Spring 2019 update to TBS’s 2017-2020 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy

The Secretariat has committed to expanding and continually updating its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) for 2017 to 2020 to incorporate new decisions, actions and targets.

Since the spring 2018 update, the Centre for Greening Government has updated the Government of Canada’s Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory for the 2017-18 fiscal year. This new data shows that the government has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions by 32% from 2005 levels, keeping the government on track to meet its target of reducing GHG emissions by 40% compared with 2005 levels by 2030.

Additionally, in September 2018, the Government of Canada announced new commitments, consistent with the waste management elements of the Greening Government Strategy, to better manage the use and disposal of plastics in its own operations. Specifically, the government announced that it will:

  1. Divert at least 75% of plastic waste by 2030 from federal operations
  2. Eliminate the unnecessary use of single-use plastics in government operations, events and meetings
  3. When procuring products that contain plastics, promote the procurement of sustainable plastic products and the reduction of associated plastic packaging waste

To begin to deliver on these new commitments, in 2019-20, the Secretariat will work with Environment and Climate Change Canada to complete guidance for reducing plastics in meetings and events. This action will contribute to the green procurement commitment under Goal 2 (Low Carbon Government) of the 2016-19 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy.

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