Targets:

Accomplishments:

Recognize SD as a corporate value

Fully integrate SD in the business planning process to support the horizontal nature of SD

We continued our work to integrate SD into the business planning process. Over the last four years, we have included a section on SD in the CCRA's Corporate Business Plan as well as the Annual Report. Branches have also used the SD Checklist to identify the SD impacts of their plans and policies when preparing their annual business plans. However, for sustainable development to be truly integrated in the business planning process, we must go further to require branches to not only identify the sustainable development impacts of their change initiatives, but also to report progress through the Agency's annual performance-reporting process. This is an issue that we will continue to pursue in the next strategy as the Agency moves towards triple bottom-line reporting that will outline not only financial performance, but also the social and environmental impacts of our business and operations.

The SD Division modified the SD Lens to enhance the use of the SD Checklist. The SD Lens is a tool that was originally developed by a federal interdepartmental working group to help policy makers and planners include SD principles in their policies, programs, and plans. We piloted the modified tool with an internal focus group and used the results to finalize its application. We will make the tool available on-line in 2003-2004 for easy access and handling by users.

Review on going learning programs to identify SD awareness/ training opportunities

The SD Division partnered with the Human Resources Branch (HRB) to link SD messages to the CCRA's official languages, employment equity and diversity, and employee assistance programs. We included these integrated messages in the Orientation Manual for Sustainable Development, as well as in SD awareness sessions. The purpose is to demonstrate how these programs support the social aspects of SD. We also have the opportunity to reciprocate by including SD information in the communication of these programs. This will be addressed in the development and implementation of the SD Learning Plan that will support the Learning Strategy for Sustainable Development.

The SD Network commented on the draft Learning Strategy for Sustainable Development, which was prepared by the SD Division and the Human Resources Branch. The SD Division revised the document based on comments received, and the final draft will be presented to the SD Network at the SD Forum planned for May 2003. In the meantime, we continued our SD learning initiatives. We made presentations to branch and directorate management committees and SD committees. Branches and regions also carried out their own awareness initiatives. We provided guidance materials to managers to support sustainable practices. These include the launch of environmental assessment information on InfoZone, release of the manual for handling construction and demolition waste, as well as the paper directive and guidelines.

We prepared a draft Orientation Manual for Sustainable Development. The manual is mainly for new employees to the Agency, but may also be used to inform any employee of the basic principles of SD, and how it applies to the CCRA and the employee. The next step is to finalize the manual and post on the SD Web site. We will prepare an abridged version that can be included in other CCRA orientation manuals.

In July 2002, we piloted a survey as a first step towards establishing a baseline for SD awareness within the Agency. The purpose of this pilot was to test the usefulness of the questions. We targeted 100 respondents Agency-wide. Based on the results, we reduced the number of questions and placed more focus on the usefulness of the SD information provided to employees. The Agency-wide baseline survey is scheduled for release in 2003-2004.

When completed, the delivery of this program will significantly enhance SD learning among CCRA managers. The program is scheduled for pilot in early 2004-2005.

Integrate SD considerations into key corporate management tools

This target aims to integrate the measurement, monitoring, and reporting of SD into three corporate tools: namely the balanced scorecard, risk management policy, and quality service initiative. We did not make any progress on this target during the period. Indications are that the results of this target will be realized over the longer term.

Perform periodic review of the SD Strategy implementation and report findings to senior management in conjunction with regular audit program

In line with our move to integrate SD into our normal course of business, our Corporate Audit and Evaluation Branch assessed SD implementation through their regular audit programs and reported the results to the SD Division. During 2002-2003, the SD Line of Inquiry was approved for use in two audits: the Regional Audit of the Customs Management Framework and the Regional Audit of Non-Capital Asset Management. Both audits are in the Southern Ontario Region and will be completed in 2003-2004.

Additionally, we started to audit the SD program. The Pacific Region is leading the review, which will examine, among other things, the management framework for the SD Strategy as well as performance. Findings and results will be made available in 2003-2004.

Close significant gaps in the management and control system for the SD strategy, in particular, documenting procedures and implementing a process for non-conformance and corrective action

We previously established the essential elements to manage the SD Strategy, which include a formal process for performance reporting, soliciting feedback, and following up with the SD Network to improve performance. Our focus for 2002-2003 was to strengthen reporting on individual branch and regional SD action plans. We completed our assessments and decided to develop a system to accommodate electronic reporting by the SD Network. The system will be piloted and modified to enable on-line reporting. The launch is scheduled for June 2003. We will enhance the system to enable quarterly and continual reporting by the SD Network. This will also encourage more frequent monitoring of SD performance by the SD Network.

Targets:

Accomplishments:

Create opportunities for employees to pledge commitment to SD

We developed an electronic database and administered the SD Guarantee, which was posted on InfoZone during Environment Week in June 2002. The objective of the guarantee was to increase SD awareness and encourage sustainable habits at work, at home, and when travelling. Employees were invited to identify the sustainable actions they were already practising and pledge to new ones. A total of 445 employees signed on to the SD Guarantee. The Pacific Region registered the highest level of participation with 130 employees. The Atlantic Region had 32, Quebec Region 26, Northern Ontario Region 43, Southern Ontario Region 56, Prairie Region 34, and Headquarters 124.

Create and maintain opportunity for employees to share SD success stories, initiatives, and comments

We continued to maintain several means of sharing SD success stories. These included the SD Web site, the national SD email address, and the annual SD performance report. We also used these media to invite comments and feedback on our SD strategy, reports, and initiatives. Our SD Division received numerous highlights of SD successes from the SD network and directly from employees. At the national level, we responded to all 120 emails received through our SD Web site and national email address. This represents an increase of 150 % over the previous period. The main topics of interest were solid-waste recycling and employee commuting options.

We also prepared and released our first SD Quarterly Newsletter in February 2003. The newsletter is targeted at the SD Network and National Environment Management System Committee, and highlights major SD occurrences, updates, and success stories within the Agency. In our first issue, we recognized employees from the following branches and regions for their enthusiasm, initiative, and leadership for SD in their respective areas:

• Finance and Administration Branch
• Human Resources Branch
• Information Technology Branch
• Prairie Region

The newsletter is scheduled for release each February, May, August, and November.

Give employees guidance material to help support environmental management initiatives

During 2002-2003, we released to all employees the paper directive and guidelines, as well as the Paper Talk Web site. We also updated the SD Web site with information on energy and environmental assessments. Branches and regions also updated their Web sites with current SD information, links, and tips for practical application.

Encourage participation in CCRA-endorsed SD initiatives, such as the annual Commuter Challenge

We supported Canadian Environment Week (CEW) in June 2002. CEW is the largest SD event supported by the CCRA that engages employee participation Agency-wide. The main activities included the Commuter Challenge, Kids' Poster Contest, and the sale of tree-growing kits. A total of 1,368 CCRA employees participated in the Commuter Challenge across Canada. This is twice the participation level of 2001. Our collective effort helped divert 53,554.1 kg of carbon dioxide, 369.2 kg of hydrocarbons, 220.3 kg of nitrous oxide, and 3,155.5 kg of carbon monoxide from the atmosphere for a total pollution reduction of 57,299.1 kg.

The Kids' Poster Contest was opened to children under 12 years who had a parent or relative working at the CCRA. It required contestants to create a work of art that sent a clear message of ways in which we can take care of our natural environment. We received a total of 81 entries Agency-wide, representing a 76% increase over the previous period. The first-, second-, and third-place winners were given prizes, while the seven honourable mention winners each received an environmentally friendly earth kite. In addition, all entrants received a tree growing kit and a certificate of achievement.

The Tree Canada Foundation ⁷ partnered with several government departments to sell white spruce tree growing kits during CEW. CCRA volunteers sold kits at several buildings in the National Capital and other regions. In total, the NCR sold 475 trees - an unconfirmed number were sold in the regions. Manitoba had an extremely successful event and raised $1,825.50. All proceeds from the sales went towards tree planting-projects in Canada.

We piloted the Lung Association of Canada "Flight for Life" Program in the NCR (at Place de Ville, 25 McArthur, and all buildings housing Information Technology Branch). We sold the environmentally friendly earth kites in celebration of World Clean Air Day on June 5. Individuals were encouraged to write their commitment to clean air on the designated spot on the kite, and then fly the kite in celebration. All 400 kites ordered were sold for $5 each, and the proceeds of $2,000 forwarded to the Lung Association of Canada. The CCRA also promoted Earth Day in April, Waste Reduction Week in October, and International Volunteer Day in December. Individual branch and regional results are outlined in the "Branch and regional highlights" section of this report.

Targets:

Accomplishments:

Develop and pilot the use of SD guidelines for integrating SD into the development of operational resource proposal to ensure all aspects of SD are considered

Our main operational resource proposal is embodied in the CCRA's Long Term Facilities Investment Plan (LTFIP). Since 1999, we have included environmental considerations in the LTFIP. As such, we did not see the need to pilot guidelines. Instead, in revising the LTFIP, we strengthened the environmental considerations by confirming our environmental priorities and assigning funding for environmental projects.

Develop/refine appropriate administrative systems to track performance on environmental and SD commitments

Our SD Division assessed the information technology needs for our environmental commitments. Our aim is to develop and deploy a Web-based data management system that will facilitate the management of the CCRA's Environmental Management Programs. We prepared a document that outlined the results of our assessment, which we shared with our National EMS Committee. We then carried out external reviews of similar systems. Given our close working relationship with Public Works and Government Services Canada, we reviewed their Catch All data management system to assess feasibility of use by the CCRA. We also examined those of Environment Canada and Health Canada. None of these systems completely satisfied our data requirements needs. Over the coming periods, the SD Division will finalize an appropriate system design and work with the Information Technology Branch and other partners within the Finance and Administration Branch to ensure the successful implementation of the proposed system in an efficient and cost-effective manner. As indicated earlier in this report, we have already established an electronic system to track performance on our SD commitments.

Continue participation in inter-departmental committees, working groups, and initiatives related to the environment and SD

We continued to participate on 12 interdepartmental committees dealing with issues such as climate change, environmental assessments, water, contaminated sites and pesticides management, storage tanks management, the EMS, awareness, communications and training, the SD Lens, sustainable government operations, and the federal SD Strategy.

Procurement:

Increase the number of clauses that give consideration to SD-green procurement into the contractual process, including selection criteria for Requests for Proposals (RFPs)

We included environmental specifications in three RFPs. They were for envelopes, paper, and office supplies. These RFPs were major supply arrangements totalling $18 million. The specifications required that bidders outline their corporate environmental initiatives, offer envelopes that are of recycled content only, and ensure 100% of paper purchased has at least 30% post-consumer waste content.

Of the five National Individual Standing Offers (NISOs), we included environmental specifications in one. The specifications require the bidders to identify green products, provide a monthly statement of green products purchased, and outline their environmental program. Our Materiel Management Directorate is now asking bidders to print their proposals on both sides of the paper and include electronic versions to reduce the number of hard copies required. This will also allow proposals to be reviewed on-line.

The Treasury Board Working Group on Green Procurement drafted a Green Procurement Policy in August 2002. The policy addresses the issues of green procurement, environmentally preferred products, green products, and sustainable/green services. We provided comments on the policy, and used it to develop the CCRA Green Procurement Guidelines/Procedures, which will be published in July 2003.

We trained all employees at Headquarters with procurement responsibilities to use the new Web-Based Rapid Order (WBRO) electronic procurement system. The electronic procurement system was launched at the end of 2002. It identifies all environmentally preferred products with a green leaf and provides information on the type and quantities of green products purchased.

Our Telephony and Program Support Directorate collaborated with Materiel Management Directorate and the Real Property and Sustainable Development Directorate to create national purchasing instruments for all furniture and panel systems with a key mandatory component of green procurement. Each successful manufacturer will be required to have an environmental policy and will have to clearly demonstrate their commitment to SD by implementing programs promoting the use of recycled materials and water-based adhesives, etc. Implementation is scheduled for 2003-2004.

Paper:

Develop/revise procedures and standards to help reduce dependence on paper in internal operations - Electronic document management standards

As outlined in this report, our branches and regions continued to increase electronic communications mainly by converting information that was previously in hard copy to electronic version. For example, within our Compliance Programs Branch, the Investigations Directorate introduced a pilot project to scan documents from seized records. A total of 1,000 boxes of records were processed for the pilot. The project was a success, avoiding over 7.5 million photocopies in 2002-2003. The pilot saved approximately $250,000, and the reduction in paper use is equivalent to saving 647 trees. The project is being expanded into a permanent initiative to process approximately 3,000 boxes of records, which is projected to triple current savings.

Employee forms are also available electronically, however, they do not have electronic signature capabilities. As such, it does not eliminate the need to print. Providing electronic signature capability for these forms is an area that the new strategy will address.

Although we have been communicating best practices for paper efficiency, in the absence of a baseline, we were not in a position to measure the impact of these efforts. To address this issue, we started by first focusing on our internal paper use as it relates to photocopiers and printers. Consequently, we completed our work to establish a baseline for internal paper use ¹⁰ . We used cost figures from the Corporate Administrative System (CAS) and quantity figures from the results of a survey conducted by the Materiel Management Directorate in December 2001. The baseline revealed that for the fiscal period 2001-2002, the CCRA spent a total of $2.07 million on paper for photocopiers and printers. This translated into 285.80 million sheets of paper or 6,098 sheets used per employee. This is equivalent to the consumption of 24,653 trees and stacked vertically, would equate to three Mount Everests or 52 Canadian National Towers. With this point of reference, we will now be able to measure the impact of future communications and interventions geared at increasing paper efficiencies. The paper used by the CCRA to deliver its core programs, such as tax forms and publications, represents the greatest portion of our overall paper use. Although the Agency has made great strides in expanding its electronic service-delivery options, we are not yet in a position to measure paper-efficiency gains in a systematic way. This is an area for future work.

For 2002-2003, our contribution to the Paper Save program within the National Capital Region was approximately 1.07 million kg, representing a decline of 7% from 2001-2002. Paper collected under this program is used to make recycled paper. This contribution represents savings of 20,364 full-grown trees and 3,215.4 m³ of landfill space.

Develop/revise procedures and standards to help reduce dependence on paper in internal operations - Electronic submission of documents to the National Archives/ National Library

The National Library and Archives accepts documents in a variety of media, from electronic to hard copy. Much of our communications with the two institutions is done electronically. Over the last two years, we have not made any submissions to these two institutions, and none is foreseen for 2003-2004. We envisage that any future submission will be done electronically.

We also prepared policies on the retention and preservation of library collections and the legal deposit of Agency publications to the National Library. These policies address the preservation, recycling, and responsible disposal of publications; reducing the acquisition and storage of print collections; and minimizing photocopying and printing. Once approved, the policies will be made available to employees.

Waste management:

Divert an average of 50% solid waste from landfill in priority CCRA-owned facilities

Between 1999 and 2002, we conducted solid-waste audits at 11 priority-owned CCRA sites, implemented waste diversion programs at nine sites, operated an existing recycling program at another, and halted the implementation of waste-diversion plans at the remaining site due to scheduled redevelopment. For 2002-2003, with available resources, we conducted follow-up audits at three facilities to measure the success achieved by way of actual diversion rates. They are Douglas and Pacific Highway in British Columbia, and Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle in Quebec. The audits revealed that the solid-waste diversion rate decreased from 59 to 40% at Douglas ¹¹ , but increased from 13 to 58% at Pacific Highway, and from 10 to 32% at Saint-Bernard-de-Lacolle. The average diversion rate for the 11 priority-owned CCRA sites based on these three follow-up audits is 43%. We will partner with Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) to ensure that specific recommendations from these waste audits are carried out. To increase the general awareness of CCRA employees on solid-waste issues and best practices, we prepared a draft guidance document for solid-waste management. The information will be used to develop a solid-waste Web site, which is scheduled for Agency-wide release in 2003-2004.

We continued to ensure that contractors include construction, renovation, and demolition (CRD) waste-reduction action plans in all major capital construction projects by incorporating CRD specifications at the design stage. Formal CRD waste-management specifications were included in the three projects started in 2002-2003. These were the Douglas, Armstrong, and Stanstead projects. CRD has also been requested for the Andover project, which is in the early stages of design. We also released to all facility managers the Construction, Renovation and Demolition Waste Management guidance document prepared in 2001-2002.

Implement best practices and initiatives related to the disposal (recycling/reusing) of obsolete or surplus goods

Our Information Management Directorate completed the draft policy on the Disposal of Surplus Published Materials. The policy will ensure maximum re-use of books by first granting other CCRA regional libraries the opportunity to select books before making them available to external libraries through the Canadian Book Exchange Centre. The policy seeks to minimize the maintenance of duplicate resources in our office collections by integrating CCRA office collections within the full-service libraries. We developed guidelines, which were included in an appendix to the policy. The Canadian Book Exchange Centre has its own published guidelines, which all Canadian libraries follow. As such, we also included in the policy's appendix, an active link to the guidelines of the Canadian Book Exchange Centre.

Implement best practices and initiatives related to the disposal (recycling/reusing) of obsolete or surplus goods - Implementation of surplus uniform disposal program and study/donation report

Our Materiel Management Directorate (MMD) drafted a policy based on its study of ways to dispose of used and surplus customs uniforms. The policy proposes that we donate these uniforms to charities instead of destroying or sending them to landfills. Among the issues to be resolved are that of security-as it pertains to the removal of badges, developing requirements for used clothing, and tracking donations made. The policy is undergoing a third revision and will be sent to the regions for consideration. Upon finalization, we will work on implementing the agreed program. The Directorate donated 4,895 uniforms to charity.

Energy:

Continue to participate in federal climate change initiatives

We continued to participate on the Federal House in Order (FHIO) - Director General Coordination Committee by attending the four meetings held. Out of that committee came the FHIO/Leadership Challenge Program, which aims to increase resource efficiencies in the main sectors of government operations in support of the Kyoto Protocol. As a result, we drafted a Greenhouse Gas (GHG) reduction plan, which outlines how the CCRA will reduce GHG emissions from our operations. The main strategy is to increase efficiencies in our energy, water, fleet, and transportation use, and improve our solid-waste management. These are targets that we are already addressing in our SD Strategy.

The Outside Emissions Subcommittee, a working group of the above committee, continued to pilot the proposed ECOPASS program. The program seeks to increase the attractiveness of public transportation by offering passes at discounted rates to federal government employees. Five federal departments are participating in the pilot. At the end of this reporting period, the pilot was five months into the 12-month study. The results will be used to determine the feasibility of extending the program government-wide. In the meantime, CCRA employees have expressed much interest in support of the program.

Negotiate the inclusion of energy efficiency measures at leased facilities

Public Works and Government Services Canada (PWGSC) now uses standard greening operations clauses for new lease negotiations. Standard clauses for energy efficiency were integrated into all 82 leases negotiated by PWGSC on behalf of the CCRA. More detailed requirements will be incorporated into new leases when PWGSC starts using their "Green Lease" Protocol.

We continued to communicate best practices for energy efficiency by updating information on the SD Web site. We also included in the SD Orientation Manual responses to common energy myths relating to efficient computer use.

Implement energy and water conservation measures associated with the Federal Buildings Initiative (FBI) when an energy assessment has demonstrated that it is cost effective

In November 2002, we finalized our Long Term Facilities Investment Plan (LTFIP), which ranks facilities identified for investment over the next five to ten years. In collaboration with Natural Resources Canada (NRCan), we intensified our efforts to resume the Federal Building Initiative (FBI) at the CCRA. We established a list of possible sites for energy efficiency upgrade, and NRCan engaged the services of a consulting firm to analyze the sites identified to determine suitability for an FBI, e.g, would they generate enough savings to attract investment from an energy service company. Following the analysis, a new list was created that recommended sites identified in Quebec. We will continue to pursue this initiative in 2003-2004.

Land use management:

Implement measures to `green' new capital construction projects

The CCRA is committed to promoting green operations to minimize negative environmental impacts. In this context, sustainability is a key consideration in the design of new border crossings and is addressed by including energy efficiency measures and minimizing the use of non-renewable resources. We require the design teams to include in their plans, sustainable development principles, and green buildings/infrastructure features, such as those prescribed in the NRCan C-2000 ¹² green building requirements. We also encourage the use of an environmental performance assessment tool, where feasible. Environmental performance assessment tools, such as the Canadian Building Research Establishment Environmental Assessment Method (BREEAM) and the United States Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) are used to evaluate a building's life cycle environmental performance against a set of established criteria. The Douglas, Standstead, and Armstrong border crossings have been designed using green building requirements. A certification under the LEED program is being sought for the Douglas facility ¹³ . The new design template for border crossings will be used for the new Clarenceville facility. The template was developed according to NRCan C-2000 standards. Green specifications will also be integrated into future construction projects such as the new Andover facility.

We completed the construction of the shared Canada/United States border crossing facility at Osoyoos, which incorporated the Ground Source Heat Pump (GSHP) technology. As planned, we finalized a report to outline guidelines for employing a GSHP system. The guidelines will be published on our SD Web site and shared with other government organizations. Plans continue to develop a monitoring and tracking system for the Osoyoos GSHP system in conjunction with NRCan. This will enable us to measure energy savings costs, and reductions in carbon dioxide emissions as a result of the GSHP system. The GSHP system at Osoyoos will reduce 330 tonnes of Greenhouse gas emissions every year when compared to a conventional heating and cooling system.

In the area of environmental assessment (EA), a total of 15 projects were submitted to the SD Division to determine their eligibility for an EA. Of that number, 13 of 14 projects required an EA, while the other required more information to make a decision. We conducted a total of six EAs, one of which was still in progress at the end of the period. The others will be undertaken within the next period. For all projects, a copy of the EA and mitigation measures are provided to the project manager and region involved. The project contractor is also provided with a copy of the EA and asked to respect and implement the EA mitigation measures. As a best management practice, the CCRA tracks and documents implementation of mitigation measures when appropriate. We met our reporting requirements by responding to the CEAA request to prepare a year-end statistical report for the year April 1, 2001 to March 31, 2002. The report is a summary of the environmental assessments undertaken by the CCRA during 2002-2003.

We updated our inventory of all storage tanks and storage tank systems on CCRA custodial facilities. We will continue to work to complete the inventory for CCRA-owned storage tanks at leased locations. As planned, we prepared and reviewed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for storage tank operations, which will be issued in 2003-2004. We were not able to determine compliance on existing inventory due to the lack of information. More work will be done to implement storage tank management procedures and assess tank compliance. Notwithstanding, we submitted our annual report for 2002 to the Minister of the Environment.

Assess and remediate contaminated sites consistent with best practices

We established a three-year action plan to address our inventory of contaminated sites. We performed work at 12 sites located at nine different border crossings. Of that number, seven sites were remediated or cleaned up, and five sites require more work.

We updated our internal inventory of contaminated sites to reflect changes brought about by the 2002 remediation campaign, and classified all known contaminated sites using the National Classification System. We also complied with Treasury Board policies on contaminated sites by submitting our annual report to the federal inventory on all known contaminated sites situated on CCRA custodial lands.

Ozone depleting substances (ODS):

Manage inventories to reduce releases of ODS consistent with the Federal Halocarbon Regulations

We prepared and implemented Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for halocarbon inventory management. The SOPs address the issues of identification, installation, maintenance, labelling, leak testing, reporting leaks or releases, dismantling, decommissioning, destruction, procurement and contracting for service and records management of halocarbon-containing equipment. One of the requirements of the SOPs is to maintain and update regional inventories and report to Headquarters three times per year. This was a challenging exercise for the regions, which were required to adopt a systematic and rigorous manner of reporting. The SD Division will continue to provide support and make necessary system refinements for continual improvement. In 2003-2004, compliance to the SOPs will be evaluated at selected facilities.

The Pacific Region was provided with the findings and recommendations of the baseline halocarbon investigation and compliance assessment reports, and action was taken on outstanding issues. As a result of previous assessment phases, we have now completed the halocarbon-containing equipment inventory at our custodial sites. In 2003-2004, we will collaborate with PWGSC and other stakeholders to obtain a complete inventory of halocarbon-containing equipment at all other facilities occupied by CCRA personnel, but not owned by the CCRA.

We provided comments on the new Federal Halocarbon Regulations proposed by Environment Canada. These regulations are expected to come into force in fiscal year 2003-2004, subsequent to which we will update the SOPs to reflect the changes. Within available resources, we will then seek to communicate the new requirements to on-site personnel.

Implement management plan to convert/ replace ODS inventories with alternative substances or technologies

The conversion or replacement of ODS inventories with alternative substances was a requirement under the Environmental Management Program (EMP) for halocarbons. The EMP required that directives be included in the Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the Agency to use legally accepted halocarbon alternative substances when recharging or replacing CCRA-owned halocarbon-containing equipment. Furthermore, implementing the SOPs provided a systematic reporting tool to track the conversion or replacement of older technologies. This requirement was subsequently strengthened when we updated the Finance and Administration Manual to direct users to adhere to the guidelines of the SOPs.

Fleet management:

Continue reporting on compliance with the Alternative Fuels Act

The CCRA continues to exceed the percentages for alternative-fuelled vehicles, as prescribed by the Alternative Fuels Act. The Act states that where cost-effective and operationally feasible, 75% of the vehicles purchased must be capable of operating with an alternative fuel. The preliminary study results indicated a potential for purchasing four alternative fuel vehicles. Of the 113 new vehicles acquired during 2002-2003, nine vehicles have the capacity to use alternative fuels. This number exceeded the minimum requirements of the Act by five vehicles. All 740 of the CCRA on-road fleet vehicles are fully compatible with up to 10% ethanol (E10) in the mixture.

Coordinate fleet awareness training as opportunities arise through government initiatives on climate change

We identified fleet awareness training for employees who use the fleet. The Canada Safety Council will provide a course entitled, "Green Defensive Driving" at no cost to the CCRA. We anticipate that all drivers will be trained by March 2004.

Water management:

Strengthen protocol for water quality management

Incorporate water conservation measures into major construction and renovation projects, where feasible

We completed phase 2 of the national clean-water strategy by conducting detailed risk assessments on the remaining 72 of 85 CCRA-owned sites supplied by non-municipal water source. The results revealed that 35% of the sites have potable water, 41% have non-potable water, and 24% need adjustments to provide aesthetically compliant (colour, odour) potable water. The assessments were done by consultants and managed by PWGSC with support from Headquarters and the regions. A database on the results and recommendations was established and is kept updated. As a responsible employer under the Canada Labor Code, and in the spirit of meeting our due diligence, the CCRA provided an alternate source of potable water to those facilities where sampling analysis results did not meet the criteria of the guidelines. The preliminary assessment results were presented to the Chief Financial Officer and Assistant Commissioner of the Finance and Administration Branch (FAB), as well as the Regional Directors of FAB. Funding to implement the recommendations is to be arranged. The next steps are for Headquarters and the regions to accept the recommendations and to prioritize and implement them. The entire process could take up to three years.

We investigated a water-consumption baseline for all CCRA-owned metered facilities. A list of the facilities that use metered water was developed, as well as a cost-benefit analysis tool to identify water-conservation measures that could lower operating costs.

For 2003-2004, we will continue implementing recommendations from the Potable Water Risk Assessment (PWRA), develop a consumption baseline for CCRA custodial facilities with municipally provided water, and prepare and communicate water conservation and water quality best practices to CCRA staff.

Hazardous materials management:

Review hazardous materials management

We did preliminary investigations to assess the requirements for developing an environmental management program for hazardous materials. We reviewed existing literature on the subject, as well as the approach of other organizations. Though there were some minor differences, the approaches were, in most cases very similar. Our assessment revealed that the essential element required to manage hazardous materials is to establish a baseline by determining the types and quantities of hazardous materials used, stored, or disposed of. This will enable the determination of risks and identification of legal obligations and requirements. The assessment also revealed that although the CCRA has some elements of a management framework for hazardous materials, such as policies that control certain activities associated with the management of hazardous materials, there appears to be deficiencies. These include:

• There is no comprehensive central inventory of hazardous materials used at the CCRA. As such it was impossible to determine specifically what types of hazardous materials are used, stored or disposed of CCRA-wide, as well as the legal obligations pertaining to them.
• Although some of the policies defined roles and responsibilities, there was a general lack of awareness about employees' roles and responsibilities.
• Although Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) training was provided to employees in the past, it was not ongoing, thereby increasing the likelihood that newly appointed employees had not received training.
• Storage requirements for hazardous materials were being monitored on an ad-hoc basis.

The main recommendations are to:

• Revise pertinent policies to incorporate all other environmental considerations that are not fully addressed in the current policies, and ensure that the roles and responsibilities for employees at every level are clearly outlined.
• Create better linkages among the many existing policies that address hazardous materials management to make it easier for employees to source guidance on the subject.

With this information, we developed an Environmental Management Program for hazardous materials.

Our next step is to conduct representative audits at a limited number of facilities to verify the preliminary conclusions, identify deficiencies and areas of non-compliance, and recommend a plan of action to rectify non-compliant or deficient issues. This exercise will help the CCRA identify some of the risks and liabilities associated with the management of hazardous materials, and provide better information on the level of compliance and application of the CCRA's internal policies.

Strengthen protocol for Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS)

We made no substantial changes to the protocol that was last updated in 1999, except for changes to the appendices that address sample labels, monitoring sheets, and WHMIS symbols. The following issues must be addressed in strengthening the protocol:

• Agreement as to whether responsibility for the policy and training lies with Materiel Management and/or Human Resources;
• Updating training materials;
• Establishing regional design and delivery of training since each province has its own legislation and practices; and
• Determining which employees are eligible for training.

These are issues to be addressed by senior management.

Targets:

Accomplishments:

Integrate SD into the program management tools and practices - Business Development Strategy

The Business Development Strategy seeks to promote greater understanding of the current and future needs of the CCRA's partners and to determine how to appropriately address them. The strategy will include principles of sustainability when identifying and addressing business opportunities, which may be pursued with partners. During the period, we prepared a draft document, "Guidelines for Building Partnerships with Provinces and Territories". It was presented to the Policy and International Committee in September 2002. The document is being revised as per the recommendations of the committee, for re-tabling in May 2003.

As a follow-up to our last report, we introduced the implementation of the Customs Self Assessment Initiative led by our Customs Branch. The aim of the program is to quicken the clearance of commercial traffic at the borders. The results for 2002-2003 showed that one of the initiatives under the program, Fast and Secure Trade (FAST), was successfully implemented at the six land-border sites having the highest truck traffic volumes. A total of five importers, 173 carriers, and 58,679 drivers were approved under the program.

Incorporate SD considerations into consultations with partners - Annual consultation process within the Policy and Legislation Branch

This is an ongoing commitment that was met using electronic forms of communicating information during annual consultations with partners.

Implement electronic service delivery options

Our Assessment and Collections Branch and Information Technology Branch continued their partnership and made extensive enhancements to the electronic delivery of services to the public. Our Internet site offers easier navigation, increased search capability, and improved access to information to better meet the needs of clients such as: seniors, tax professionals, charities, non-residents, and self-employed individuals. We have also expanded our Interactive Information Service (IIS), which provides tailored responses to client questions on various topics. In addition, individuals can check the status of their refund and update their addresses through our Web site, and options are available to both individuals and businesses for making on-line payments, via financial institutions, to the CCRA. Client usage of the tax-related portion of our Web site tripled over the last three fiscal years. It grew from 17.4% in 2000-2001 to 30.8% in 2001-2002, and reached 43.7% in 2002-2003. The national T1 electronic filing participation rate was 43.4% (calculated on assessed returns), below the national target of 50%. Although this target was met or close to being met in most provinces, lower participation rates in other provinces played a major role in affecting national results. We are developing a strategy to target the marketing of our electronic filing options. One of our challenges will be to encourage over 3 million individuals and 2.8 million third-party preparers who filed computer-prepared returns on paper to begin filing electronically. We piloted electronic filing options for several other types of returns such as T2 corporate, T4, and GST/HST returns, and expanded T1 EFILE.

Negotiate the filing of RRSP listing to reduce need for paper filing

In December 2002, we announced and encouraged the use of the electronic mail option for filing Registered Retirement Savings Plan (RRSP) listings during the RRSP annual consultation session. This will reduce the need for paper filing. A report on the extent of use and paper saved will be available in 2003-2004.

Develop e-filing of objections through the Internet

Throughout the period, our Appeals Branch continued its partnership with our Information Technology Branch to review a number of options to modify the processing of objections. This will enable clients to file their objections via the Internet. The initial phases of the project were implemented in 2002-2003 and will continue through 2003-2004 to provide sufficient data for evaluation. The launch of the project is scheduled for 2004-2005.