Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy 2017-2020

Executive Summary

The new 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) outlines the Government of Canada’s sustainable development priorities and goals that will promote clean growth, ensure healthy ecosystems and build sustainable communities across Canada. These goals will help realize the country’s sustainable development vision where: “Canada is one of the greenest countries in the world and our quality of life continues to improve”.

Under the Federal Sustainable Development Act, Public Safety Canada (PS) is responsible for preparing its own Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS) that aligns with the FSDS and for reporting annually on progress made towards achieving its goals. The 2017-2020 DSDS sets out what PS will do to support federal sustainable development objectives and will ensure that parliamentarians and Canadians can track the results being achieved.

Over the next three years, PS will work towards the two following FSDS goals:

  1. LOW-CARBON GOVERNMENT: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon.
  2. SAFE AND HEALTHY COMMUNITIES: All Canadians live in clean, sustainable communities that contribute to their health and well-being.

The DSDS describes the activities that PS has committed to undertake over the next three years to ensure that we are doing our part in contributing to these broader goals. The department will strive to advance our sustainability priorities and integrate environmental and sustainable development considerations into our policies, plans and programs.

Sustainable Development Context

The new 2016–2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. The FSDS prescribes specific targets and implementation strategies to which departments and agencies must comply to support the federal government in meeting its commitments. The purpose of these targets is to ensure departments and agencies integrate sustainable development principles into their programs, policies and operations. In keeping with the objectives of the Act to make environmental decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, the Minister of Environment and Climate Change will table the Government of Canada’s Departmental Sustainable Development Strategies (DSDS) before the House of Commons and the Senate in the fall of 2017.

Sustainable Development at Public Safety Canada

Public Safety exercises national leadership to ensure the safety and security of Canada and Canadians. In carrying out its roles, the Department provides policy advice and support to the Minister of Public Safety on issues related to national security and emergency management, policing and law enforcement, interoperability and information-sharing, border management, corrections, and crime prevention.

At Public Safety, the Corporate Services Directorate, within the Corporate Management Branch (CMB) is responsible for developing, implementing and reporting on this strategy. The Department has been contributing to the Government of Canada's sustainable development program for the past six years. In the previous 2010-2015 DSDS, several performance target levels such as reducing paper usage, increasing use of electronic invoices, green procurement and mitigating environmental disasters, etc. were achieved in support of the 2013-2016 FSDS goals.

In accordance with the new 2016-2019 FSDS, Public Safety is responsible to contribute to Goal 2 : Low-Carbon Government and to Goal 13: Safe and Healthy Communities. The department will support these FSDS goals through the activities described in this Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.

Departmental Commitments under the 2016-19 FSDS

Low-Carbon Government

Long-term Goal:The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon.
FSDS target:  Reduce greenhouse gas emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve it by 2025.

The Government of Canada has a large real property portfolio and spends billions each year on goods and services in order to serve Canadians. This means Public Safety has an opportunity to support the transition to a low-carbon economy and contribute to Canada’s sustainable development commitments.

Green Procurement

Public Safety will continue to further the implementation of the Public Services and Procurement Canada (PSPC) Policy on Green Procurement.  As of April 1, 2014, Public Safety Canada has implemented its Departmental Green Procurement Policy to ensure commitment to the protection of the environment and to support sustainable development through the greening of the Department’s operations.

In addition to this policy, the Acquisition Card Policy requires that all procurement specialists and acquisition cardholders complete the Canada School of Public Service Green Procurement course prior to exercising their procurement authorities. This will ensure that environmental considerations are taken into account in the procurement process for goods and services, including planning, acquisition, use/maintenance and disposal methods. This training remains a key activity in this cycle of the DSDS and will help align procurement practices with green objectives and sustainable development goals.

Sustainable Workplace Practices

Public Safety will increase staff awareness with regards to sustainable development workplace practices including reduction of energy consumption and promoting green practices for employee travel and commuting to work.

With respect to Information Technology, the Department will maintain the current ratio of printers of 8 to 1 and monitor and reduce the current paper usage.  Keeping in line with these initiatives, the Department will move towards a single laptop device for each employee. This will reduce the number of devices per person as this will prevent employees from having both a desktop and a laptop for mobility reasons. We will also continue to use and purchase ENERGY STAR approved devices whenever possible.

As part of Blueprint 2020, Public Safety is implementing a number of technology modernization initiatives that will also support environmentally-friendly choices. One initiative involves the creation of online forms and electronic signatures which will streamline how information is being exchanged and signed-off and will greatly reduce the amount of paper currently produced.

The Department continues to leverage technology to reduce its environmental footprint with the promotion of desktop videoconferencing and virtual meetings. Public Safety Canada adopted WebEX as a tool of choice to conduct national virtual meetings, reducing the effects of associated travel, and will continue to provide regions with videoconferencing capability until the Shared Services solution to desktop videoconferencing is available to all partners, which is estimated by 2019-20.

Safe and Healthy Communities

Long-term Goal:All Canadians live in clean, sustainable communities that contribute to their health and well-being.
FSDS Contributing Action: Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impacts.  

Disasters can undermine sustainable development through loss of life or assets or through disruption of social and economic processes. PS’s leadership in emergency and disaster risk reduction through policy and program development and delivery, coordination, and collaboration can therefore contribute indirectly to sustainable development. For example, PS will collaborate with provinces, territories and other partners to protect Canadians and their environment from the effects of emergency pollution incidents by providing science-based expert advice and input into relevant regulations. Some of the department’s other activities such as the evaluation of strategic emergency management plans of federal departments will help PS to contribute to safe and healthy communities.

National Risk Profile

Public Safety is currently developing a National Risk Profile (NRP). The objective of the NRP is to design and develop a sustainable approach for a national risk assessment aimed at providing decision-makers and practitioners an understanding of threats and hazards and their trends over time. The NRP will support Canada’s ability to better predict, prepare for, and respond to weather-related emergencies and natural disasters. 

Emergency Management Strategy for Canada

The Prime Minister instructed the Minister of Public Safety in his mandate letter to work with provinces and territories, Indigenous Peoples, and municipalities to develop a comprehensive action plan that allows Canada to better predict, prepare for, and respond to weather-related emergencies and natural disasters in Canada. Public Safety will engage with a broad range of partners, including federal/provincial/territorial governments, municipalities, Indigenous Peoples, academia, and non-governmental organizations  to develop a National Emergency Management Strategy for Canada that will articulate how the different levels of governments and partners will work together to reduce disaster risks.

Flood Mapping Guidelines

Public Safety, in collaboration with Natural Resources Canada, is working toward publication of the Federal Canadian Flood Mapping Guidelines Series to provide guidance to individuals and organizations in Canada that need to understand and manage flood risks and their consequences to communities. The series is made up of nine documents on topics pertinent to flood mapping, such as Hydrology and Hydraulics, Geomatics, and LiDAR data acquisition and includes floodplain maps, which serve as critical decision-making tools in disaster mitigation planning, emergency management and general public awareness. The series will benefit a range of stakeholders, internal and external to the Government of Canada. All documents in the Federal Flood Mapping Guidelines Series are intended to be evergreen and to be adapted as new technological and scientific developments take place. The first document in the Series, the Federal Flood Mapping Framework was published in March 2017 for use by stakeholders in their future flood mapping activities.

National Disaster Mitigation Program

In recognition of increasing disaster risks and costs, Public Safety established the National Disaster Mitigation Program (NDMP) as part of the Government's commitment to build safer and more resilient communities. The NDMP addresses rising flood risks and costs, and builds the foundation for informed mitigation investments that could reduce, or even negate, the effects of flood events.

Commitments for Public Safety Canada

Low-Carbon Government: The Government of Canada leads by example by making its operations low-carbon
Responsible Minister: All ministers

Low-Carbon Government

FSDS target(s)

FSDS Contributing Action(s)

Corresponding departmental action(s)

Contribution by each departmental action to the FSDS goal and target

Starting point(s) where available, and your choice of performance indicators for departmental actions

Program(s) in which the departmental actions will occur

Reduce GHG emissions from federal government buildings and fleets by 40% below 2005 levels by 2030, with an aspiration to achieve this reduction by 2025

Improve the energy efficiency of our buildings/operations
  • Continue to work closely with PSPC to reduce space utilization
  • Implement workplace 2.0 to reduce the PS footprint which will contribute to GHG emission reduction.
  • Number of conversion of footprint to workplace 2.0

Starting point: total 40 000 sq.ft.space.
Target: Reduction of 2000 sq.ft.

Corporate Services

Modernize our fleet
  • Reduce carbon intensity through purchasing hybrid vehicles.
  • Promote behavior change 
  • Replace or purchase vehicles that are fuel efficient (i.e. hybrids) which will contribute to reducing GHG emissions.
  • Develop messages to drivers of vehicles about anti-idling to encourage reduction in GHG emissions from fleet vehicles. 
  • Number of hybrid vehicles.  Starting point: FY 2016-2017 = 0

Target: minimum of 1 hybrid vehicle within fleet.

  • Number of messaging to drivers of vehicles.

Starting point: FY 2016-2017 = 0
Target: minimum of 1 message per year.

Corporate Services

Support the transition to a low-carbon economy through green procurement
  • Integrate environmental considerations into procurement processes
  • Incorporate environmental considerations into the development of procurement instruments or request for proposals and contracts.
  • Ensure all procurement officers and acquisition cardholders have the necessary training and awareness to support green procurement
  • Ensure procurement officers, managers and functional heads of procurement and material include contribution to and support for the Government of Canada Policy on Green Procurement objectives in their performance evaluations

 

  • Procure green items through mandatory National Master Standing Offer/Supply Arrangement which will help reduce GHG.
  • Purchases that include criteria or clauses which reduce the environmental impact of the product or service being purchased
  • Increase knowledge on green procurement for procurement officers and acquisition cardholders
  • Have procurement officers, managers and functional heads of procurement and material include contribution to and support for the Government of Canada Policy on Green Procurement objectives in their performance evaluations
  • Percentages of procure green items through mandatory National Master Standing Offer and Supply Arrangement.

Starting point: The total number of procure green items.

  • Target:  90% of procure green items through mandatory National Master Standing Offer and Supply Arrangement.
  • Percentage of purchases that include criteria or clauses which reduce the environmental impact of the product or services being purchased.

Starting point: The total number of purchases that include environmental consideration.
Target: 100% purchases including environmental consideration.

  • Percentage of specialists in procurement, materiel management and acquisition cardholders who have completed training on green procurement.

Starting point: The total number of procurement specialists and acquisition cardholders.
Target: 100 % who have completed training on green procurement.

  • Percentage of managers and functional heads of procurement and materiel whose performance evaluation includes support and contribution towards green procurement.

Starting point: The total number of managers and functional heads of procurement and materiel management.
Target: 100 % who have contribution towards green procurement in their performance evaluations.

Corporate Services

Demonstrate innovative technologies
  • Maintain or improve exiting approaches to sustainable workplace practices (printer ratios, paper usage and green meetings)
  • Dispose of waste in an environmentally sound and secure manner
  • Maintain the ratio of information technology (IT) assets per employee.
  • Reuse or recycle workplace material and assets in an environmentally sound and secure manner.
  • Provide information about the PSPC Build in-Canada Innovation Program and promote it via related communication tools.
  • Reduce printing units which will help reduce GHG emissions.
  • Dispose of waste such as electronics in an environmentally sound manner which will reduce their presence in landfills where it can produce higher GHGs.
  • Provide laptops to new employees, or replace end-of-life workstations with laptops to reduce material usage
  • Reduce its paper consumption which will reduce the need to purchase paper, thus reducing GHG emissions produced during manufacturing and transportation of paper
  • Develop communication on InfoCentral/InfoBulletin on the Build in Canada Innovation Program.
  • Maintain a printer ratio of 8 to 1.
  • Percent of e-waste disposed environmentally.

Starting point: The total number of e-waste disposed environmentally.
Target: 100 % of e-waste disposed environmentally.

  • Reduce the ratio of devices per employee.

Starting point:  The total number of employees with 2 devices.
Target: reduction by 5% total employees with 2 devices.

  • Reduce paper usage level. Starting point: The total number of paper usage in 2016-17.

Target: Reduction by 3%.

  • Usage of recycled paper products.

Starting point: The total number of recycle paper usage in FY 2016-17.
Target: 90%

  • Number of communications on the Build in Canada Innovation program.

Starting point: FY 2016-2017 = 0
Target: minimum of 1 message per year.

Chief Information Officer’s Directorate and Corporate Services

Promote sustainable travel practices
  • Encourage sustainable business travel practices or commute to work through messaging and events to reduce GHG
  • Increase awareness on green  travel practices, telework which will contribute to a reduction in GHG emissions
  • Number of messages and events published via InfoTV, InfoBulletin released to encourage green travel practices.

Starting point: FY 2016-2017 = 0
Target: minimum of 1 message per year.

Corporate Services

Understand climate change impacts and build resilience
  • Develop an information technology platform for increased sharing of resources and tools on disaster risk reduction for use by emergency management stakeholders.
  • Develop and implement incrementally the National Emergency Management Systems (NEMS)
  • Starting point: approximately 50 users at launch April 3, 2017.
  • Target: 150 users

Emergency Management Programs Branch/Strategic Policy


Safe and Healthy Communities: All Canadians live in clean, sustainable communities that contribute to their health and well-being
Responsible Minister: Minister of Environment and Climate Change; Minister of Health

Safe and Healthy Communities
FSDS target(s)

FSDS Contributing Action(s)

Corresponding departmental action(s)

Contribution by each departmental action to the FSDS goal and target

Starting point(s) where available, and your choice of performance indicators for departmental actions

Program(s) in which the departmental actions will occur

Implement the Air Quality Management System to:

  • Decrease the three-year average of particulate matter, nitrogen oxides and volatile organic compound emissions from regulated and/or targeted sources to below the previous three-year average

Prevent environmental emergencies or mitigate their impacts

  • Analyze and evaluate federal institutions’ emergency management plans: to assess if the institutions are developing plans to mitigate their identified risks.
  • Evaluations by Public Safety of departmental strategic emergency management plans will indicate the extent to which the institutions are meeting their responsibilities under the Emergency Management Act to address risks related to their mandates. 
  • This evaluation process will promote and encourage due consideration, prevention and treatment of these risks and places an emphasis on mitigation of impacts on Canadians thereby contributing to the FSDS goal of Safe and Healthy Communities.
  • Starting Point: Percentage of Tier 1 and Tier 2 federal institutions that have addressed prevention/mitigation in their emergency management plan indicated by obtaining an evaluation score of 1.0 or higher.
  • Target: Performance over 5 years has been 74.7% (20-27), and established a baseline.

Note: While these 5 years of results have established a bench-mark, due to realignment of departmental functions in 2014-2015, which included a branch and program re-design, a review of the Strategic Emergency Management Plan (SEMP) assessment methodology has placed further evaluations on hold while a new evaluation process is currently in approvals.

Emergency Management Programs Branch/Strategic Policy

Better understand air pollutants and harmful substances
  • Analyze and evaluate federal institutions’ emergency management plans to assess if the institutions are identifying risks in their area of responsibility.
  • Evaluations by Public Safety of departmental strategic emergency management plans will indicate the extent to which the institutions are meeting their responsibilities under the Emergency Management Act to identify risks related to their mandates. 
  • This will promote and encourage identification and consideration of these risks and places an emphasis on mitigation of impacts on Canadians thereby contributing to the FSDS goal of Safe and Healthy Communities
  • Starting Point:  Percentage of Tier 1 and 2 federal institutions (over a five year cycle) that have analyzed key risks indicated by obtaining an evaluation score of 1.0 or higher.
  • Target: Performance over 5 years has been 66.7% (18 / 27), and thereby established a baseline.

Note: While these 5 years of results have established a bench-mark, due to realignment of departmental functions in 2014-2015, which included a branch and program re-design, a review of the SEMP assessment methodology has placed further evaluations on hold while a new evaluation process is currently in approvals.

Emergency Management Programs Branch/Strategic Policy

Integrating Sustainable Development

While Environment and Climate Change Canada is responsible for developing the FSDS, sustainable development is a shared responsibility and requires the involvement of everyone. Departments and agencies play a key role in contributing to its goals by integrating sustainable development practices within its organizational processes.

Departments and agencies are required to fully integrate environmental analysis into the development of policy, plan and program proposals, consistent with the requirements of the Cabinet Directive on the Environmental Assessment of Policy, Plan and Program Proposals (Cabinet Directive), and the goals and targets of the 2016-2019 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy. Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) is a tool that serves to strengthen accountability and provide greater public confidence that federal government decisions are being made in full awareness of the potential environmental impact.

To better equip departmental officials to respond to these requirements, the Department has developed a SEA guidance document that outlines Public Safety’s commitment to conducting high-quality SEAs (Preliminary Scans and Full Assessments as required). This will ensure a consistent approach to conducting SEAs across the department when developing significant policy proposals, such as those that will be presented to Cabinet. The environmental considerations will be fully integrated into the analysis, and the decision will incorporate the results of the SEA, where they are required. Results of the SEA will be reported in the annual Departmental Results Report (DRR) and the DSDS.

Over the next three years, Public Safety Canada will continue to integrate sustainable development and focus on the following environmental considerations:

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