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Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s 2020–2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy Report
This report on progress supports the commitment in the Federal Sustainable Development Act (FSDA) to make sustainable development decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament. It also contributes to an integrated, whole-of-government view of activities supporting environmental sustainability.
The departmental information reported accounts for information previously prepared in accordance with Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency’s (ACOA) 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
1. Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
The 2019 to 2022 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada’s sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing a Federal Sustainable Development Strategy that will make sustainable development decision-making more transparent and accountable to Parliament, ACOA has developed this report to demonstrate progress in implementing its Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy.
2. Sustainable development at ACOA
ACOA’s 2020 to 2023 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy describes the department’s actions in support of achieving a greener government, clean growth and clean energy. This report presents available results for the departmental actions pertinent to these goals. Previous years’ reports are posted on ACOA’s website.
3. Departmental performance by FSDS goal
The following tables provide performance information on departmental actions in support of the FSDS goals listed in section 2.
Context: Greening Government
Responsible Minister: All ministers.
This goal captures commitments from the Greening Government Strategy, as well as reporting requirements under the Policy on Green Procurement.
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 |
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| By 2022, departments will 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 to public service employees, and facilitate sharing of best practices and lessons learned. | Include climate change-related risks in the departmental risk identification exercise and make necessary changes to mitigate them, if applicable. |
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ACOA’s corporate risk profile will be reviewed in 2021-2022. | Factoring climate variability and change into policy, programs, and operations is one of the most important ways the government can adapt to a changing climate and is consistent with the government’s risk management approach of enhancing the protection of public assets and resources and strengthening planning and decision-making. |
| Actions supporting the Goal: Greening Government | Departments will use environmental criteria to reduce the environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions. |
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100% of the Agency’s acquisition cardholders had completed Green Procurement training in 2020-2021. | Actions that reduce the generation of waste will help to reduce Scope 3 emissions for the production, transport and disposal of material. Diverting waste from landfill reduces landfill gas and transport waste hauling emissions. Material recovery via recycling reduces emissions for the extraction and production of virgin materials. |
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100% of the Agency’s toner cartridges were recycled in 2020-21. | ||||
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100% of the Agency’s copy paper purchased had a minimum of 30% recycled content in 2020-21. | ||||
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100% of the Agency’s paper used was Forest Stewardship Council certified paper, including for letterhead, business cards and envelopes in 2020-2021. | ||||
| Starting in the 2019 to 2020 fiscal year, 75% of new light-duty administrative fleet vehicle purchases will be zero-emission vehicles ( ZEVs) or hybrid, and priority will be given to purchasing ZEV. |
Develop a strategic approach and take actions to decarbonize ACOA fleets, notably by implementing mandatory right-sizing analysis and low-carbon replacement assessments for all vehicle purchases as per the Greening Government Strategy’s fleet guidance and while considering PSPC purchasing guidelines, availability of infrastructure and service and ACOA’s operational needs. |
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100% of vehicle replacements were made with right-sizing analysis and/or low-carbon replacement assessment, as per the Greening Government Strategy’s fleet guidance, in 2020-2021. | As conventional vehicles are replaced over their lifetime with ZEVs or hybrids and/or the size of the fleet is reduced, greenhouse gas emissions will be reduced. |
Context: Clean Growth
Responsible Ministers: Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry, Minister of Economic Development and Official Languages, and Minister of Natural Resources
The goal is to continue significant investments in clean growth and clean technology to support clean technology development, demonstration, commercialization, deployment, adoption and exports from existing resources. This goal also captures commitments from the Pan-Canadian Framework on Clean Growth and Climate Change and the Atlantic Growth Strategy through collaborative work with the regional provinces and partners.
Clean Growth: A growing clean technology industry in Canada contributes to clean growth and the transition to a low-carbon economy.
| 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 |
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| Implement our Mission Innovation pledge to double federal government investments in clean energy research, development and demonstration from 2015 levels of $387 million to $775 million by 2020. | Invest in clean technologies. | Support economic development projects that foster the development, commercialization, export and adoption of clean technologies. Where appropriate, ACOA will collaborate with regional and provincial stakeholders, including post-secondary institutions, businesses, not-for-profit organizations, Indigenous communities and research centers, when making these investments. |
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FSDS: ACOA investments in clean technology will count directly toward national targets pledged for the Mission Innovation commitment. This will maintain investment levels committed to in Budget 2016, where regional development agencies’ collective annual support for clean technology was doubled to $100 million per year. SDG: 9 |
| Other | Deliver funding and support through the Canada Coal Transition Initiative ( CCTI) to assist Atlantic Canadian communities affected by the phase out of coal-fired electricity. This five-year initiative started in 2018 to 2019. |
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FSDS: ACOA will deliver funding for skills development and economic diversification activities to help communities and workers in Nova Scotia and New Brunswick impacted by the regulations to phase out traditional coal-fired electrical generation by 2030. SDG: 12 |
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Context: Clean Energy
Responsible Minister: Minister of Natural Resources
The goal is to promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure with the Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada to build a clean power network across the Atlantic region.
Clean Energy: All Canadians have access to affordable, reliable and sustainable energy.
| 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| By 2030, 90%, and in the long term, 100% of Canada’s electricity is generated from renewable and non-emitting sources. | Promote collaboration and work with partners on clean energy infrastructure | Facilitate the development of the region’s renewable energy capacity through the convening of partners and the development of a common knowledge base (e.g. undertaking research, convening partnerships) between governments and the private sector. This would support, among other key policy priorities, the Clean Power Roadmap for Atlantic Canada. Activities include evaluating options, forecasting demand, identifying projects and fostering clean energy opportunities to support Atlantic industry development and national clean energy objectives. |
Performance indicator: Number of studies and analysis done annually in partnership with private and public stakeholders, to foster clean energy opportunities and advance the objectives of the Atlantic Growth Strategy’s Clean Growth and Climate Change priority. Starting point: One new study completed in 2020-2021. Target: One new study or analysis completed annually |
Five new studies completed in 2020-2021. | FSDS: The roadmap will outline a collective vision of how jurisdictions will collaborate over the coming decades to build a clean power network across Atlantic Canada. It will help to maximize and expedite the development of clean and renewable energy resources in Atlantic Canada. SDG: 7.2 |
4. Report on integrating sustainable development
During the 2020-2021 reporting cycle, ACOA had no proposals that required a strategic environmental assessment and no public statements were produced.