Reporting on Green Procurement

This supplementary information table supports reporting on green procurement activities in accordance with the Policy on Green Procurement.

Context

Although Shared Services Canada (SSC) was not bound by the Federal Sustainable Development Act in 2021-22 and was not required to develop a full-Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS), SSC adhered 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, SSC 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.

Commitments

Greening Government: The Government of Canada will transition to low-carbon, climate-resilient, and green operations

FSDS target(s) FSDS contributing action(s) Corresponding departmental action(s) Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) Results achieved Contribution by each departmental result to the FSDS goal and target

Actions supporting the Greening Government goal and the Policy on Green Procurement

Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions

SSC will further integrate environmental requirements in its decision-making processes and governance structures through a phased adoption of mandatory environmental considerations in procurement vehicles and enterprise procurement. 

 SSC will further require globally recognized ecolabels in its procurement, such as the Green Electronic Council’s flagship Electronic Product Environmental Assessment Tool (EPEAT).

Performance indicator: Percentage of SSC procurement vehicles that include environmental criteria that are established or renewed in the current year.

Percentage of SSC enterprise procurement that includes environmental criteria signed in the current year.

Starting point (baseline): Not available

 Target: 10% for year 2021 to 2022Footnote 1

In 2021-22, 14 new standing offers and supply arrangements (SO/SAs) vehicles were established. Of those 14, 3 SA’s were determined to include environmental criteria, meaning 21% of SSC’s new enterprise procurement vehicles established during
2021-22 included environmental criteria.

The inclusion of Green language in SO/SAs allows for environmental criteria that meet SDG’s 6, 7, 12, and 13. The inclusion of Green procurement language, be it for Ecolabels such as EPEAT, or for GHG reduction targets for Vendors, directly supports the Greening Government Strategy and the Policy on Green Procurement’s requirements that procurements include criteria that address environmental benefits.

Departments will adopt clean technology and undertake clean technology demonstration projects

SSC will sponsor the development and adoption of technological innovation for a greener government.

Performance indicator: Number of SSC-funded Innovative Solutions Canada Challenges that are focused on the development of innovative green technologies.

Starting point (baseline):1 as of March 31, 2021

Target: 2 SSC funded ISC challenges

In 2021-22 SSC met its target and funded 2 Innovative Solutions Canada Challenges that are focused on the development of innovative green technologies: e-waste solution and switchless network architecture. 

The e-waste challenge, which was co-sponsored with Environment and Climate Change Canada (ECCC), focused on developing a solution for recycling e-waste that can be used by the GC.

The second challenge funded a switchless technology that consumes 60% less energy and has a 75% smaller footprint to reduce the environmental impact of Data Centres.

 By funding and supporting Innovative Solution Canada’s Challenges, SSC is supporting the development and adaption of Green technology – this is aligned to the stated FSDS goal and the policy on Green procurement.
Departments will adopt clean technology and undertake clean technology demonstration projects  SSC will decommission and replace aging, less efficient data centre infrastructure managed by SSC with more efficient enterprise data centres (Data Centre Consolidation). The Workload Migration Program will shrink the aggregate government-wide requirement on computer resources by leveraging modern facilities either in Government of Canada (GC) enterprise data centres or provided by public cloud service providers, enabling efficiencies.

Performance indicator: Number of legacy data centres closed

Starting point (baseline): As of December 31, 2020, SSC has closed 306 out of 720 legacy data centres. 

Target: SSC will close at least 50 additional legacy data centres by the end of fiscal year 2021 to 2022.

In 2021-22 SSC closed 53 small and medium sized data centres Closing legacy data centres and consolidating (updating and migrating) workloads to enterprise data centres or the cloud, allows SSC to divest itself of legacy equipment and use clean technology found in EDCs and cloud facilities.
Departments will adopt clean technology and undertake clean technology demonstration projects SSC will maintain a minimum mandatory requirement for LEED Silver certification for all new and existing SSC enterprise data centres and will include a minimum mandatory requirement for LEED silver for all new major construction projects for existing enterprise data centres.

Performance indicator: Percentage of enterprise data centres with a minimum of LEED silver certification or equivalent.

Starting point (baseline): 75% 

Target: 100%

 In 2021-22 3 of 4 (75%) Enterprise Data Centres have a LEED silver certification or equivalent. Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification is the gold standard for green buildings. Using the best in clean technology to limit the environmental impact of buildings.
 Support for green procurement will be strengthened, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees  SSC will promote the Canada School of Public Service course C215 – Green Procurement to its procurement community.

Performance indicator: Percentage of SSC Procurement and Vendor Relations’ Contracting Authorities who have completed the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement course (C215), or equivalent.

Starting point (baseline): 60% (102/169) in 2019 to 2020

Target: 100%

At the end of 2021-22, there were 187 PG’s staffed (not including casual and FSWEP staff), 130 of whom had taken the CSPS C215 Green Procurement Course, a result 70% of SSC procurement contracting authorities have taken the course The CSPS Green Procurement course directly links to training and guidance for public service employees on environmental considerations in procurement, which could impact SDG’s 6, 7, 12, and 13. 

Report on integrating sustainable development

SSC’s Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) process. A 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.

During the 2021-22 reporting cycle, SSC had no proposals that required a SEA and no public statements were produced.

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