Sustainable Development

Sustainable Development Strategy 1997

Safeguarding our Assets, Securing our Future

Goal 4, Objective 4.1

Progress towards the implementation of environmental health and
safety audits and environmental assessment evaluations of NRCan
operations. Reported in 2000-01. Under NRCan's current Performance
Measurement Framework, this item is Goal 5, Objective 3.

What Does the Graph Mean?

• The environment, health and safety audits are part
  of an ongoing departmental program. Areas covered in these audits
  include: Atmospheric emissions management; Chemical handling, storage
  and management; Hazardous waste disposal and management; Water and
  wastewater management; Emergency prevention and response; Non- hazardous
  waste management; OSH management systems; Health and safety training;
  Laboratory safety and materials handling.
• The graph indicates that 8 environment, health and
  safety audits were conducted during the 1998/1999 fiscal year, 5
  during the 1999/2000 fiscal year and 0 in the 2000/2001 fiscal year.
• This decrease in audit activity was due to a one-time
  due diligence initiative of life safety audits in the National Capital
  Region. The life safety audits consumed the departments capacity
  to undertake the health and safety audits that it had planned.
• The life safety audits identified building and fire
  code deficiencies such as: improperly functioning fume hoods; lack
  of or inadequate fire protection in labs and plant space; asbestos
  and chemical contamination of work areas; fungus and moulds in science
  trailers; electrical system overloads; and malfunctioning elevators.
• The graph indicates that 53 life safety audits were
  conducted between fiscal years 1999/2000 and 2000/2001.

NRCan's Contribution

• Natural Resources Canada is committed to verifying legal
  compliance in the areas of health and safety and the environment,
  within its own operations.
• Under its Occupational Health and Safety Policy, NRCan is
  committed to the well-being and safety of its employees and to the
  maintenance of a safe and healthy workplace. It is the policy of
  the department to comply with the Canada Labour Code, Part II and
  Treasury Board Secretariat policies, standards and procedures.
• Under its Departmental Environmental Policy, Natural Resources
  Canada is committed to assessing environmental impacts of past,
  present and future activities and to taking action to avoid, mitigate
  and remediate environmental impacts arising from such activities.
  In addition, the policy states that all activities will be carried
  out in a manner that meets or exceeds federal environmental laws,
  regulations and policies, and where appropriate will be compatible
  with municipal, provincial, national and international standards.
• Findings resulting from internal environment, health and
  safety audits have been addressed using a standard action plan /
  follow-up approach.

Next Steps

• To address the findings in the life safety audits, building/fire
  audit work plans were developed and high priority safety and health
  areas were immediately factored into the project planning and priority
  ranking process.
• In the future, these and other high priority safety and
  health areas will be permanently incorporated in the Annual Building
  Management Planning exercise.
• The Department will resume a full environment, health and
  safety auditing program beginning in 2001.

Goal 4, Objective 4.3

Portion of fleet converted to alternative fuels. Reported in 1998.
Under NRCan's current Performance Measurement Framework, this item
is Goal 5, Objective 3.

 

What Does the Graph Mean?

• Since 1995, NRCan has reduced its vehicle fleet size
  from 700 vehicles to 448 vehicles. This is a reduction of 36 per
  cent over the five-year period.
• In addition, NRCan now has 90 vehicles (19 per cent of the
  fleet) that run on alternative fuels.

NRCan's Contribution

Conventional fuel vehicles account for 22 per cent of all carbon
dioxide emissions produced annually in Canada. The federal government's
fleet inventory of 25,000 vehicles is one of the largest in Canada,
consuming 2 per cent of all energy used for ground transportation.

• NRCan's Fleet Program is committed to reducing
  the number of Departmental vehicles through more efficient transportation
  strategies, such as pooling and sharing of fleet resources among
  federal departments.
• All new additions to NRCan's fleet inventory will operate
  on cleaner burning alternative fuels whenever possible. Over the
  last two years, this has translated into two-thirds of NRCan's
  purchases being alternative fuel vehicles.

Next Steps

• NRCan will meet its overall 40 per cent reduction target
  by 31 March 2000.
• 50 per cent of NRCan's fleet inventory will be
  comprised of lower emissions, alternative fuel vehicles by 31 March
  2001.
• NRCan will serve as a model for other fleet holders.

Goal 4, Objective 4.4

Rate of purchasing by NRCan of green power. Reported in 2000-01.
Under NRCan's current Performance Measurement Framework, this item
is Goal 5, Objective 3.

 

What Does the Graph Mean?

• In 1998, NRCan negotiated an agreement with ENMAX of
  Calgary to supply 10, 000 MWh (megawatt hours) of green power per
  year to NRCan's Alberta facilities. In 1998, ENMAX supplied
  9,500 MWh while in 1999, and 2000, NRCan received the maximum 10,000
  MWh.
• The lower amount in 1998 was primarily due to the inability
  of one of the suppliers to provide the full amount requested.

NRCan's Contribution

• NRCan purchases 10,000 MWh of wind-generated electricity
  annually from ENMAX, Calgary's electricity supplier.This 10-year
  agreement, which began in 1998, is intended to displace coal-based
  electricity with electricity from environmentally-friendlier sources
  for NRCan's facilities in Alberta.
• In 1998, 1999 and 2000, NRCan avoided about 27,000
  tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions as a result of the green power
  purchases.
• ENMAX ensures that electricity has EcoLogo certification
  as an environmentally preferable source.
• NRCan was joined by Environment Canada in this pilot
  project and the latter purchases 2,000 MWh of green power annually
  and avoids about 1,800 tonnes of greenhouse gas emissions.

Next Steps

• NRCan has negotiated 10-year agreements on behalf of the
  Government of Canada for the production of about 50,000 MWh annually
  of wind-generated electricity for federal facilities in Saskatchewan
  and Prince Edward Island.
• The GoC will begin receiving the electricity in these
  provinces towards the end of 2001.
• Under Action Plan 2000, this initiative was further
  expanded to replace 20 percent of the Government of Canada's
  electricity purchases with electricity from emerging renewable sources.
  Electricity purchased will come from new or expanded generation
  capacity that has low environmental impact, as certified by a third
  party.