2023 to 2027 Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
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- His Majesty the King in right of Canada, as represented by the Honourable Anita Anand, MP
- Catalogue No.: SC100-15E-PDF
- ISSN: 2817-7886
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Table of Contents
Executive Summary
The 2023 to 2027 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. The purpose of the Act is to provide the legal framework for developing and implementing an FSDS that will make environmental decision–making more transparent and accountable to Parliament and address the government's priority to build a greener future through sustained and collaborative efforts.
In accordance with the Act, the Canada School of Public Service must develop a sustainable development strategy that is consistent with the objectives of the FSDS, while respecting the limits of its mandate, which is to:
- Encourage pride and excellence in the public service
- Foster a common sense of the purposes, values and traditions of the public service
- Support the growth and development of public servants to help ensure that they have the knowledge, skills and competencies they need
- Assist deputy heads in meeting the learning needs of their organization
- Promote awareness of public administration research
- Pursue excellence in public management
The School will enhance its contributions to the government's overall sustainability goals through educating public servants on these and related issues, as well as adhering to digital–first practices and modernizing its workplace, which are both anticipated to reduce energy consumption.
Introduction to the Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy
The 2022 to 2026 Federal Sustainable Development Strategy (FSDS) presents the Government of Canada's sustainable development goals and targets, as required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act. This is the first FSDS to be framed using the 17 Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) of the United Nations 2030 Agenda and provides a balanced view of the environmental, social and economic dimensions of sustainable development.
In keeping with the purpose of the Act, to make decision–making related to sustainable development more transparent and accountable to Parliament, the School supports the goals laid out in the FSDS through the activities described in this Departmental Sustainable Development Strategy (DSDS).
The Act also sets out seven principles that must be considered in the development of the FSDS as well as DSDSs. These basic principles have been considered and incorporated into the School's strategy.
In order to promote coordinated action on sustainable development across the Government of Canada, this departmental strategy integrates efforts to advance Canada's implementation of the 2030 Agenda National Strategy, supported by the Global Indicator Framework (GIF) and Canadian Indicator Framework (CIF) targets and indicators. The strategy also now captures SDG initiatives that fall outside the scope of the FSDS to inform the development of the Canada's Annual Report on the 2030 Agenda and the SDGs.
Canada School of Public Service Sustainable Development Vision
The School has implemented a sustainable development approach by prioritizing a "digital–first" strategy in managing its operations. This approach guides its internal actions and commitments and the development and delivery of learning products. It has also significantly influenced the integration of sustainable practices across the organization.
In managing its operations by focusing on digital integration and sustainability, the School has made substantial progress in recent years. Notably, it has reduced its physical workspace from 29,000 square metres (m2) to 10,500 m2, a 65% reduction spread across two buildings in the National Capital Region. This reduction has had a positive impact as it optimizes the use of physical space while supporting the implementation of a hybrid work approach. Additionally, the School encourages employees to prioritize digital channels for information sharing, discouraging paper usage and document printing.
With respect to the delivery of its learning products, the School takes a focused approach on user experience, high quality content, including a growing suite of virtual and on–demand offerings to better serve public servants. Complementary to this vision, it continues to invest in new tools and a highly qualified workforce to support a quickly changing workplace environment and to enable a hybrid workforce. Taken together, the School aims to leverage technology to optimize its resources, reduce energy consumption, and minimize travel, contributing to a more sustainable future.
What We Did
As required by the Federal Sustainable Development Act, the School has taken into account changes made to the draft version of the 2022-2026 FSDS made during the public consultation held from March 11 to July 9, 2022.
During the public consultation, more than 700 comments were received from a broad range of stakeholders, including governments, Indigenous organizations, non–governmental organizations, academics, businesses, and individual Canadians in different age groups and from varying backgrounds. The draft FSDS was also shared with the appropriate committee of each House of Parliament, the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development, and the Sustainable Development Advisory Council for their review and comment.
The School considered all the new changes introduced to the 2022-2026 FSDS in developing its sustainable development goals. This process involved extensive consultations with all its business units as well as the adoption of new guidelines. The School prioritized the implementation of a digital–first approach, ensuring alignment with the 17 goals outlined in the FSDS.
After careful deliberation and the collection of data and ideas, the business units developed their goals and made a commitment to ensure their achievability and consistency. Given the School's role as an internal–facing department serving public servants, the focus was on how these goals could be internally realized. This commitment directly influences the quality of services provided to partners and other government departments and agencies.
Canada School of Public Service Commitments
Goal 4:
Promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development
Target: By 2030, ensure that all learners acquire the knowledge and skills needed to promote sustainable development, including, among others, through education on sustainable development and sustainable lifestyles.
Promote knowledge and skills for sustainable development
| Implementation strategy |
Departmental action |
Starting point |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGS |
| Work with partners on sustainable development research initiatives |
Raise awareness and support learning about sustainable development among federal employees |
In 2023, the School is offering the following courses and events:
|
By 2027, the School will have explored and/or incorporated sustainable development elements into key learning products, particularly in the functional areas of procurement, materiel and real property management, as part of planned updates. |
Goal 7:
Increase Canadians' access to clean energy
Target: By 2030, increase substantially the share of renewable energy in the global energy mix
Increase Canadians' access to clean energy
| Implementation strategy |
Departmental action |
Starting point |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGS |
| Support voluntary action to adopt clean energy technologies |
Seek opportunities to adopt new practices, including a current proposal to ensure that IT–based capital projects are assessed for positive environmental impact. |
Currently, 100% of the School's laptops and tablets are Energy Star rated. Energy Star–certified computers use 25–40% less energy, on average, than standard models.
A phased workload–migration project is currently in motion to migrate all on–premise (physical labs) applications to the Cloud, to further reduce the School's environmental footprint.
The School is exploring how to reduce energy and power consumption by leveraging intelligent automation (e.g., shutting down servers currently not in use).
Through the School's evergreening process, devices are inspected to see if they are in good working condition. Computers that no longer meet work demands are donated so they will have a second life. If requirements are not met for donation, devices are sent to e–waste for recycling. |
No e–waste is generated by the School that requires landfilling. |
Goal 10:
Advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples and take action on inequality
Target: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of age, sex, disability, race, ethnicity, origin, religion, or economic or other status.
Advance reconciliation with indigenous peoples and take action on inequality
| Implementation strategy |
Departmental action |
Starting point |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGS |
| Implement the United Nations Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples Act. |
Raise awareness and support learning about sustainable development among federal employees, with a specific focus on reconciliation and inequality. |
In 2023, the School is offering the following courses and events:
- The Executive Leadership Development Program (ELDP) for ADM–level participants includes sessions on transitioning to a sustainable economy, and inequality and sustainable development (including content on the UN's 17 Sustainable Development Goals).
- The Climate Change and Human Migration Series showcases recent public administration research, with a focus on Indigenous communities.
|
By 2027, the School will have incorporated more sustainable development elements into its learning products. |
Goal 12:
Reduce waste and transition to zero–emission vehicles
Target: Promote public procurement practices that are sustainable, in accordance with national policies and priorities.
Reduce waste and transition to zero–emission vehicles
| Implementation strategy |
Departmental action |
Starting point |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGS |
| Other |
Reduction in transportation use by both learners and instructors. |
Based on Uber transportation data, 2,303 local trips were taken in fiscal year (FY) 2020, for a total distance travelled of 10,658 km. Due to the pandemic and the requirement for employees to telework, there were no local trips taken in FY 2021. Although an increase in local trips is anticipated as employees gradually return to the workplace, it should not reach FY 2020 levels as the School continues to promote online learning. |
Reduce taxi and ride–sharing trips by over 75% compared to FY 2020 levels. |
Goal 13:
Take action on climate change and its impacts
Target: The Government of Canada will transition to net–zero carbon operations for facilities and conventional fleets by 2050
Take action on climate change and its impacts
| Implementation strategy |
Departmental action |
Starting point |
How the departmental action contributes to the FSDS goal and target and, where applicable, to Canada's 2030 Agenda National Strategy and SDGS |
| Other |
Establish a modern and efficient workplace. |
Reduce the School's real estate footprint.
The School has reduced its workplace footprint from 29,000 m2 to 10,500 m2, spread across two buildings in the NCR. |
The School will expand the modernization and implementation of an efficient workplace within its regional offices and reduce its footprint by 65% by 2024. |
| |
The School will use environmental criteria to reduce its environmental impact and ensure best value in government procurement decisions. |
Manage print services, reduce the number of printers per employee and encourage a transition toward paperless workflow, thereby reducing paper consumption.
In 2020, the School undertook a print management project that reduced its total number of printers from 106 to under 12 across the organization. |
Reduce on–site printing by 90% over fiscal year 2019 levels. |
Integrating Sustainable Development
In the coming years, the School will build upon its integration of a sustainable development approach in aligning with the FSDS. This includes promoting increased use of its online learning platform. Emphasis will be placed on maximizing the online learning platform's potential in content delivery, ensuring accessibility, convenience, and environmental responsibility. This approach will minimize the necessity for both employees and learners to travel, thus positively impacting the organization's carbon footprint.
Additionally, the School will aim to reduce its footprint, in collaboration with Public Services and Procurement Canada, by optimizing use of the School's facilities and implementing best practices in supply management and energy consumption within those facilities. This effort aligns with the broader federal objective of reducing greenhouse gas emissions generated by government facilities.
These initiatives form a substantial part of the School's departmental sustainable development strategy, addressing the key areas of waste reduction and emissions reduction. The organization has further committed to infusing sustainable development elements into its learning products, aiming to raise awareness and provide learning opportunities on sustainable development for public service employees. This multifaceted approach underscores its dedication to environmental stewardship and knowledge dissemination within the federal workforce.
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