees throughout Canada have access to collaboration tool. No matter where these employees live, these tools let them work more effectively with each other, as well as with various partners at various locations. The NFB thus encourages both internal and external meetings to be held by videoconferencing or teleconferencing as much as possible, so as to reduce travel and office-space requirements.
• Disposal of equipment: When disposing of excess material, the NFB promotes methods for reuse, and when destruction is the only method possible, ensures that the measures taken for the recycling of materials and a disposal of materials.

Strategic Environmental Assessment

The NFB will continue to ensure that its decision-making process includes consideration of FSDS goals and targets. A Strategic Environmental Assessment (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 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.

The NFB’s mandate is to produce and distribute original and innovative audiovisual works that add to our understanding of the issues facing Canadians and raise awareness of Canadian values and viewpoints across the country and around the world. Given its mandate, the NFB does not have plans, programs or policies subject to strategic environmental assessments.