Introduction

What is sustainable development (SD)?

SD is choosing to do things in ways that:

• preserve the health (e.g., clean air, water, and land) of the natural environment;
• ensure access to social services; and
• extend the benefits of economic prosperity to broader segments of the population.

SD seeks to meet these goals without jeopardizing the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.

Why an SD strategy?

At the Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro in 1992 and the World Summit on SD in Johannesburg in 2002, Canada and other countries committed to develop national strategies for SD to reduce the negative impacts of development on the welfare of the earth's peoples. As well, in 1995 the federal government changed the Auditor General Act to require certain federal departments and agencies to prepare, table, implement, and update an SD strategy at least every three years.

What is the role of the Office of Primary Interest (OPI) for SD in the CCRA?

The SD Division in the Real Property and Sustainable Development Directorate of the Finance and Administration Branch is the OPI for SD in the CRA. The Division has the key role of:

• preparing the SD strategy;
• developing SD awareness and learning tools;
• co-ordinating SD awareness initiatives and events;
• providing leadership that promotes implementing of the SD strategy throughout the CRA;
• reporting on SD performance;
• developing, updating, and managing the Environmental Management System (EMS) for the CRA; and
• providing technical support and advice on environmental issues.

The SD Network and National Environmental Management System Committee support the work of the SD Division. They consist of representatives and co-ordinators from every branch and region of the CRA. For effectiveness, they have subcommittees to help them plan and implement their SD responsibilities.

Why report performance on SD?

SD performance reporting is important. It helps us assess our progress, provides information on our performance, acts as an accountability tool, provides an opportunity to showcase our successes, and gives us the incentive to improve.

What is the process for SD performance reporting?

The starting point for our performance report is the targets that branches and regions have set in the SD strategy. Branches and regions monitor progress on the SD targets and report performance annually to the SD Division. A summary on SD performance is presented to Members of Parliament and interested Canadians in the CRA's annual report. Greater detail is provided to management, employees, and other interested parties in this performance report, which will be posted on the SD Web site for internal and external access.

Audits and reviews are used to verify our performance and ensure continual improvement. During a regular internal audit of their program or operation, managers may have to respond to questions on their SD targets and performance. The SD program and strategy are also reviewed and/or audited by the Commissioner of the Environment and Sustainable Development in the Office of the Auditor General. Findings are reported to the House of Commons in the Commissioner's annual and additional reports.

How well did the reporting process work for 2003-2004?

The main vehicle for SD performance reporting was the online PR Tool launched during the period. The PR Tool significantly improved monitoring and evaluation of our SD performance, and it effectively transformed our reporting from a manual to electronic process. The SD Division issued call letters for performance reporting to the 10 branches and 6 regions that make up the SD Network. The Network was invited to respond using the PR-Tool. We received responses from 9 of 10 branches and all 6 regions.

Date modified:

2005-04-21