Greening at SSC

What sustainable development means to the Government of Canada

Sustainable development in the Government of Canada involves the efficient use of natural, social and economic resources and includes environmental, economic and social factors in its decision making.

SSC’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023-2027 highlights SSC’s many contributions to the implementation of the sustainable development goals of Canada’s Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. SSC’s strategy formalizes actions, targets and performance indicators to help improve environmental sustainability initiatives to act on climate change and its impacts. SSC is playing a leadership role in reducing greenhouse gas emissions and waste from GC IT operations and prioritizing the procurement of sustainable IT goods and services.

As the common service provider for IT services for the GC, SSC is working to:

• reduce greenhouse gas emissions throughout its operations; for example, we are moving data and applications from legacy data centres to more sustainable Enterprise Data Centres and investing in zero-emission vehicles
• continue reducing electronic waste by considering sustainability throughout the lifecycle of its IT hardware, from procurement to responsible consumption, reuse, repair and recycling
• assess the risks of climate change impacts, such as extreme weather events, to its assets, services, operations and finances in order to enhance climate resilience
• integrate sustainable development into its planning and decision-making processes, including the addition of environmental criteria, such as EPEAT ecolabel certification, in procurement processes that support clean water, clean energy, waste reduction and climate action
• collaborate with strategic partners, including vendors, central agencies and other GC organizations, to reduce the environmental impacts of GC IT operations

SSC’s 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report 2023-2024

SSC has tabled its 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy report 2023-2024. It highlights our progress and achievements in advancing the actions set out in our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023-2027, reflecting our commitment to sustainable development. Together, we are working to create a greener, more inclusive SSC—one that delivers lasting change across the Government of Canada.

Spotlight on green IT procurement

Shared Services Canada has earned industry recognition for sustainable procurement, including winning numerous awards, such as the Global Electronics Council EPEAT Purchaser Award, which we have won annually since 2015.

Environmental impact

Over their lifetime, compared to products that do not meet EPEAT criteria, the EPEAT-registered IT products purchased by Shared Services Canada in fiscal year 2024-2025 will result in environmental impact reductions including:

Good news stories

• SSC’s Mobile Devices Recycling Program aims to reduce e-waste while supporting communities
• Enterprise Data Centre achieves Tier III Gold certification for operations and maintenance
• Shared Services Canada includes environmental sustainability in procurement
• Enterprise Data Centre (EDC) Borden achieves LEED Silver certification

Resources

• 2023 to 2024 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
• Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2023-2027
• Greening Government Strategy: A Government of Canada Directive
• Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS)