Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy - 2016–17 Departmental Results Report - Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat
Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
1. Overview of the federal government’s approach to sustainable development
The 2013–16 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development activities, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. In keeping with the objectives of the Act to make environmental decision making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, the Secretariat supports the implementation of the FSDS through the activities described in this supplementary information table.
2. Our Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
This Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy describes the Secretariat’s actions in support of Theme IV: shrinking the environmental footprint, beginning with government. The report for 2016–17 presents a high-level overview of results and is the final report under the 2013–16 FSDS. Last year’s report is available on the departmental website.
3. Departmental performance highlights
Theme IV: shrinking the environmental footprint, beginning with government
Under Theme IV, the Secretariat contributed to the 2013–16 FSDS through 21 implementation strategies for Goal 7: Waste and asset management.
FSDS goal |
FSDS target |
FSDS performance indicator |
FSDS performance results |
|---|---|---|---|
Goal 7: Waste and asset management Reduce waste generated, and minimize the environmental impacts of assets throughout their life cycle. |
Target 7.2: Green procurement As of , the Government of Canada will continue to take action to embed environmental considerations into public procurement, in accordance with the federal Policy on Green Procurement. |
Departmental approach to further the implementation of the Policy on Green Procurement in place as of . |
Fully implemented by 2014–15 |
Number and percentage of procurement and/or materiel management specialists who completed the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement course (C215) or equivalent in fiscal year 2015–16. |
13 specialists 100% completion |
||
Number and percentage of managers and functional heads of procurement and materiel whose performance evaluation includes support and contribution toward green procurement in fiscal year 2015–16. |
3 managers and functional heads 66% inclusion in performance evaluation |
||
By , 100% of vehicles purchased will be right-sized for operational needs and will be the most fuel-efficient vehicle in their class in the Government Motor Vehicle Ordering Guide and/or will be an alternative fuel vehicle. |
Number of vehicle purchases that meet the target relative to the total number of vehicle purchases in the given year. |
No purchases made in 2016–17 |
|
By , purchases will be monitored to ensure a higher percentage of recycled content and an increase in green purchases. |
By , 95% of copy paper will contain a minimum of 30% recycled content and will be certified to a recognized environmental standard to reduce the environmental impact of its production. |
100% Exceeded |
|
By , 90% of toner cartridges are recycled at end of life. |
100% Exceeded |
||
By , the initiation of a contract under the Secretariat’s authority will not require paper. |
Functional specialists in procurement will receive an electronically approved contract initiation form and will no longer require wet-ink signatures. |
In progress The online contract initiation form was released to some users in winter 2016. |
|
7.2.1.5. Leverage common-use procurement instruments where available and feasible. |
Achieved The Secretariat uses Public Services and Procurement Canada procurement instruments, where available and when feasible. |
||
Best practice 7.2.3. Train acquisition cardholders in green procurement. |
Achieved It is mandatory for all acquisition cardholders to take a green procurement course. |
||
Best practice 7.2.4. Increase awareness of the Policy on Green Procurement among managers. |
Achieved Managers receive information about the Policy on Green Procurement during the procurement process. |
||
Ensure that employees who manage low-dollar-value (LDV) acquisitions receive green procurement training. |
Achieved LDV training sessions and acquisition cardholder prerequisite training both include information on green procurement. |
||
Target 7.3: Sustainable workplace operations As of , the Government of Canada will update and adopt policies and practices to improve the sustainability of its workplace operations. |
Approach to maintain or improve the sustainability of the departmental workplace is in place by . |
Achieved in 2014–15 In 2016–17, the Secretariat continued to improve sustainability by continuing its campaign to become paperless and by streamlining and improving departmental workplace operations by increasing the use of tablets at meetings and by increasing the use of electronic tools for sharing information. |
|
7.3.1.1. Engage employees in greening government operations practices. |
Achieved The Secretariat continued to engage all of its employees, particularly those in the administrative services community, in challenges and opportunities related to document management and reduction. More specifically, employees are now using the new information management architecture to save documents electronically, which has reduced the use of paper records. |
||
7.3.1.2. Integrate environmental considerations into corporate policies, processes and practices in accordance with departmental refresh cycles. |
Achieved The Secretariat continued to adhere to asset and materiel life-cycle management guidance outlined in the Asset Management Framework. |
||
7.3.1.3. Maintain or improve existing approaches to sustainable workplace practices (printer ratios, paper usage, and green meetings). |
Achieved. Printer ratios: In 2016–17, the average ratio of office employees to printers where building occupancy levels, security considerations and space configurations allow, was 11.7:1. |
||
Achieved. Green meetings: 100% of employees have access to a mobile device (tablet or laptop) to reference meeting material digitally and avoid printing. |
|||
Exceeded. Paper usage: The Secretariat set a new target of achieving a 25% reduction per employee from the 2011–12 baseline. In 2015–16 the Secretariat achieved a 74% reduction from the 2011–12 baseline. |
|||
7.3.1.4. Minimize the ratio of information technology (IT) assets per employee. |
Exceeded The Secretariat’s current ratio of computing devices to employees is 1:1, excluding exceptions for operational needs or duty to accommodate. This exceeds the Secretariat’s target of ensuring a maximum of 2 network access devices per employee when an employee adopts mobile computing and telephony, excluding employees who have elevated security or network access requirements. |
||
7.3.1.5. Select and operate IT and office equipment in a manner that reduces energy consumption and material usage. |
Achieved Monitors, tablets, laptops and multi-functional devices are set to hibernate when not in use. |
||
7.3.1.6. Dispose of e-waste in an environmentally sound and secure manner. |
Achieved Continued to adhere to e-waste guidance outlined in the Asset Management Framework. |
||
7.3.1.7. Reuse or recycle workplace materiel and assets in an environmentally sound and secure manner. |
Achieved Continued to adhere to reuse and recycling guidance outlined in the Asset Management Framework. |
||
7.3.1.9. Increase the population density in office buildings, and increase space utilization in special-purpose buildings. |
Achieved 65% or 1,500 of the Secretariat’s employees now work in offices fit up to the Workplace 2.0 office space utilization standard. The Secretariat has no special-purpose buildings. |
||
7.3.1.10. Maintain or improve sustainable fleet management. |
Achieved Departmental vehicles continue to adhere to the Treasury Board Directive on Fleet Management: Executive Vehicles, subsection 5.4, for the purchase and use of vehicle fleets. |
4. Report on Strategic Environmental Assessment
[B. Departments that did not conduct Strategic Environmental Assessments and thus produced no public statements should use the following standard text, modifying the information as required.]
During the 2016–17 reporting cycle, the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat considered the environmental effects of initiatives subject to the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals, as part of its decision-making processes. As the Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat did not develop any initiatives that required a Strategic Environmental Assessment, no related public statements were produced.