Prairies Economic Development Canada’s 2023-2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
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Catalogue No.: Iu98-1/2E-PDF
ISSN: 2816-8828
Prairies Economic Development Canada
1500-9700 Jasper Ave.
Edmonton AB T5J 4H7
Telephone: 780-495-4164
Toll Free: 1-888-338-3978
This document is available on the Prairies Economic Development Canada website at https://canada.ca/en/prairies-economic-development.html
© His Majesty the King in Right of Canada,
represented by the Minister of Northern Affairs, Minister responsible for Prairies Economic Development Canada and Minister responsible for the Canadian Northern Economic Development Agency
Introduction to the 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
The 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. This is the first FSDS to be framed using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and provides a balanced view of the environmental, social, and economic dimensions of sustainable development.
In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to make decision-making related to sustainable development more transparent and accountable to Parliament, Prairies Economic Development Canada (PrairiesCan) supports the goals laid out in the FSDS through the activities described in PrairiesCan’s 2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS). This Report provides a report on progress related to PrairiesCan’s DSDS in the fiscal year 2023 to 2024.
The Federal Sustainable Development Act also sets out 7 principles that must be considered in the development of the FSDS as well as DSDSs. These basic principles have been considered and incorporated in PrairiesCan’s DSDS and 2023 to 2024 DSDS Report.
To promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, PrairiesCan’s departmental strategy reports on Canada’s progress towards implementing the 2030 Agenda and advancing the SDGs, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The Report also now captures progress on SDG initiatives that fall outside the scope of the FSDS.
Commitments for Prairies Economic Development Canada
Goal 8: Encourage inclusive and sustainable economic growth in Canada
FSDS context
Goal 8 in the 2022 to 2026 FSDS aims to increase competitiveness and create a more sustainable and diverse economy, including growing and supporting clean technologyEndnote 1 and other emerging sectors. The department makes strategic investments in key sectors, including clean technology and clean resourcesEndnote 2. For example, in the latest fiscal year, PrairiesCan made investments in the following projects across the Prairies:
- Calgary, Alberta: The scale-up of the Pembina Institute’s Business Renewables Centre – an initiative that connects corporate energy buyers to renewable energy developers while addressing barriers. This ecosystem project facilitated significant growth in Alberta’s renewable energy sector and contributed to economic benefits for municipalities across Alberta.
- Regina, Saskatchewan: The expansion of technology commercialization capabilities of the Cold-Region Water Resource Recovery Laboratory (CRWRRL). The CRWRRL is an engineering research facility focused on developing sustainable solutions for wastewater treatment and resource recovery in cold regions, such as the Prairie Provinces.
- Winnipeg, Manitoba: NFI Group Inc., a leading independent bus and coach manufacturer and a leader in electric mass mobility solutions, received $10M from PrairiesCan to modernize their Motor Coach Industries manufacturing facility and expand their zero-emission coach bus capability. This financing is part of PrairiesCan Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy through the Jobs and Growth Fund.
Under the Canada Coal Transition Initiative (CCTI) and Canada Coal Transition Infrastructure Fund (CCTIF), the department supports skills development, infrastructure investments, and economic diversification in impacted communities transitioning away from coal-fired electricity generation. In 2023 to 2024, PrairiesCan approved funding for 12 projects in Alberta and Saskatchewan for a total of nearly $50 million. Projects include:
- Paul First Nation, Alberta: Funding to renovate an existing building into a transition, training and employment centre. The facility now provides resources such as entrepreneurship training, business and employment supports, workshops, networking events and cultural gatherings.
- Leduc County, Alberta: Supported the completion of the Nisku Spine Road, a critical transportation which links to major employment areas including the Nisku Business Park and the Edmonton International Airport.
- Coronach, Saskatchewan: Supported the development and operation of a local business hub which provides mentorship, training, and information on sectoral trends, as well as workspace for individuals who are looking to enter entrepreneurship.
- Rural Municipality of Estevan, Saskatchewan: Supported the upgrading of 850 meters of Kensington Avenue to connect businesses on the north side of the community with Highway 39, providing a direct route for heavy trucks and improving traffic efficiency and public safety while reducing costly wear and tear on roads built for lighter traffic.
Finally, through the Framework to Build a Green Prairie Economy (GPE), PrairiesCan and nine other federal departments are working to increase federal co-ordination in the delivery of programs and to strengthen engagements with regional partners to support sustainable economic development and advance Canada’s environmental ambitions.
Target theme
Support for workers and business
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator/ Starting point/ Target |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs | Results achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Support workers, businesses and communities | Fund clean technology and clean resources projects in the Prairies. Program: All PrairiesCan programs |
Performance indicator:
|
Investment in clean technology and clean resources links to the FSDS by contributing to innovation and increasing competitiveness in the region. Investment in this area supports working towards a sustainable economy, by producing less emissions, as well as increasing economic diversity. It also creates clean technology jobs in the regional economy. Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians contribute to and benefit from sustainable economic growth CIF indicator: 8.6.1 Jobs in the clean technology products sector GIF target: 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors |
Indicator result: Results available in 2027 Notes: The targets set for these indicators span four fiscal years. Therefore, results will be at the end of the reporting period in 2027. |
| Develop a framework for local cooperation and engagement in the implementation of federal programs across various sectors to build a green economy in the Prairie provinces. Program: Building a Green Prairie Economy Act |
Performance indicator:
|
Developing and implementing a framework for Building a Green Prairie Economy Act will contribute to the FSDS’s goal about building a sustainable economy. Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians contribute to and benefit from sustainable economic growth GIF target: 8.2 Achieve higher levels of economic productivity through diversification, technological upgrading and innovation, including through a focus on high-value added and labour-intensive sectors |
Indicator result:
PrairiesCan is working with federal partners to implement the framework, including action plans for advancing early priorities identified by Prairie stakeholders and a dedicated project table for pathfinding and coordinated investments |
Goal 10: Advance reconciliation with Indigenous peoples and take action on inequality
FSDS context
Goal 10 of the 2022 to 2026 FSDS focusses on advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and Métis communities. It also has a broader ambition of taking action to reduce inequalities for all racialized and marginalized groups. PrairiesCan fosters a more equitable and inclusive economy by supporting the economic participation of underrepresented populations including Indigenous peoples, black Canadians, women, and youth, and seeks collaborative opportunities in an effort to an effort to advance Indigenous economic development. Projects that have been undertaken in the spirit of advancing Indigenous economic growth include:
- Askiy Hemp Limited Partnership: Provided support to Askiy Hemp Limited Partnership, a partnership between Frog Lake First Nation and Logistik Unicorp, to construct a state-of-the-art industrial hemp processing plant in Elk Point, Alberta. When complete, the plant will employ more than 45 people, with at least one-third of these jobs filled by Indigenous Peoples, and process 40 thousand tons of hemp stalk annually for use in a variety of products including textiles, building materials, fertilizer, and paper.
- Pelican Lake Farms Ltd. and Pelican Lake: Received a $1 million repayable contribution to purchase equipment to farm agricultural land on reserve in northwest Saskatchewan. This initiative is part of Pelican Lake First Nation's multi-year development plan to benefit from active involvement of its 15,800 agriculture acres. The investment enabled the First Nation to establish and manage a corporate farming operation to retain benefits in the community and provide on-going employment on reserve for Indigenous youth.
- The National Indigenous Residential School Museum of Canada Inc. (NIRSM): Located in a former residential school in Portage la Prairie, Manitoba, the NIRSM is a place where people can learn, share, heal and move forward with a greater understanding of how residential schools have affected Indigenous communities. With $396,500 in funding through the Tourism Relief Fund, NIRSM developed new displays and interpretive materials, improved site safety and accessibility, and initiate strategic planning to chart the museum's path forward as a major tourism destination. This project resulted in 13 non-HQPEndnote 3 jobs created for Indigenous people, 3 jobs maintained, 2,919 new domestic tourists, and 52 new international tourists.
Finally, the department implements the Government of Canada’s Procurement Strategy for Indigenous Business, with an objective to exceed the federal minimum of five percent.
Target theme
Advancing reconciliation with First Nations, Inuit, and the Métis communities
Target
Between 2023 and 2026, and every year on an ongoing basis, develop and table annual progress reports on implementing the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act (Minister of Justice and Attorney General of Canada)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator/ Starting point/ Target |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs | Results achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act | Increase share of procurement contracts to Indigenous businesses Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of the total value of PrairiesCan contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses Starting point: 8%Endnote 4 of the total value of PrairiesCan contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses for the period 2022 to 2023 Target: 10% of the total value of PrairiesCan contracts awarded to Indigenous businesses per fiscal year |
Increasing departmental procurement from Indigenous businesses will help to address inequalities in federal procurement. It contributes to the Economic, health and social rights section of the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians live free of discrimination and inequalities are reduced GIF target: 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status |
Indicator result: 10.08% of the total value of PrairiesCan contract awarded to Indigenous businesses for the fiscal year 2023 to 2024 Notes: |
| Support economic development and entrepreneurship in Indigenous communities | Fund Indigenous-led and Indigenous impact projects in the Prairies Program: PrairiesCan Core Programs |
Performance indicator: Value of PrairiesCan core funding that supports Indigenous projects Starting point: $8.7 million in total core funding that supports Indigenous projects in 2022 to 2023 Target: $10.8 million in total core funding that supports Indigenous projects per fiscal year |
Funding Indigenous projects in the Prairies will directly help Indigenous communities and entrepreneurs. Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians live free of discrimination and inequalities are reduced GIF target: 10.2 By 2030, empower and promote social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race ethnicity, origin, religion or economic or other status |
Indicator result: $21.53 million in total core funding that supports Indigenous projects for the fiscal year 2023 to 2024 Notes: |
Goal 12: Reduce waste and transition to zero-emission vehicles
FSDS context
Goal 12 of the 2022 to 2026 FSDS focuses on waste reduction and transitioning to zero-emission vehicles, with an emphasis on the circular economy. PrairiesCan requires its procurement staff to take training on green procurement, and integrates environmental and sustainable considerations into the procurement decision-making process.
Target theme
Federal leadership on responsible consumption
Target
The Government of Canada’s procurement of goods and services will be net-zero emissions by 2050, to aid the transition to a net-zero, circular economy (All Ministers)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator/ Starting point/ Target |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs | Results achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Strengthen green procurement criteria | Require all PrairiesCan specialists in procurement and material management to have training in green procurement through the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement Course Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: Percentage of specialists in procurement and material management who have completed training in green procurement Starting point: 100% of specialists in procurement and material management completed training on green procurement for the period 2022 to 2023 Target: |
Training in green procurement allows departmental staff to understand how prioritizing procurement with green criteria reduces waste Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians consume in a sustainable manner CIF indicator: 12.2.1 Proportion of businesses that adopted selected environmental protection activities and management practices GIF target: 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities |
Indicator result: 100% of specialists in procurement and material management completed training on green procurement for the fiscal year 2023 to 2024 Notes: |
Goal 13: Take action on climate change and its impacts
FSDS context
Goal 13 of the 2022 to 2026 FSDS revolves around taking action on climate change by reducing emissions of greenhouse gases and build resilience. In addition to the investments the department makes in innovation to reduce emissions in the Prairie economy as a whole (e.g., carbon capture, utilization, and storage, and hydrogen technologies), PrairiesCan has taken steps to reduce its own departmental carbon footprint. All of PrairiesCan’s offices are co-located with other federal departments. The department is committed to greening government, and through Public Services and Procurement Canada’s leadership, uses office equipment, suppliers, contractors and services that are vetted and deemed to contribute to common government objectives, including transitioning to low-carbon, climate resilient, and green operations. PrairiesCan includes environmental criteria in its own Standing Offers and Supply Arrangements (SOSAs). The department also has recycling programs at each office, and uses videoconferencing to replace travel by employees, when possible.
Target theme
Federal leadership on greenhouse gas emissions reductions and climate resilience
Target
The Government of Canada will transition to net-zero carbon operations for facilities and conventional fleets by 2050 (All Ministers)
| Implementation strategy | Departmental action | Performance indicator/ Starting point/ Target |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada’s 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGs | Results achieved |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Implement the Greening Government Strategy through measures that reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve climate resilience, and green the government’s overall operations | Prioritize SOSAs that includes environmental criteria. Program: Internal Services |
Performance indicator: PrairiesCan SOSAs that include environmental criteria Starting point:
|
Prioritizing SOSAs that include green criteria is the way in which the department implements the Greening Government Strategy. Relevant targets or ambitions: CIF ambition: Canadians reduce their greenhouse gas emissions GIF target: 13.2 Integrate climate change measures into national policies, strategies and planning |
Indicator result:
The figures above are for procurements where PSPC and SSC SOSAs containing environmental criteria were used. |
Integrating sustainable development
PrairiesCan 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 a policy, plan or program proposal includes an analysis of the impacts of the given proposal on the environment, including on relevant FSDS goals and targets.
Public statements on the results of PrairiesCan’s assessments are made public when an initiative has undergone a detailed SEA (see here). 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.
Prairies Economic Development Canada did not complete any detailed SEAs in the 2023 to 2024 fiscal year.
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