Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development Strategy 1997

Safeguarding our Assets, Securing our Future

Goal 4 – Putting our House in Order

The federal government is Canada’s largest single enterprise. The way that departments operate their facilities, manage fleets, dispose of wastes and purchase goods and services can significantly influence Canada’s ability to advance sustainable development. NRCan committed to put environmental management systems in place and ensure that departmental operations uphold the principles of sustainable development.

The new Departmental Environmental Policy provides a detailed framework for that part of the sustainable development strategy that deals with the department’s internal operations and decision-making processes. The policy incorporates and updates previous departmental policies on Environmental Protection and Environmental Assessment and reflects the most recent thinking on environmental management systems, including the Federal Government’s Directions on Greening Government Operations, the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standards on environmental management systems (the ISO 14000 series), and the Federal Coordination Regulations under the Canadian Environmental Assessment Act ( CEAA ).

NRCan also committed to promote eco-efficiency in its operations by purchasing green power. In 1998, NRCan entered into a ten-year agreement to purchase 10,000 MWh of wind-generated electricity annually from ENMAX, Calgary’s electricity supplier. This agreement is intended to displace coal-based electricity with electricity from environmentally-friendlier sources for NRCan’s facilities in Alberta.

For a printable version of this goal including objectives and performance indicators, click here.