Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
The Treasury Board of Canada Secretariat (TBS) has committed to expanding and continually updating its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) for 2020 to 2023 to incorporate new decisions, actions and targets.
Since the strategy was updated last year, TBS has added actions it is taking as part of implementing the Treasury Board Policy on Green Procurement.
Greening government: The Government of Canada will transition to net‑zero carbon and climate-resilient operations, while also reducing environmental impacts beyond carbon, including on waste, water and biodiversity
| FSDS target(s) | FSDS contributing action(s) | Corresponding departmental action(s) | Contribution by each departmental action to the Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) goal and/or United Nations Sustainable Development Goal (SDG) target | Starting point(s) Performance indicator(s) Target(s) |
Program(s) in which the departmental actions will occur |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions from federal government facilities and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030 (with an aspiration to achieve this target by 2025) and 80% below 2005 levels by 2050 (with an aspiration to be carbon neutral) |
Publicly disclose detailed environmental performance information on government operations (in particular, a complete inventory of federal greenhouse gas emissions and energy use) on the Greening Government website each year |
Aggregate and publish environmental performance information on government operations on the Greening Government website each year, including an inventory of federal greenhouse gas emissions and energy use, as well as other environmental performance measures Provide annual updates on the overall reductions in GHG emissions from federal government facilities and fleets |
FSDS goal Monitoring and reporting environmental performance information is critical for ensuring that the government is on track with respect to its long‑term targets and for upholding the principles of transparency and open data SDG target 13.3 Improve education, awareness raising and human and institutional capacity on climate change mitigation, adaptation, impact reduction and early warning |
Starting point 32.6% reduction in GHG emissions as of 2018–19 Target 40% reduction by 2025 Indicator Percentage reduction in Scope 1 and 2table 1 note * GHG emissions from federal facilities and fleets (excluding national safety and security) from base year 2005–06 |
Centre for Greening Government |
By 2022, departments have developed measures to reduce climate change risks to assets, services and operations |
Increase training and support on assessing climate change impacts, undertaking climate change risk assessments and developing adaptation actions for public service employees, and facilitate sharing of best practices and lessons learned |
Undertake an assessment of potential climate impacts that may affect TBS operations and programs Develop measures to reduce identified risks, where warranted |
FSDS goal Understanding the likelihood and severity of climate change impacts and taking action to reduce identified risks contributes to more resilient services and operations SDG target 13.1 Strengthen resilience and adaptive capacity to climate-related hazards and natural disasters in all countries |
Starting point In 2019–20, TBS had initiated a climate risk assessment Target By 2020–21, complete a departmental climate risk assessment and, by 2022–23, develop measures to reduce identified risks, where warranted Indicators Completion of climate risk assessment for TBS, and development of measures to reduce climate change risks to TBS’s assets, services and operations, where warranted |
Centre for Greening Government |
Actions supporting the goal: greening government |
Departments will adopt clean technology and undertake clean technology demonstration projects |
Provide project funding to federal government departments and agencies to test or implement innovative approaches to reducing GHG emissions in their operations, through the Greening Government Fund |
FSDS goal Supporting the use of innovative clean technologies will help reduce the environmental footprint of government operations while contributing to the success of clean‑tech businesses in Canada SDG 9 Build resilient infrastructure, promote inclusive and sustainable industrialization and foster innovation |
Starting point In 2019–20, the Greening Government Fund allocated $9.8 million over 4 years Target 100% of available funding is allocated to projects Indicator Percentage of available funding committed to projects |
Centre for Greening Government |
Actions supporting the goal: greening government |
Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions |
TBS officials are asked to consider green procurement as a primary purchasing mechanism when making purchasing decisionstable 1 note † |
FSDS goal Green procurement incorporates environmental criteria into purchasing decisions. This is expected to motivate suppliers to reduce GHG emissions associated with their goods, services and supply chains SDG target 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities |
Starting point As of 2019–20, all TBS officials were asked to consider green procurement as a primary purchasing mechanism when making purchasing decisions Indicator Percentage of procurement processes that consider green procurement in their contracting requests Target 100% |
Internal services (acquisition management services) |
Actions supporting the goal: greening government |
Support for green procurement will be strengthened, including guidance, tools and training for public service employees |
Ensure that all TBS procurement officers are trained in green procurement within the first year of being on the jobtable 1 note ‡ |
FSDS goal Green procurement incorporates environmental criteria into purchasing decisions. Procurement officers who are trained to apply such criteria can award contracts to suppliers with a reduced GHG footprint. This is expected to motivate suppliers to reduce GHG emissions associated with their goods, services and supply chains. SDG target 12.7 Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities |
Starting point As of 2019–20, all of the department’s procurement officers were trained in green procurement within the first year of being on the job. Indicator Percentage of procurement officers trained in green procurement within the first year of being on the job. Target 100% |
Internal services (Acquisition Management Services) |
Table 1 Notes
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